Click on the following links for full review.

Dark City (Russian Metal Magazine)
Shredaholic
Tempi-duri.it (Italian Heavy Metal Webzine)
Raw & Wild
The Dutch Progressive Rock Page
Prog-Nose.org
Highwire Magazine
Sweden Rock Magazine
Rock United
Mega Metal Online
Rock and Metal Heaven
Brighteyes.de
Guitar 6
BallBuster Hard Music
Heavy Metal Universe
Power Play Records
Quintessance Metal Webzine
21st Century Metal
Stutter 'Zine
Sea of Tranquility
Foley Entertainment, Inc.
HardRock Haven
Metal To Infinity
Fishcomcollective
El Retorno del Gigante
Illinois Entertainer
VirtuosityOne
Guitar Chef
MWE3.com (Music Web Express)
Sea of Tranquility
GuitarMania
GarageBand

- REVIEW FROM Dark City (Russian Metal Magazine)

Click HERE for full review.

- REVIEW FROM Shredaholic

I had the chance to review this great album, and I have to say I truly enjoyed it, let me tell you why. Jeff's style is catchy melodies with really good sense of arrangement and playing style, very fluid. Not forgetting some shred which we all love - and played well it is, but its not constant speed on this one, actually, most of it is slow melodies, which is great also!!!

As stressed before, this is your typical kind of easy listening, cheerful sounding guitar music, has a positive edge to it with great groove. Some decent alternate picking speed licks and fast legato work present which blend in really well with the music - creating tension and giving the songs a bit more of a ''Dramatic'' edge, all played very smooth and fluidly. Some neat acoustic and piano is also present giving the album more variation which is a strong point, very catchy tunes on this album.

I'd say this is a fun sounding "rock guitar" instrumental album, Jeff has a good ear for melody and arrangement. Its typical upbeat, energetic music which is full of life and is great to listen too. As well as being full of catchy melodies, this disc has some pretty heavy rocking riffs that groove really well! The guitar tone is nice and pretty warm sounding, also flanging/phase shifting type effects are heard quite a lot on this disc adding a bit more dynamic to the music, which is great. My personal favourite tracks would have to be ''Feel Good'', ''Cyber Me'' and ''Thinking of you'' but any of the tunes on this album are potential standout tracks for the listener.

Overall I thought this album was decent, enjoyed it very much so, if you like catchy hard rock guitar instrumental then this will probably be right up your street - check it out.

Recommended.

- Richard Niczyperowicz

Click HERE for full review.

- REVIEW FROM Tempi-Duri.it (Italian Heavy Metal Webzine)

(English interpretation below)

Jeff è un talentuoso musicista di Chicago che ha iniziato la sua carriera come batterista , passando poi alla chitarra sotto l’ispirazione di Van Halen alla fine degli anni ’70 poi al basso ed infine alle tastiere.
Con un bagaglio così Urso appare un musicista completo capace di poter fare da solo tutto quello che più gli piace e pare che così sia.
Infatti sulle pagine del booklet di questo suo cd solista non viene menzionato nessun “compagno di viaggio”, né tantomeno si fa riferimento ad aggeggi computerizzati od elettronici per gli arrangiamenti dei pezzi.
C’è però da dire che se , come pensiamo che sia, il nostro amico ha fatto tutto da solo, penso che sarebbe stato il caso di evidenziarlo maggiormente sulle note del libretto, proprio per mettere più in luce questa sua completezza artistica.
I brani che Urso propone sono ispirati alla tradizione dei guitar hero degli anni 90 come Satriani e Vai, passando poi a eroi della sei corde più recenti e non meno valorosi come Petrucci.
Queste 10 perle le cui note brillano freschissime nelle nostre casse sono l’ideale colonna sonora per un piacevole viaggio in auto.
Sonorità , come per l’appunto dicevo prima, alla Satriani ci accompagnano per la quasi prima metà del disco facendoci venire in mente il sempre osannato “Surfing with the alien”.
Si prosegue poi con stranezze degne di Vai altro funambolico artista dal quale attinge Urso le cui sonorità sono ulteriormente arricchite da un sapiente lavoro di engineering con effetti sonori semplici ma di sicuro effetto.
Quando le sonorità diventano più dure il nostro imbraccia la 7 corde che conferisce ai brani un tono più “cattivo” e sonorità più “robuste”.
Ultimo brano particolarmente toccante è “ I alive” che è dedicato ad un suo caro amico morto in seguito ad un incidente stradale. Qui Urso si cimenta al pianoforte con particolare trasporto , nonostante la semplicità della composizione.

Jeff - talented musician Chicago who has begun its career as batterista, passing then to a guitar under inspiration Van Alain in the end of years ’ 70 then to a bottom and at last to keyboards.
With luggage so Urso there is the full musician, capable can makes independently all that is pleasant to it more and it seems, that it so.
Really on pages booklet it it cd the soloist will not mention about any “ comrade of travel ”, tantomeno it becomes the reference to trifles computerizzati or electronic for arrangiamenti details.
It is necessary to speak nevertheless, that, whether as it is thought we, that, our friend has made all independently, I think, that it would be a case it mainly on marks, is valid to place more in a view of its this art completeness.
Fragments, that Urso offers, are inspired in tradition guitar hero years 90 as Satriani and You go, occuring to heroes then, more recent cords and not less valorous as Petrucci.
These 10 perle, whose marks shine the freshest in our boxes, - an ideal sonorous column for pleasant travel to cars.
Sounding as for a note I spoke all over again, to Satriani they accompany with us for first half of disk, forcing to come to us in mind always osannato “ Surfing with the alien ”.
It proceeds then with worthy strangenesses You there Is other acrobatic actor from whom scoops Urso, whose sounding was enriched in the further at wise work engineering with sonorous simple effects but necessarily effect.
When sounding becomes more rigid ours imbraccia 7 cords which it gives more "bad" tone and "stronger" sounding in fragments.
Last especially touching fragment - "alive" which it is devoted to its dear dead friend further to road incident. Here Urso cimenta in a grand piano with the certain transport, despite of simplicity of structure.

- Giovanni Turco

Click HERE for full review.

