DON MANCUSO “No Strings Attached” Genre: Instrumental Guitar Melodic Revolutions Records

Even if the name isn’t instantly recognizable, Don Mancuso does have pedigree. He was the guitarist in Black Sheep (Lou Gramm’s band before he went on to find out what love was with Foreigner). The relationship with Gramm has been rekindled, as he now is part of Gramm’s present band. This six track EP showcases his considerable guitar skills. It’s taste over flash, with tunes being more important than fret board flurries.

The songs are built in a similar fashion. A signature riff drives the songs; the riff is slightly bluesy on “Drop”, reggae flavored on “Green Bay Reggae”, reminiscent of the Police’s “Message in a Bottle” on “Help!”, bluesy slide on “Bugs Bite”, west coast jazzy on “Cocagne” and spacey on the more modern “Breaking Caylee”. Over the signature riffs on these tracks, Mancuso layers further guitar parts to create broader sound scapes. Likable, if unlikely to change the world of guitar playing, Mancuso shows he’s a fine guitarist and an accomplished writer of melody. This EP keeps his fingers nimble until he reconvenes with Gramm and DDRIVE for their next anticipated records. POWERPOINTS: 1 2 3 4 5 6