One would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile guitarist than Gordon Grdina, who somehow manages to try something different with each release. And he is no slouch in terms of productivity either; with at least a dozen releases since 2020, this is an artist who requires multiple palettes. His sensitivity on the oud is one of his most remarkable traits; witness his superb playing on the Persian-inspired The Marrow (Attaboygirl Records, 2024) with vocalist Fathieh Honari as proof. As a guitarist, however, Grdina is often at his best when he is just shredding; to find him excelling in that vein one need look no further than this riveting effort with drummer Christian Lillinger, Duo Work. "Work" it most certainly is, as these musicians do not play around. But it is also a rollicking listening experience.

Grdina and Lillinger appeared together most recently on Live at the Armoury (Clean Feed,…