- INTERVIEW FROM Raw & Wild

WHO IS JEFF URSO?
"I am an instrumental guitar player from Chicago. I focus on combining strong songwriting with great sounding melodies while keeping guitar aficionados happy."

I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES...
"I started out playing drums by the ripe age of 8. I was heavily into the band Kiss and by seeing & listening to Kiss' drummer Peter Criss, I figured that was what I needed to do in life. After playing drums for several bands, my interest grew towards guitar. I became fascinated with Eddie Van Halen & his style of playing. I ran out and purchased a guitar and amp & began learning Eddie's licks. I ended up bouncing back and forth between guitar & drums. I wanted to participate more on the music side instead of laying down the foundation. That's when I decided to give up the sticks & focus full time on guitar."

DID YOU HAVE PLAYED IN SEVERAL BANDS?
"I've been in several bands while playing drums & several bands playing guitar. Mostly local bands from the Chicago area."

WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR PRESENT ACTIVITY?
"Right now, I've done an instrumental album entirely by myself. It was written, performed, recorded, & produced by me. I don't oppose working with a vocalist; I just haven't found the right person yet. I also tend to work better on my own. I have complete freedom to express myself the way I want."

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES?
"I've been influenced in some way or another by a ton of guitar players. Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Trevor Rabin, Blues Saraceno, & Stevie Ray Vaughan all have inspired me in some way."

DO YOU PREFER GUITARISTS PLENTY OF TECHNICAL SKILLS OR FULL OF FEELINGS?
"Most of the time, I'm moved more by a guitar piece that is slower & full of feeling than I am by just pure speed. Hitting those slower "sweet" notes is something that just says so much. If you can combine both speed & feeling, that is the ultimate. John Petrucci is one that can play with blinding speed, then slow it down & play something so beautifully melodic, it's sick."

ARE YOU EGOMANIAC AS GUITARIST?
"No way. I'm forever practicing. I still think I suck & have so much more to accomplish on that thing before I can sit back & be comfortable with my playing. There is still so much more to explore yet.2

WHAT'S ABOUT YOUR WAY TO WRITE?
"Most of the song ideas & riffs I come up with are from some sort of jam. The best way I accomplish this is to sit down with a drum machine & put on a tempo that I'm in the mood for and just start jamming. I usually end up with several cool ideas by the time I'm done. I record those ideas on a tape recorder and call up any of those ideas when I'm looking for song ideas."

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO REACH WRITING YOUR STUFF?
"Most of the music I like to listen moves me in all kinds of ways. The music that I write, is similar, I think. To be able to move someone in a special way through music means more to me than anything. I strive for that when writing. If I see someone boppin' their heads or tapping their toes to my tunes, then I think I'm doing something right. The fast stuff is way cool, but I want to hit somebody with that one note!"

IS PLAYING GUITAR A WAY TO EXPRESS OWN PERSONALITY?
"Definitely! I can't express what it is I'm feeling through words when playing the guitar. It is all channeled from my head to my hands and on to the strings. Having your own personality on the instrument separates yourself with the other players."

WHAT DOES THE GUITAR REPRESENT FOR YOU?
"Guitar represents limitless possibilities in style & technique. Not many instruments can compare. From 6 string guitars, to 7 string electrics, to 12 string acoustics, how can you not create styles from all different genres? Throw in some alternate tunings, & forget about it."

WHAT'S YOUR FAVE GUITAR?
"I mostly play Ibanez electrics. I have an RG550 that's probably my favorite. It's been slightly modified with DiMarzio PAF Pro pickups. I seem to favor my Universe 7 string too."

YOUR BEST WISH AS MUSICIAN?
"I would just like to create music for the rest of my life. It's the only thing I really like to do & connect with more than anything else. If people across the world connect with my music, that makes me most happy. That's the beauty of instrumental music, it is the universal language."

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SOUND?
"I like to convey emotions in the way that I play. If it's an uptempo tune & the power is there, that can send the energy back to the listener. If I can touch somebody with something slower and melodic, that's an even more powerful energy. My sound & style of playing is very reminiscent of my personality. Aggressive at times, creative at others, & slow at other times."

TOURING PLANS?
"Absolutely. Right now I'm in the process of putting together a brand new band to support this CD release. A force to be reckoned with. I plan to play as many different places in as many different countries as possible. Trying to spread the music around a little."

YOUR LIFE'S PHILOSOPHY?
"I really believe that everyone has at least one talent. If that talent is something you completely enjoy, you should live & breathe it. Do exactly what makes you happy in life. We're only here on this earth once, make it happen. Seize the day!"

THE FUTURE FOR JEFF URSO?
"I plan on making music for the rest of my life. If I can make a living doing just that, I couldn't be any happier. Hopefully, others will like what I do. I hope that I can share the music that I've created with the rest of the world."

ANY LAST REMARKS?
"I'm trying to open this music up to listeners that may not be familiar with this genre. I would like them to appreciate the great art that it is. I also encourage people to make their own decisions on what they want to listen to & not to let commercial radio tell them otherwise. We have the choice to listen to we want, not the record companies. The record companies can force feed us their music by paying radio stations to play it, but I say.....make your own choice. We don't have to listen to what they have to offer. Also, support independent artists. Most are true artists doing exactly what it is in life they love to do.....music!"

- Interviewed by Emanuele Gentile

Click HERE for full interview.

- REVIEW FROM The Dutch Progressive Rock Page

As a true guitar aficionado I loved this album already when I heard it for the first time. In my rock collection you can find a couple of 80s instrumental guitar albums, ranging from Greg Howe, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Marty Friedman to Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Neil Zaza. Especially those last two belong to the main musical influences of Jeff Urso on his debut CD called Straight Ahead.

Urso is from Chicago and after playing with many different bands he decided that the only way he could express himself was by making a solo album. Urso’s debut is a sheer beauty filled with nine guitar instrumentals, which show that he is not only an amazing guitar picker, but also a brilliant composer. Jeff has a predilection for melody, which you can truly enjoy during songs like Perfect or Thinking Of You. Both songs are filled with mind-boggling solos that give me goosebumps every time I listen to them.

