With his latest CD, Charlie leaves the percussion, keyboards, and vocals behind to highlight over a dozen melodic tunes performed on JUST GUITAR. This West Virginia guitarist, who learned the instrument as a teenager in Queensland, Australia, showcases such a variety of styles and techniques on his four CDs, it's difficult to categorize him. Charlie is a solid song-crafter as well as a master of the guitar, and it's plain to see that he never allows gimmickry or"flash" to overshadow the essence of a beautiful song.It's amazing that the guitarist behind instrumental rockers like"Young Man's Fancy" and"All That Glitters" (from the album PRESS) is the same artist behind the sentimental, country ballad"Shelby and Grace" from the same work - or the fingerstyle intricacy of"Kentucky Summer" (from"read between the lines") - or the gentle, uplifting worship songs from PERFECT WAY - or the masterful, creative guitar duets (such as"Menuet" and"Sunrise Over Gilead") from JUST GUITAR.Truly, the young man who learned his"rock chops" with the Beatles and other British invasion acts, before moving on to a"blues obsession" with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, with side excursions into prog rock legends Queen, Yes, and Jethro Tull - has matured into a well-rounded and seasoned veteran of a multi-faceted guitar career, in which influences such as Chet Atkins, Phil Keaggy, Joe Satriani, Steve Howe, Brian May, George Harrison, Christopher Parkening, Michael Bloomfield, and Jimi Hendrix played no small part.Looking back fondly on those crazy 70s, playing five hours a night - six nights a week - for three years all over the midwest, Charlie has no regrets about leaving that life behind to teach guitar, bass and banjo to sixty students a week, while continuing to write, experiment, and record - with another album (this one with a"classic rock" vibe) already in the works.For the music lover who thinks there must be more to guitar music than ten-minute guitar solos with non-stop shredding and whammy bar"dive bombs" - Charlie's new CD"JUST GUITAR" will be an auditory delight. The artist skillfully blends acoustic and electric overdubs into 13 different tunes in which melody reigns supreme, and tasteful performances captivate the listener from the opening"Almost Home" to the closing fade of"Sunrise Over Gilead."