Of the Night is an adventurous duo recording from the Wayne Shorter songbook by veteran guitarist/composer Michael Musillami and master bassist and co-leader Rich Syracuse.

This is Musillami's second duo release on the Playscape Recordings label and his first recording with Syracuse, a long-time member of the late baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola's Quartet. Musillami's long-standing passion for duo playing, coupled with the heavy influence of Wayne Shorter, which helped shape Musillami and Syracuse, as well as the successful improvisational relationship shared by the musicians helped bring this recording into being. "We can communicate without words," writes Musillami in his liner notes. "With a look, a gesture, a sound, he gets me and I get him. It translates into the music naturally."

On the 13-minute opening track of Shorter's often played standard Footprints, Musillami and Syracuse slowly deconstruct the original music from its anticipated form to a less predictable path using harmony, melody and rhythm as agents of change. The Musillami-Syracuse duo also offers inventive renditions of Black Nile, Children of the Night and Juju, among others.

Of the Night was recorded by master engineer Nick Lloyd at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, Connecticut. The pristine sound of both guitar and bass are on full display here, well worth the listen.