Two guitarists with a penchant for melodic expression and finely tuned accompaniment, Charlie Rauh and Cameron Mizell will release a collaborative project aptly titled What We Have In Common on July 19, 2019 via the Austin-based jazz label Destiny Records. The recording features nine original compositions—one co-written effort plus four originals from each guitarist. An additional vocal take of the co-write, “A Thousand Faces,” plus Rauh’s delicate “All Along The Way” feature lyrics penned and sung by electro-pop artist Ess See, rounding out the ten track outing with just over 34 minutes of music. Sonically, the music is made by the delicate, harmonically rich sound of Rauh’s Collings Baby 1 MH acoustic guitar complimented by the precise, singing tone of Mizell’s Collings I-35 LC, and was recorded in the home of Destiny Records recording engineer George Shalda, who expertly captured the dynamic sounds of the guitars and brought the session’s intimacy to life. Here is Music Editor John Freeman discussing What We Have In Common.

The guitar playing of Charlie Rauh and Cameron Mizell is both sensitive and virtuosic. They weave together haunting phrases with precision and grace, allowing just the right amount of dissonance to occasionally clip the end of a melodic run. The result is a dynamic listening experience that divulges more with each spin. Mizell’s clean and plaintive electric guitar accompaniment puts me in mind of the late great Joe Pass, while Rauh’s prolific compositions on the acoustic seem bottomless (by my count he’s written and performed on at least three records in the past year). Standout numbers include “All Along the Way,” “Dogwood,” and “A Thousand Faces.” What We Have In Common is a must-listen for lovers of jazz and folk, and painting. Yes, along with the digital album, you can buy a book of Mizell’s original paintings based upon the album tracks. Rauh and Mizell’s is an endearing musical friendship, and I’m hoping for more collaborations from these two artists in the future.

You can check out and purchase the record on Bandcamp:  What We Have In Common