Other highlights on this amazing album are Warm Day; a song with a true Satch-like vibe and the title reflects the absolute brilliant melody. Rhythmic Wave, again very Satriani-like sounding, features a rather funky rhythm and some really awesome guitar shredding. Feel Good is packed with astonishing solos and lots of melodic and spicy parts, which make me, feel very good actually. It is a shame that Jeff decided to end this CD with the rather poor piano (where is the freaking guitar??) “song” called I Alive, otherwise I would have granted Mr Urso with a perfect 10. Jeff Urso is however a true talent worth keeping an ear out for. A must for guitar lovers!!

Conclusion: 9 out of 10

Reviewed by Martien Koolen

Click HERE for full review.

- REVIEW FROM Prog-Nose.org

Jeff Urso is an American guitarist born and raised in a suburb outside of Chicago. He discovered the drums at the age of 7 and played them for several years. In 1983, after hearing Van Halen’s first album, Jeff’s love for the guitar started and at that time he also bought his first guitar and amp. For a while he switched back and forth between drums and guitars. After years of gigging in the club circuit with bands like Zero Down, Tribe Of Zero and Mr Salty, he realized that the only way to come to personal fulfilment was to write, perform, record and produce his own songs. His goal is to enlarge the audience of instrumental guitar music by writing more ‘radio friendly’ songs and to get some new listeners to appreciate this type of music for the great art that it is. Guitar lovers like me, can’t help getting curious when hearing about an album like this. But if you expect an album full of overwhelming soloing like we’re used to from Steve Vaï, Joe Satrian or John Petrucci, this not the CD you’re looking for. You will undoubtedly detect influences from the above, but more in a rhythmical way, complemented with nice ‘tricks and licks’.

“Straight Ahead” is an album on which the music does the talking, it combines great guitar play with nice melodies. To use Jeff’s own words: ‘Great songs do not always have to have lyrics. In fact, most people can’t remember the words to some of their favorite songs, but they can hum the melody. There’s something on this CD for everybody.’

That’s exactly what you can expect from this album – accessible music, with fine songs and catchy rhythms. The guitar sounds clear with a jazzy/bluesy undertone. The production of the entire album is well done. Ideal to enjoy in your lazy sofa or during listening sessions with other guitar fanatics. The compositions would also fit in action sequences of movies or documentaries. Maybe that’s why this entire CD has been licensed to MTV for use in Real World, Road Rules & Real World/Road Rules Extreme Challenge.

I couldn’t find any real highlights, but all songs are pretty good. One thing, though… after listening to it attentively over and over again, I began to feel slightly bored – which lowers the rating just a bit. Best to just look at “Straight Ahead” as a creative instrumental piece of background music – nothing wrong with that, anyway.

Reviewed by Edwin

Click HERE for full review.

- REVIEW FROM Highwire Daze Magazine

This independent release by Chicago based guitarist Jeff Urso showcases his resourceful axework and proves just how interesting an all instrumental CD can be. On Straight Ahead, the guitar takes on the work of the lead vocal. On the recording, Urso is allowed to soar, delivering melodic hooks and grooves that will stay in your head long after the disc has completed its course. Be sure to follow along with the writing notes on the origin of each song, personally written by the composer himself. Influenced by the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson, Jeff Urso will certainly make a name for himself in the world of rock and roll guitar. Stand out tracks include the catchy Cyber Me, the timely illuminations of Perfect, and the Southern rock feel of the title track. Be sure to listen for the finale when Urso switches over the keyboards for I Alive, dedicated to a friend lost in a motorcycle accident. Whether he goes for soundtrack work or the rock and roll band route, expect to hear a lot more from Jeff Urso in the future. For more info on this talented musician, check out his website.

Reviewed by Kenneth Morton

Click HERE for their website.

- REVIEW FROM Sweden Rock Magazine

Awesome cool semi shredding album, I must say! American Jeff Urso has released a really nice instrumental piece where melodies and guitar playing are in focus. Besides this real acoustic and groove oriented drums. Me like! He mixes southern tinged things with traditional early Satriani instrumentalism. He mainly builds his songs on nice melodic guitar playing, but occasionally shows his technique has no flaws whatsoever. Some of these things are, the cool heavy rocker "Low Down", played on a seven string and with the word "groove" printed in bold letters. Here Jeff really strutts his shredding stuff. An album well worth checking out!

Reviewed by Janne Stark

Click HERE for their website.

- REVIEW FROM Rock United

Attention Satch or Neil Zaza fans! Here's a guy to watch out for. Jeff Urso came up with a very tasty album in the vein of the above-mentioned guitarists; he recorded and produced the entire album and the 10-track disc topped any of my expectations. The album is all about melodies, memorable musical patterns, and SONGWRITING as opposed to fluffy speeding or indigestibly complex tunes (the majority of them are shorter than 4 minutes). Even your girlfriend will tolerate this one in your player at home! :)

The title track opens the album and it sets the direction straight away… ehh… "Straight Ahead". The mix is well-balanced and though neither the liner notes nor the bio mentions a drummer, the programmed drums sound so very alive that I was almost fooled by them. [Gotta put my hands on the soundfonts Jeff was using for the drums!] The following two tunes carry on in the same fashion, reminding me very much of the melodic side of Neil Zaza's playing. "Rhythmic Wave" features cleverly used panorama effects to spice the backing guitar track up a bit and the melody on top is really beautiful. "Low Down" is a cool tune for fans of a rather aggressive 7-string sound and "Down & Dirty" is another one on the heavier side where Jeff flashes some speed up as well. "Warm Day" reminded me a bit of the "Crystal Planet" era spacey Satriani while "Cyber Me" features some techno effects to spice the low 7-string sound up. An interesting experiment but stays on the digestible side and the ping-pong delay-like effects add some extra twist to it [provided you play the album a quality hi-fi gear].

