Sask. guitarists Jack Semple, Shaun Verreault teaming up tonight

Two of Saskatchewan's best guitar players are combining forces tonight in Saskatoon.

Jack Semple and Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason are playing a show together at Bud's on Broadway.

It's the first time the pair have hit the stage together. After seeing a photo of Semple, Verreault noticed they both played very similar guitars. That's when he got a random idea.

"We've never played together in all these years of doing things," Verreault said. "I would come see Jack play at Bud's all the time, but we've never done a night or a couple of nights of just blowin'."

After messaging Semple, booking the gig at Bud's, the duo was born.

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"It's a good inspiration to actually follow up on those random ideas that you have because sometimes they turn into these things," Verreault said.

Both musicians have plenty of experience performing and delivering memorable shows. But how hard is it for them to play together for the first time?

"Oh it will probably be easy," Semple said with a chuckle.

Imagination and inspiration

Verreault said having seen Semple play many times and vice versa will go a long to ensuring they put on a great show.

"When you get to a certain point of comfort on your instrument, you're not thinking about technique," he said. "You're just thinking imagination."

"There's a reason why I only called Jack now and not like 10 years ago. I needed to get some practicing in before I was going to play at the same time as him."

For Semple, one the best things to do when collaborating with a new artist is to just listen.

"I'm going to listen and learn and try not to get in the way and try to make the sum of the parts greater than the number of the players on the stage," Semple said.

"I'm really excited to hear his interpretation of music and guitar playing and what he's going to play. And he's going to be interpreting me at the same time and it's going to be very exciting."

Verreault said both of them share a lot musically, but they can also have completely different playing styles at time. And, he said, "that's when a beautiful thing can happen."

"It's inspiring to play with someone who is really, really accomplished," Verreault said.