Heaven Is Creepy

Whether you categorize Jim Campilongo as a jazz artist, an alt-country explorer, or perhaps simply an exceptional guitarist who blurs boundaries, there’s no denying that he and his Fender Telecaster were made for each other. This collection of mostly instrumental tunes spans the range of rock, country, and classic jazz, with Campilongo’s finger work not so much ablaze with speed as with stunning dexterity and inventiveness. While “Monkey In a Movie” has a glinting rock edge, “Hamster Wheel” nods to ‘60s psych-blues and “Mr. and Mrs. Mouse” is torn between surf and spaghetti-western twang, most of the album simmers with a jazzier flavor. There’s a smoky nightclub vibe on both “Pepper” and the favorite standard “Cry Me a River” (one version here with Norah Jones on vocals), a dash of art-skronk playfulness on “Menace” and “Heaven Is Creepy,” and the spirit of Django Reinhardt at work on “The Prettiest Girl In New York.” Campilongo plays with unfettered joy, and listening is an equally blissful experience.