The remaining two "full" songs ended up as my faves, "Perfect" being another perfectly melodic Satch/Zaza mid-tempo stomper while "Thinking of You" has a beautiful, almost acoustic sounding backing track topped by some melodies to eat your heart out. The closing "I Alive" is just an arpeggio and trill driven piano melody, really beautiful at that even if some of the guitar freaks won't appreciate it as much as I did. All in all the album is VERY good for a first independent release. I found the less than 35 minutes total running time (10 tracks) a little too short but this is more of a praise I guess; I could have taken 2 or 3 tracks more. Yet these 10 tracks are all of quality stuff, no fillers in here. Recommended if you are a fan of easy-to- digest instrumental stuff, a must if you are a Satriani or Zaza fan.

Reviewed by Endre 'Bandi' Hübner

Click HERE for full review.

- INTERVIEW FROM Mega Metal Online

Mega Metal: Tell me a little about your musical background. How did you get started in music?
When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of the band KISS. I was completely taken by everything they did. I would stare at their record albums while listening to their music in complete awe. Listening to their drummer Peter Criss made me realize that this is what I had to do in life. I started by playing toy drumsets, then eventually graduating to bigger kits.

Mega Metal: You started out playing drums, what made you decide to learn how to play the guitar?
I started out playing drums at the age of 8. I've always had an interest in guitar too, but it wasn't until I've heard Van Halen's 5150 album, that I decided to go out & buy a guitar and amp and play both drums & guitar. After playing drums in many bands, my interest turned more to guitar. If the tunes weren't fun enough for me to play drums on, my interest was lost. Laying down the foundation wasn't good enough for me anymore. I guess I needed a bigger challenge. Guitar, for me, was a bigger challenge. It also allowed me to play a bigger part in the actual music making process. I could actually write songs rather than lay down a beat.

Mega Metal: Do you remember the very first time you played in a band?
Yes. Unbelievable experience. I would go to a friend's house & in his basement were all kinds of musical gear. He also played drums at the time his brother played bass. The three of us would hang out in the basement & just jam. No guitar, just (2) drummers & bass. Or drummer, bass, vocals. Some of my fondest memories. That was my first "band" experience.

Mega Metal: After that first time, did you know this was what you wanted to do for a career?
Absolutely! The feeling I had playing..you just can't explain it. Awesome.

Mega Metal: How would you describe your very first experience at recording?
That was also very cool. I was playing drums for an all original trio band. Everything we did was over the top. Each of us was at the top of our game. A friend of the bass players worked for a recording studio. On the weekends, we would go in there & record some of our originals. Though that recording studio was equipped for recording a full band, they did mostly voice over work for commercials & corporations. When we showed up with some cool gear, he was happy to do it. I remember thinking. I have to play to a click track? I definitely learned a lot from those experiences.

Mega Metal: Did the recording turn out like you had hoped?
Yes, but my drumming wasn't real solid. I've never had any formal lessons on drums; so again, playing with a click track was tricky. I still have those tapes. I still think the tunes were great.

Mega Metal: For our new readers, tell us a little about your band. (members, when you formed, etc.)
I?m in the middle of forming a completely new band. This is going to be the most powerful band I've ever been a part of. We will be playing tunes mostly from Straight Ahead with a couple of covers thrown in here and there. A couple of other surprises too! I can't wait to get out there & perform these!

Mega Metal: Tell us about your current release?
Straight Ahead is about music. My goal was to write great songs with great sounding melodies and still keep the guitar aficionados happy. I've been in and out of bands for a while that I really wanted to express myself to the fullest. I wanted to an album completely by myself. Writing, performing, recording, etc. I liked the idea of having no boundaries and that I could do whatever I wanted. The sky was the limit!

Mega Metal: Where did you record the record?
At my home studio. It's small, but with the equipment I've had for that recording, I'm amazed at the quality! Not bad for a smaller budget!

Mega Metal: Who did you use to produce the record and why?
I?ve produced the CD myself. I really like the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I don't oppose working with anyone else; I just haven't found the right people yet. Until then, I'm going to continue to work by myself.

Mega Metal: What was your first reaction to the final product?
I was really impressed at the quality and overall production. I recorded it entirely on a PC. Granted I have to tilt my hat at technology, but would I have been able to do that 15 years ago? Definitely not.

Mega Metal: How many songs did you originally record?
I recorded 12 tracks at that particular time. Two, of which, didn't make it to the album. I just wasn't happy with the way one of them was written. It seemed unfinished. I toyed around with it for so long, but I just wasn't comfortable with the way it was written. The other tune, I thought, needed to be re-recorded. I just figured 10 tracks would be enough for now. Got to have a little extra in the tank just in case.

Mega Metal: What are your current tour plans?
When I piece the band together & we are all rehearsed & ready, we will be everywhere. A force to be reckoned with!

Mega Metal: What are you personal favorite song to play live?
I would say Low Down or Down & Dirty. People seem to dig those. They're the more loud and in-your-face type of tunes that are fun to play live.

Mega Metal: If you were given the chance to jam on stage with any alive or dead, who would that be and why?
Man, so many! I'd love to jam with Tommy Lee. That guy can rip a groove! I've never seen a drummer hit his drums so hard live. I'd love to jam with Steve Vai. Although, that might be a little intimidating! Joe Satriani would be cool. Probably Peter Criss too, because he was my childhood hero.

Mega Metal: What equipment are you currently using?
All the electrics I play are Ibanez. I have an RG550, a JEM, & a Universe. All are tuned differently. I have a great sounding Takamine acoustic guitar that sounds so sweet. As far as amps, I use a Line6 Pod Pro preamp through a Marshall JCM 900 angled cabinet. All powered by a Carvin power amp. I'm not too much into effects, so I keep it pretty simple. The Line6 gives me all the versatility that I need & the onboard effects make it easy. I use a foot controller for the patch changes & a Morley Bad Horsie wah pedal.

Mega Metal: Do you use anything different in the studio then when you play live?
Yeah. I have a Marshall JMP-1 preamp that sounds killer. Nothing else like it. I?ve used that for some of the clean & dirty tones on Straight Ahead.

Mega Metal: What are you feelings about the Internet?
The internet is one of the greatest inventions of our time. So much is now available as a resource than ever before. The other day I needed to change out my pickup selector switch & needed a wiring diagram. Boom! Found it right there in cyber space. I wouldn?t have found that info in that amount of time 10-15 years ago.

