By: Robert Silverstein
ack in the '80s guitarist Tak Matsumoto formed the rock group B'z in his native Japan going to sell an enormous 80 million units. Matsumoto began his solo career around the same time and has gone on to release a number of acclaimed solo albums since. His latest, Hana was picked up by guitarist Steve Vai and his label Favored Nations. Regarding his first U.S. release Tak adds, "Of course, all my life as a guitarist, I have been influenced by Western music, which still sometimes shows in my work, but at my core, there exists an Asian spirit with Asian melodies. So I let this flow out naturally in this album, Hana." A perfect album for fans of Jeff Beck's more melodic sounds as well as Al DiMeola and Jan Akkerman, Hana blends a wide range of jazz and rock instrumental grooves. The CD is superbly recorded and overall, Matsumoto's East-West fusion guitar sound is a most pleasant surprise indeed.
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