Guitar artistry at its finest: Ella Feingold and Charlie Hunter blend soul, funk, and jazz into a musical universe that is as virtuosic as it is laid-back. When Ella Feingold first saw Charlie Hunter perform live in the late 1990s, a collaboration between them seemed unthinkable. Today, they are an acclaimed duo whose joint album has captivated music legends from around the world.

At first glance, Bill Frisell, Raphael Saadiq, Johnny Marr, and Lenny Kravitz don’t seem to have much in common. But appearances can be deceiving: Last year, they all expressed their admiration for the same album, describing it as “so good,” “so funky,” “fascinating,” and “masterful”—that was the general consensus.

We’re talking about “Different Strokes for Different Folks,” the new album by American guitarists Ella Feingold and Charlie Hunter. For Feingold, this project brings things full circle, in a sense: For many years, Hunter was one of her greatest musical role models. She saw him perform live for the first time in the late 1990s. A joint session, let alone an entire album—that seemed a distant prospect back then. Today, a good 30 years later, that dream has become a reality. According to Hunter, Feingold is “one of the hardest-hitting, grooviest guitarists on the planet.” It seems the admiration is now mutual.

For years now, the guitarist—like her former role model—has been among the leading lights in the realm of string magic, a field that is not entirely free of vanity. But where the virtuosity of other colleagues quickly risks veering into self-aggrandizement, Feingold’s playing is characterized by a soothing minimalism. Every note she plays sounds like a statement that deserves to be heard.

While Feingold sets the harmonic direction through his interplay with complex chord structures, Hunter provides the tonal foundation with his signature guitar licks. Despite their musical originality, the influence of soul, funk, and jazz is always evident.

This is what music sounds like when it’s complex but never complicated. Curtain up for Ella Feingold and Charlie Hunter!

Previously: Alexander von Schlippenbach, “Globe Unity Orchestra”