Here is a clip of Ritchie Kotzen a guitarist I haven't heard mentioned on this site before. The video features some cool sweeoing and legato playing. Anyway check it out :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeIQIqPsLrw

Oh yeah Ritchie is a great player, I think he was another artist who got his start through Shrapnel Records. I was thinking about getting some of his music. Any of you guys have recommendations?

Check out his first two Shrapnel releases and the Kotzen/Howe project, with Greg Howe. He ventured in to Jazz and fusion for a while and replaced Paul Gilbert in Mr. Big as well. I have some of his latest stuff which is a bluesy rock offering.

Electric Joy. All instrumental, technique for miles yet sweet and bluesy. His harmonies and overdubs are second to none. It was a collection of 8 track songs for vocal idea or something but since he hadn't planned on singing and was looking for a vocalist, he jammed over it and all of a sudden it was looking like an instrumental album. And since he was sort of "studio trained" by Jason Becker, he went and filled every second of the album with awesome techniques or harmonies. Some he went back and doubled every note. If they weren't doubled, he added a background harmony or something. And the tone...no fx or crazy distortion, just really clean and slightly overdriven. I love it. Nothing else has come close to sounding like a full on, well written and executed instrumental album since. Kind of the work Vai put into P&W but no harmonizers and weird dream sequences, and centered around fusion/blues.