A transplanted Texan living in L.A., Rick Brannon refers to himself as a Calitexan. With both feet firmly planted in the currently hot country metal blues fusion guitar style, Brannon’s big influences include blues blasters like Johnny Winter and Freddie King, and he breaks new ground on his 2007 CD Angels Highway. Backed up by drummer Dean Lopes and bassist Phillip Bynoe—as well as esteemed mixer Fabrezio Grossi—Brannon performs all the guitars and vocals with drive and style. With a mix of heavy guitar riffage, rock fusion instrumentals and vocal cuts, Angels Highway spotlights Brannon’s fretboard expertise on a number of guitars including Charvel, Fender Strat and Ibanez. Whether taking the lead vocal mic or echoing the inspiring pyrotechnics of guitar icons like Hendrix, Gibbons and Winter, Brannon has it all covered on Angels Highway. www.guitarfreak.com

Attention Artists and Record Companies: Have your CD reviewed by mwe3.com. Send to: MWE3.com CD Reviews Editor Robert Silverstein, P.O. Box 630249, Little Neck, N.Y. 11363-0249 E-mail: breakthru87@mwe3.com