Jim Campilongo and Luca Benedetti jettison drums and bass for Two Guitars.

BY MICHAEL MOLENDA PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK BRULL

IT WAS A record born from surprise — not the good kind — and struggle. In fact, the whole concept of Two Guitars (Blue Hen Records) wasn’t inspired by the great guitar-duo collaborations of the past, such as Chester & Lester. It was instigated by necessity. When wicked weather forced their drummer and bassist to go MIA from a gig at New York City’s 55 Bar, guitarists Jim Campilongo and Luca Benedetti decided to press on without a rhythm section.

“We said, ‘Let’s just play,’ ” remembers Campilongo, “and we stumbled along, trying to recreate a full band sound with just the two of us. Eventually, we relaxed and didn’t worry about filling everything in — you know, playing ching, ching, ching, ching in a Django Reinhardt style — or keeping a strict tempo going. In those moments, we had a revelation about the creative freedom of a duo. We definitely knew we had something going when Luca’s wife told us after the gig, ‘I noticed when you guys would take chances — that’s when it got real good.’ ”