By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia Group

The artists on “Iowa Duets” hail from the Tall Corn State, but their imagery pops far afield, with worldly artistry and appeal.

Rockin’ jazz guitarist Pat Smith of Coralville and classically trained bass player Richard Wagor of Cedar Rapids have created something very special with their new collection of jazzed up standards and a couple of Smith’s original compositions.

The beauty of the standards is that once the melody is stated, Smith and Wagor veer off into the most inventive direction, shaking up the meters, flavors and feels.

“Bye Bye Blackbird” opens the disc with a bossa nova beat, as the jazzy guitar carries the melody over the bass that walks and runs at its own complementary pace.

The melody quickly diverts, so if you tune in at the middle, you won’t know what song you’re hearing, but you’ll like it. The melody returns near the end, with lovely fingerwork by Smith bringing it home.

“Swing Street,” the first of Smith’s two songs, turns the corner with a languid beat infused with a light, bluesy feel that tiptoes into the Delta blues tradition.

“The Days of Wine and Roses,” another classic from one of my favorite ’60s composers, Henry Mancini, gently swings as Smith skips lightly over the strings.

Wagor moves to the forefront on “All Blues,” by the great Miles Davis. Wagor cuts loose with kicky, intricate bass under some spare guitar, turning a funky corner halfway through. That’s followed by the quick pace of late jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown’s “Blues Walk.”

My favorite cut’s up next, as Smith and Wagor improve on the already wonderful “Eleanor Rigby.” Fusing jazz with great classical bowing, Wagor explores the full range of the bass voicing before handing the lead over to Smith, who adds a hypnotic, Spanish flair in a minor key. The result is the pinnacle of the “musical conversation” KCCK’s Dennis Green discusses in the CD’s liner notes.

The remainder of the disc floats from the breezy “Stolen Moment” and Smith’s utterly pretty “Sometime,” to the straightforward “Cherokee,” whipping up some fun walking bass and electric guitar.

Three fabulous friends drop by for the closing “Shady Grove,” giving this traditional tune a sort of cowboy-hitting-the-dusty-trail feel. They cook up a campfire stew with some fantastic banjo from Jon Eric, Wagor’s wildly tripping bass, spiced with a hint of Celtic violin from Natalie Brown and mournful dobro from Doug Stock.

Smith and Wagor, who have played such diverse venues as the stunning Campbell Steele Gallery and the folksy Waubeek riverbank, will give the disc an elegant launching Jan. 28 at Orchestra Iowa’s new Opus Concert Cafe, next to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids. Tickets are just $5 at the door. That’s a steal.

Best track: “Eleanor Rigby”

FAST TAKE

Title: “Iowa Duets”

Artists: Pat Smith, guitar, and Richard Wagor, bass

Label: Self-release

Performance: 8 p.m. Jan. 28

Where: Opus Concert Cafe, 119 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

Tickets: $5 at the door

Artists’ website: www.smithwagor.com