Mega Metal: Do you have a website?
Yes, I do. www.jeffurso.com

Mega Metal: How much are you a part of your website?
Lots. I worked on the layout and such. I do most of the Latest News updates.

Mega Metal: Do you have an email address our readers can email you at?
Sure. You can email me at jeff@jeffurso.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Mega Metal: Looking back over your career, what is the most memorable moment or event?
Two things really stand out. One is a Battle of the Bands event that I participated in my senior year of H.S. We were one of four bands competing. It was my first real performance with lights, P.A., big audience, everything. Really cool. I played mostly rhythm guitar for our set & drums on one tune. We took 2nd place. The other experience was my last band. We were a 50/50 original/cover band with a vocalist. We played at a well known club & we were right on. Very tight & an overall great performance.

Mega Metal: What bands are you currently into?
I love Dream Theater. I love what those guys do. That band is my favorite. Love Steve Vai & Joe Satriani. Big fan of those guys. I'm digging some AlterBridge too. I like the singer's voice & range & I like what Mark Tremonti does on guitar. I'm also digging some Nickelback stuff too. Though I don't listen to much music on the radio, Nickelback is probably one of the better successful rock bands that is being played on the radio.

Mega Metal: What type of advice would you give a band wanting to get involved in the music business?
Be yourselves. Don't listen to anyone else. Having your own sound will set you apart from the others. Though, I don't think the music business would agree. They would probably say listen to whatever is hot & do exactly that! Sorry, I just don't agree. The important thing is to believe in what you have to offer & never ever give up!

Mega Metal: Any last comments?
Nothing can support an artist or band like the fans. Without them, we have nothing. Record labels & radio stations can deny you airplay, but when a fan tells you how much he digs what you're doing, nothing can compare. It is the ultimate compliment. Thanks for the support & thanks for the opportunity to do this interview. See you at the show!

Click HERE for full interview.

- REVIEW FROM Rock & Metal Heaven

(Reviewed in German)

...hmm, es fällt mir immer schwer Instrumental-Kollegen zu beurteilen, weiß ich doch aus eigener Erfahrung wie viel harte Arbeit es bedeutet, einen eigenständigen Stil zu entwickeln und ihn mit dem entsprechenden Ton zu einem eigenständigen Sound zu verhelfen. Leider ist die Eigenproduktion von JEFF URSO auch wieder eine dieser Platten, welche keinerlei bleibenden Eindruck weder bei mir, noch bei anderen Zuhörern hinterlassen wird. Die Leads sind sauber intoniert, haben aber die Emotionalität der Stefan Raab Band, die Hooks sind äußerst belanglos und nicht mal eine entsprechende Virtuosität könnte die Homerecording-Produktion kurz aus der Durchschnittlichkeit einer Hintergrund-Musik holen. Zudem versucht er im harmonischen Fahrwasser der seichteren Steve-Vai-Kompositionen zu punkten, was ihm aufgrund der zu gefälligen Akkordkombinationen leider auch nicht recht gelingen will. Schade...

Reviewed by Ironfinger

(English Translation coming soon)

Click HERE for further info.

- REVIEW FROM Brighteyes

(Reviewed in German)

Aus Illinois/USA beschert mir der Gitarrist JEFF URSO eine gitarrentechnische, vorweihnachtliche Freude. Da ich ein großer Fan früherer Joe Satriani und Eric Johnson Werke bin, trifft JEFF URSO mit seinem Soloalbum „Straight Ahead“ genau meinen musikalischen Hörnerv. Schon der Opener „Straight Ahead“ verbreitet gute Laune, so wie wir es eigentlich nur von an einer sonnigen Küste beheimateten Musikern kennen. Auch das beschwingte folgende „Feel Good“ dürfte, wie der Titel bereits ausdrückt, in einem Anflug völliger Hochstimmung entstanden sein. JEFF URSO experimentiert mit unterschiedlichen Soundcollagen, die es ihm erlauben, seine Fingerfertigkeit auf eingängige Art und Weise unter Beweis zu stellen, ohne in endlose Frickelorgien abzudriften. Der Song steht im Vordergrund und nicht das Solo, das verleiht „Straight Ahead“ einen sehr angenehmen und fast schon „Easy Listening“-Touch. Mit eingängigen Songstrukturen, die JEFF URSO aber mit fetten Riffs unterlegt, schafft er es, nie den roten Faden zu verlieren. Ein „Down & Dirty“ groovt ohne Ende und bei einem „Rhythmic Wave“ ist der Titel eben auch Programm. Mich erinnert dieses Album wirklich an frühe Werke eines Eric Johnson oder eines Joe Satriani, was die Klasse dieses JEFF URSO deutlich unterstreicht. Mich wundert es, dass hier noch kein Gitarrenlabel seine Fühler ausgestreckt hat. Ich bin mir sicher, dass wir den Namen JEFF URSO noch des Öfteren lesen werden, wenn es um gute Gitarrenmusik geht. Alle Freunde der anspruchsvollen songorientierten Saitenhexer sollten sich von „Straight Ahead“ angesprochen fühlen.

12 von 13 Augen

Reviewed by Tom Klaner

(English Translation coming soon)

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- REVIEW FROM Guitar6

Jeff Urso is one of the many guitarists who plays instrumental rock, due largely to influences of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, and all the great guitarplayers. I was shocked to pop in this CD and [i]not[/i] hear loads of speed-picked wankery, but instead this Jeff Urso has a sense of melody that few guitarists can claim. Unlike so many instrumental acts, this musician creates music for an audience, and not exclusively for guitarists to enjoy.

The biggest similiarity I hear is probably Satriani. These tunes are not overly ambitious, just nice groovy rhythms strung together with multitudes of memorable riffs. Surprisingly, Urso also plays all the other instruments on this album, giving him complete control over the music he has created here. Thanks to his diverse tastes, each track has it's own different "personality" too.

I would recommend this disc for everyone, since it has a little bit of everything on it. It appeals to musicians, your average radio listeners, and also to guitar wizards. Let this be a lesson to all aspiring guitar gods out there - wild solos can be fun, but don't forsake the importance of melody for some over-the-top fret action. Jeff Urso is definitely someone you should keep an eye on.

