An artist who uses his guitar the way a masterful painter uses a palette. Anthony Mazzella creates music that can be best described as tone paintings. This electric fingerstyle guitarist is capable of creating astonishing aural canvases. Combining the influences of Stanley Jordan, Michael Hedges, and a slew of other guitar wizards with his own innate creativity, Mazzella seems destined to carve out his own niche in the world of instrumental music.

Mazzella's performance at Heads and Tails in Roslyn elicited more than a few jaw-dropping moments from the audiences perspective. Watching the musician at work was akin to observing a painter possessed at the canvas. Every nerve attuned to his instrument. Every thought connected to a musical note. Mazzella dazzled those in attendance with a hour-long display of an ability that only a combination of natural talent and almost fanatical devotion to practice could produce.

The 10 song set was comprised of all original music save one. A mind-boggling rendition of U2's "Where the streets have no name." Somehow, Mazzella duplicated the entire feel of the original version in addition to recreating most of the instrumental backing of the song, on one guitar! The original material highlighted both Mazzella's technical mastery of the instrument and the depth of his imagination. A firm knowledge of a host of musical genres was evident with elements of rock, folk, blues, jazz, classical, and Eastern music threading their way through his compositions.

During "Another Place, Some Other Time" It was easy to imagine a musical conversation between Stanley Jordan and Michael Hedges as Mazzella employed both musicians' approaches, the result of which was a highly unusual hybrid. Later, he played a tribute to the guitar innovations of Eddie Van Halen, in which he coaxial violin and brass sounds from his guitar.

Perhaps the most impressive of them all was "Azalea/Obstacles of life/The Birth" With this trilogy, Mazzella pulled together every musical nuance within his grasp creating an art gallery of moods and colors.

--Long Island Live