Steffen Schackinger - ElectriGuitartristry: C+

Steffen is no doubt a master at the guitar as he deftly shows in his debut instrumental album. Watching a video of him playing guitar is something to behold. He borrows a bit from Satriani to Stanley Jordan in a mix of rock to jazz. But playing great guitar doesn't make you a great songwriter. And that's where Steffen falls short. He's got a few good tunes on here that are solid from start to finish. But the rest are mind numbing tunes that are void of hooks or melodies to sink your brain into. The album is best when playing in the background. Otherwise it generally is hard to follow. There is one outstanding song "The Dixieland" which is electric guitar and fiddle duet with Jane Clark. Jane and Steffen mimic and exhange riffs in a fabulous piece of music. That song alone is worth the album. Otherwise, let's hope Steffen practices a bit more songwriting before his next venture.