Reviewed by Taylor

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- INTERVIEW FROM BallBuster Hard Music

Name: Jeff Urso

Playing (years): 19 years

Style: Instrumental rock guitar ala Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, Johnson

Gear: Ibanez RG550 (tuned to Drop D), Ibanez Jem 555WH (standard tuning), Ibanez Jem Universe UV777 (standard B tuning), Takamine EG-334BC acoustic, Fender Precision 5 string bass, Carlo Robelli 4 string bass, Line6 Pod Pro, Marshall JMP-1, Marshall 900 Lead-1960 Angled cabinets, Carvin power amps, Morley Bad Horsie wah pedal

Past accomplishments: Wrote, recorded, & performed with previous bands Amateurs Unlimited, Mr. Salty, Zero Down

Current and upcoming projects: Wrote, recorded, produced, debut solo instrumental rock CD entitled Straight Ahead. Production of next solo CD begins Winter of 2005. Tour the world supporting both CD's in Spring/Summer of 2006

Favorite guitarist: Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Blues Saraceno, Nuno Bettencourt, Paul Gilbert, Steve Morse

Most underrated players: Dave Uhrich

Best musician you've ever seen: Steve Vai

Four words that best describe what you want to get across in your playing: Passion, emotion, aggressive, perfect

Your hero: Steve Vai - A world class musician

Ultimate goal: To create the best music possible & share it with people all over the world

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- REVIEW FROM Heavy Metal Universe

JEFF URSO's approach to instrumental music is quite close to SATRIANI's. I mean he doesn't play hypertechnical stuffs for a showcase-cd. On the contrary, the tracks on "Straight ahead" contain the right dose of technicity mixed with many ingredients, to deliver some really clever music. It's truly emotional, melodic and catchy, with an enormous feeling. Moreover, the ten tracks are really varied, with different guitar styles : "Sraight ahead" sounds bluesy, "Low down" and "Down and dirty" are heavy and low-tuned like some ZZ TOP or BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, "Feel good" and "Rhythmic wave" are smiling tracks, "Warm day" and "Perfect" sound as if it has been extracted from SATRIANI's "The extremist", "Cyber me" is very technoïdal (yes!), "Thinking of you" is a really calm and lovely emotional track, and "I alive" as some pure piece of genius played on piano. What's sure is that Mr Urso is some fu**ing great instrumentalist, able to compose, play, mix, master and produce his own records with a real masterhand. "Straight ahead" shows that music does not always need a singer to touch the listener where it works. A beautiful album for all music lovers who like when guitar sing.

Reviewed by Seb

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- REVIEW FROM Power Play Records

Jeff Urso is a guitar virtuoso from United States and recently he released his new album with the title "Straight Ahead" as a self financed release. In this album you will be able to hear ten songs and almost thirty five minutes of music. His album is an instrumental one and you will have the chance to hear all of various influences inside it. From jazz music to fusion and some rock elements. His compositions are well worked with interesting ideas and generally his song structure is very powerful even if it isn't a metal instrumental album but i am sure that every fan of progressive rock will adore the music from Jeff Urso. The thing that i like with his music was that he hasn't long compositions all his songs are from three to four minutes so for sure you won't be bored with the music from this artist. I don't have something to add; just if you like rock music and you want to hear something else you can always count on the album of Jeff Urso.

Reviewed by Antonis Maglaras

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- REVIEW FROM Quintessance Metal Webzine

A pretty famous CD I'm holding here as "Straight Ahead" was licensed to MTV for "Road Rules", "Real World" and both shows' alter-ego, "Extreme Challenge" as the official bumper music. Besides this little hook-up, Jeff also has a nice list of airplay all around the world for this album and this 34½-minute CD is done for the sake of music only. Jeff wasn't looking for fame or fortue, just wanted to write songs and play; not expecting what would happen next. The album itself has the "Satch" and Vai vibe but also has radio-friendly influences of stuff like maybe David Matthews, Matchbox 20, The Verve Pipe and Blues Traveller. Of course, minus any of the vocals but you get a wide variety of Rock (soft and hard) to Blues and even a couple Metal-tinged tracks here and there. Something for everyone on this release and Jeff's fluidness and knowledge of the music scene and having that extra horizonal expansion makes him even more diverse musically.

Reviewed by Wayne Klinger

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- REVIEW FROM 21st Century Metal

Jeff Urso is a guitar player from Illinois and this is his all instrumental album. I have never heard of him before and I had no idea what kind of music he played, but after hearing this CD which he kindly sent to me (thx, Jeff!), I knew I received quality music of general appeal to anyone for anytime, anywhere!
This is not such an album that effectively displays how fast the player can shred. No, this is an album that makes the listener feel comfortable as if he/she spends his/her holiday surrounded by beautiful nature with a lot of sunshine.
Jeff's music is composed of impressive, catchy guitar leads and simple rhythms with a lot of hooks. His tone is solid yet very warm. It's difficult to define, but to me this is neither rock/metal nor pop. This is universal music, the best fit for your daily soundtrack. If Joe Satriani would make a laid-back guitar album, it might sound like this.
This may not be the best music for a car cruising on the wide-open road, but it's definitely the best as a theme music for a TV program such as Discovery Channel for animal and nature study.
Even though this is an independent release, the entire CD has been licensed to MTV for use in such programs as "Real World". Samples of all tracks from the album are available on his website: www.jeffurso.com. Check them out!

Reviewed by Masa

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- REVIEW FROM Strutter 'Zine

Multi-instrumentalist JEFF URSO comes out of Illinois, USA and recently released his first CD ‘Straight ahead’, which is a nice instrumental rockalbum that combines influences from all sorts of Rock, Blues and Jazz music, although you might want to call it instrumental melodic rock (kinda like TOTO’s STEVE LUKATHER at times). Jeff’s guitarplaying is quite awesome, exactly the way you want to hear it, because he makes beautiful melodies in every song, which is a pleasure to listen to. Of course similarities to STEVE VAI, JOE SATRIANI and NEAL SCHON are very clear, but that isn’t a problem at all, because this talented musician shows he is able to make an interesting CD on his own. Jeff did everything on his own and the result ‘Straight ahead’ is very impressive.

