She croons and he crows. She serenades and he snarls. She's the brass and he's the tarnish. THE PRIESTESS AND THE FOOL - the cover- song collaboration between MEREDITH DIMENNA and BRIAN GROSZ - proves once again that strange bedfellows can make for a beautiful love song.

After releasing separate albums in 2007 on Exotic Recordings (Grosz's "BEDLAM NIGHTS" and DiMenna with Saint Bernadette's "IN THE BALLROOM"), this unlikely duo came together after discovering an aging vinyl copy of "One From the Heart," the soundtrack for the 1982 Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name. Upon hearing the title track, an epic duet between Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle, DiMenna and Grosz began to envision retooling the song as a vanity project to keep their hands moving and their chops up. Within a short period of time, however, the two found themselves searching for more classic duets to re-invent - and thereby their six song EP, "A Minor Work" was born.

Slated for a January 2008 release, and available as a limited-time free download on their website, "A Minor Work" spans the rough riffage that we've come to expect from Grosz and the trademark, 60's- inspired soul of DiMenna. However, we also hear the duo launch themselves into the realms of lazy country/western, a haunting beatnik dirge, "Wall Of Sound"-era pop and even a choral eulogy accompanied by a church organist.

With creative input from producer/multi-instrumentalist Keith "Touch" Saunders and a veritable arsenal of guest musicians from the Exotic Recordings roster and beyond, "A Minor Work" spans a massive stylistic arc and features daring experimentation from both singers. From start to finish, it builds on the mythic foundation of The Beauty and The Beast figures behind the microphone.

Considering that DiMenna is known for her sultry and smoldering voice and that Grosz often sounds like his throat just burned to the ground, this would seemingly be an "oil and water" combination. One listen to "A Minor Work," however, will prove that this work is anything but.