Over the last two years, Liquid Note Records has produced three of the most talked about guitar driven releases since the slow death of Shrapnel. JAM, a 'project album' is yet another solid step forward in the direction of six string nirvana by bringing together three of today's hottest guitarists; Joel Rivard, Alessandro Benvenuti and Milan Polak.

Each player contributes three original tracks showcasing their own distinctive voice; Benvenuti provides the modern fusion licks and beefy lead tones, Polak the odd time grooves and fired up shred, whilst newcomer (at least to me) Joel Rivard creates lines of sumptuous Jazziness. The results are surprising, face melting and atmospheric in equal measure. LNR house keys man Lale Larson also appears, knocking out a few killer solos and generally fattening up the sound.

The Usual Unusual opens the sticky lid on JAM, with Polak and (co writer) Bernd Fuxa spreading a tight and catchy angular groove over some seriously tasty guitar work. This tune is dedicated to the sorely missed Shawn Lane and comes across very reminiscent of the big mans penchant for progressive arrangements and state of the art solos.

2 Sides Of The Same Trouble opens the set for Italian Fusion ace Alessandro Benvenuti. The clean, almost blues intro immediately hooks the listener as Benvenuti seamlessly morphs the raw beginning into a searing melodic fusion. There are simply to many knockout moments of guitar playing on this tune to mention in full, suffice to say it does exactly what all good instrumental music should do...make you pick up yer guitar!

Joel Rivard is a new name to me, but on the strength of the material found on JAM, Rivard may be the find of the year! Equal parts Johnson and Satch, (and a smattering of Lane) Rivard demonstrates an unbelievable sense of melody that enchants as much as it inspires. His burning fretwork on Lydian Field and Transcendence are highlights of the album, though some may find his compositional style to be a touch too familiar.

The chemistry and interplay between Rivard, Benvenuti, Polak and Larson throughout JAM is terrific, especially considering the international mileage these tracks must have undertaken to reach completion. The diverse styles also add a great deal of listener interest, moving gracefully from Fusion, Shred, Rock and even Ballad. In fact, my favorite part of JAM is the versatility each player shows when negotiating different musical situations, all excel themselves with dynamism and flair.

Other highlights include Benvenuti's technical yet beautiful 'Hot Room', which features plenty of challenging lead lines and superior clean jazz phrasing from Rivard, and Polak's foot stomping shred delight - Back on the Track.

A final mention must go to JAM's cover artwork. A closer look reveals the creepiest use of digital baby imagery since the dancing freak that adorned many screensavers a few years back. The dancing baby has grown up, mutated, and Matt Willams has taught him shred guitar!