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

Reviewed by Gabor Kleinbloesem

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- REVIEW FROM Sea of Tranquility

Yet another do-it-yourself multi-instrumentalist!? It's amazing how many guys with the gear and the recording equipment think that they can just make an entire (usually instrumental) album on their own and that people will buy it. Illinois-based Jeff Urso isn't one of those guys. Rather, he's somebody with the instrumental, technical and promotional saavy to definitely move beyond DIY status. (Apparently, the folks at MTV agree, as all of the songs from Urso's debut CD, Straight Ahead, were recently licensed to the network for use in original programming.)

Any dude who can use his seven-string to incorporate elements of Queen, Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Kid Rock into a single two-minute-and-45-second song called “Low Down” merits your attention. Urso doesn't mince notes, and the 10 songs on Straight Ahead promote substance over style, melody over might. That much is evident from the first notes of the title track, which sets this too-short 35-minute disc in motion. “Feel Good,” meanwhile, is a, um, feel-good tune incorporating both acoustic and electric guitars for a hoedown-like vibe, and “Cyber Me" employs keyboards to get way funkier than you'd expect from a guy who wears sweaters and backwards ball caps. Urso even switches instruments completely on “I Alive,” playing beautiful, “Come Sail Away”-like piano in a mournful piece written in memory of a departed friend.

Urso also likes his gear, detailing when and where he used a flanger or a ping-pong delay in the enlightening song-by-song descriptions he penned for the liner notes. Refreshing, revealing and just plain fun to listen to, Straight Ahead deserves to keep Urso moving forward.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by Michael Popke

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- REVIEW FROM Foley Entertainment, Inc.

Click on the image above for enlarged view.

- REVIEW FROM HardRock Haven

A shy midwestern man from Chicago, Jeff Urso describes his new instrumental guitar release as music that can be played on the radio, helping to make guitar popular again. Well Jeff, it is exactly that and so much more. The tone of the whole album and expressed purpose of the creator is positivity, a welcome concept in the dark eerie world of most virtuoso guitar.

The guitar hero renaissance movement has included solo albums in 2005 from upstarts Petrossi, Viljanen, Snyder, Polak, Weiner, Fiorletta, Farreri, and Horne, as well as efforts from industry legends Malmsteen, Vai and Sheehan. Urso has decided to join the party with Straight Ahead. It is clean, melodic and well, straightforward.

The former drummer and pianist who was inspired by Vai and Johnson, among others, joins those boys right off the bat, with 10 nicely worked, supported and inspiring tracks. Real drums and every conceivable type of guitar prowess are exhibited here. There is speedy shred on the bluesy “Down And Dirty” with a solo in the middle ala Vai, beautiful Satriani “Summer Song”-like “Warm Day”, and a piano track called “I Alive” which is super smooth. The best track is “Cyber Me” where there are more effects than in Star Wars, but it all fits together nicely and the guitar leads you through the malaise with a strong convincing melody.

Great job Urso, you’ve made quite a first impression. One request though: use a little more metal riffing, shred and pure speed on the next album. The small bits of it on this CD were too much of a tease. For all fans of guitar or music lovers in general, get your butts online and purchase this CD. It will stay in your CD changer for months.

HRH Rating: 7.8/10

Reviewed by Matt Hoffman

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- REVIEW FROM Fishcomcollective.net

Jeff Urso's warm and engaging instrumental guitar work is so personable, melodic and well-executed that it would take the likes of Darth Vader to actively dislike it. It's not show-offy or acrobatic, instead the songwriting simply lets Urso present finely crafted melodies that specifically reference no particular genre or error, opting for friendly and surprisingly strong songcraft and very competent axework to make its case. This is one of those indie releases that comes out of left field and totally surprises you with its quality. Great instrumental rock.

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- REVIEW FROM Radio DJ Gustavo Bolasini

Radio DJ Gustavo Bolasini from Argentina hosts a radio show called El Retorno del Gigante (The Return of Giant).
Here's what he had to say about Straight Ahead. (Review in English listed below)

Maravilloso trabajo debut este “Straight Ahead” del virtuoso guitarrista estadounidense Jeff Urso.Jeff, luego de tocar en algunas bandas de covers en clubes, decide plasmar su música, y este disco, compuesto, tocado, arreglado y producido por él, es el brillante resultado final.Se trata de diez hermosos tracks, que cautivan desde el primero que titula la obra hasta el delicado cierre “I Alive” tocado en piano solo (el único del disco).Podemos decir que “Straight Ahead” está en la línea del mejor y más brillante Joe Satriani (el de Flying in a Blue Dream, The Extremist), y que Jeff Urso conjuga dos grandes cualidades, la de ser un virtuoso guitarrista (instancia en la que se quedan muchos discos de guitarristas), y principalmente ser un brillante compositor, que se basa en hermosas líneas melódicas, demostrado a lo largo de este disco instrumental, y adonde además se combinan elegantemente partes mas calmas, como por ejemplo en “Feel Good” donde se desarrolla la canción a partir de una guitarra acústica; partes más fuertes como en “Low Down” o en “Down & Dirty”, sin perder la melodía como referencia principal; hasta tienen lugar sonidos más modernos, con algunas máquinas y pasajes electrónicos en "Cyber Me", todo ello aderezado con buen gusto y guitarras prodigiosas.El cierre merece un aparte, una muestra de sutileza y buen gusto, se trata del calmo y breve “I Alive” tocado solo en piano y dedicado a un amigo accidentado.Buen gusto también el librito del CD, adonde se da una breve reseña de cada tema en cuanto a que significa para el autor y en base a que fue compuesto.Un bello disco, atrapante desde su comienzo, que invita a volver a apreciarlo y a desear más música del talentoso Jeff Urso en el futuro.


Review in English:

It's wonderful this debut work "Straight Ahead" from the talented American guitar player Jeff Urso. Jeff, after paying in some cover bands in clubs, decided to record his own music and this album, composed, played, arranged and produced by him is the brilliant final result. It has 10 harmonic tracks that captivate since the first one, which is also the title of the album, the delicate song "I Alive" played in solo piano (the only one in the album). We can say that "Straight Ahead" is aligned with the best and most brilliant Joe Satriani (from Flying in a Blue Dream, The Extremist) and that Jeff Urso combines two great qualities; being a virtuous guitar player (instance where most albums from guitar players fail) but mostly of being a brilliant composer, whose work is based on harmonic melodies, largely demonstrated in this instrumental album, and moreover, where more calm and elegant parts - as for example "Feel Good" in which the song progresses from a acoustic guitar - are combined with stronger parts, such as in "Low Down" and "Down and Dirty", while keeping the melody as a main reference. Still there's space for more modern songs that use machines and heavy electronic sounds as in "Cyber Me", always arranged with good taste and prodigious guitar. A special reference should be made to a demonstration of subtleness and good taste, that is the calm and short "I Alive" played in solo piano and dedicated to an injured friend. Good taste also in the Album’s book, where a brief reseña of each team, what it means to the author and in which basis it was composed. This is a beautiful album, attractive from the beginning, which invites you to listen again, appreciate and wish for more music from the talented Jeff Urso in the future.

Review transcribed by Gabby. Thanks Gabby!

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- REVIEW FROM The Illinois Entertainer

The Illinois Entertainer is a monthly Chicagoland Music Magazine that is complete with
interviews, reviews, & gig calendars from bands all around the Chicago area.
Straight Ahead was reviewed for the April issue of the IE. Here's what they had to say:

"Soaring guitar tracks like "Warm Day" on Jeff Urso's Straight Ahead instrumental CD recall
Jeff Beck, but he also succeeds with the harder rock of "Low Down" and the festive "Feel Good".
"Cyber Me" is an adventurous mix of guitar firepower and modern techno, and Urso trades his
ax for a piano on the beautiful "I Alive"."

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- REVIEW FROM Virtuosityone.com

First of all Jeff gets very high marks for the quality inlay provided with his debut solo release. Along with the nicely laid out artwork Jeff has provided comments on each tracks giving background information and the like, this really does help with instrumental releases and helps give each track a more personal feel.

The production on Straight Ahead is very good with Urso obviously making good use of the equipment available to him. Whilst you should not expect a mega buck Vai type production there is sonically nothing to worry about here at all.

Opener Straight Ahead has a nice Satriani type feel to it reminiscent of the material from The Extremist.

Feel Good is a highlight of the album with an upbeat melody that sees an acoustic framework fused with the extremely melodic lead lines, there is a good blend of Eric Johnson and Steve Morse here.

Rhythmic Wave is in a similar vein to Feel Good and again has a very strong melody that is very vocal in its phrasing. The phasing and panning effects work well 2 minutes into the track giving a good sense of space.

Low Down lives up to its name with its dirty 7 string riff, there is a good bounce to the track and some quirky Zappa like melodies.

Down & Dirty has a modern feel to it that reminded of me of prime Nuno Bettencourt. Jeff lays down a strong harmonised part towards the end of the track that has 4 harmonies going at once.

Warm Day kicks off with a drum beat similar to Aerosmith's Walk This Way but for the rest of the instrumentation its more in common with Steve Vai. The guitar tone here is very good with a nice amount of grit and note separation.

Cyber Me has a modern techno quality to it in the drum work and keyboard samples, not my favourite track on offer but competent enough.

Perfect is another highlight and in many ways sums up the Jeff Urso sound. Again a mid tempo pace allows the acoustic guitar backing and melodic lead lines to blend extremely well to make up a beautiful sonic soundscape.

Thinking Of You is Jeff's tribute to his partner, and the delicate melody and excellent phrasing are full of soul. This is another highlight and again the electric/acoustic blend works superbly. The melody lines are very vocal and Jeff makes good use of panning to separate lead lines giving the impression of different players trading lines.

I Alive is a one take tribute to one of Jeff's friends who tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident. There are no guitars here and it also shows Jeff is proficient on the piano as well as drums and guitar. A nice tender way to close the album.

In summary Straight Ahead is a fine debut release that showcases a new player with his own sound that is especially apparent on track such as Feel Good, Perfect and Thinking Of You. There are subtle nods to fellow instrumentalists e.g. Satriani, Vai and Eric Johnson here and there but in this day and age its very rare that you do not hear those guys in someone's playing. Having said that there are no riffs that blatantly ape these guys with Urso showing more of a feeling towards these players being present. The tracks on offer have a good flow to them and show good arrangement skills and to be honest there is nothing I can really highlight for improvement. Occassionally some of the electric guitars did sound a little processed, but this is by no means a problem isolated to Urso. Overall Straight Ahead showcases a new multi-instrumentalist with a bright future ahead of him.

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- REVIEW FROM Sea of Tranquility (seaoftranquility.org)

Straight Ahead is the one man guitar rock solo project of Jeff Urso. Unlike most guitar-based CDs, Jeff is not a former axe man that decided he needed to be heard outside of a band unit. Instead, Mr. Urso is a former drummer and guitarist that has played in cover bands and other ventures that chose an all instrumental CD because it fit the songs he had written, not because he wanted his Guitar to be the main voice.

Many instrumental CDs are 90% showcase and 10% song. This is not the case with Straight Ahead. Instead we have very precise soundscapes that flow evenly and carry good groves and solos without becoming overbearing. “Cyber Me” at 4:46 is the longest of all the songs. This brevity let’s each song’s ideas shine without ever becoming boring or redundant.

Straight Ahead is an enjoyable CD. Mr. Urso plays well and his Satriani/Vai influence is evident on several songs. In lies the problem. Much of the CD is a little forced in trying to sound like something, rather than coming across naturally. For a first CD, you can completely understand this.

It should be noted that the drumming, bass playing, background and lead guitars, as well as keyboards on the last track, are mixed together very, very well and the CD has a very tight sound, considering that Jeff did it all himself. Straight Ahead will not disappoint anyone who likes late 80s guitar based rock and roll. I can see the talent that Mr. Urso shows and can’t wait for further albums. His web site hints that the future may hold room for vocal tracks as well.

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- REVIEW FROM Guitarmania (guitarmania.ca)