by JP @ The Strato-Blogster
December 4th, 2009

Chris Schreiner aka "The Guy" recently sent us his debut CD release "Only Human" for review, which I've been thoroughly digging all week. The featured video is Chris performing as a finalist in the 2008 Guitar Player Guitar Superstar competition for a panel of judges including Satriani, Vai, & Elliot Easton. The gracious host, in case you didn't catch it, is Police Officer Andy Summers himself. 

I suspect The Guy probably would have preferred I post a different video, since the above isn't from his Youtube channel and contains a couple little rough spots switching up sounds... But I wanna make a point (as is so often the case). Here's a cat who while under the microscope of some very heavy hitters chooses to bring clean & dynamic original material to the table, instead of the expected pedal to the metal, quaalude thunder accompanied, sweeping shred splooge fest.

Pretty gutsy stuff when you look at the big picture. 

The even bigger picture is revealed in Schreiner's, Stratoblogster recommended "ONLY HUMAN" which you can download or order CD at www.whostheguy.com 

Schreiner plays a D'Pergo s-type guitar, just like his Berklee mentor Julien Kasper, another fusion badass we've featured who teaches Jeff Beck & Hendrix performance labs at the big B school. Only Human is pleasantly non-dense and non-derivative, in spite of the fact that Chris takes some serious technical & tonal cues from Jeff Beck, Scott Henderson & Eric Johnson. What better sources for a fresh new fusion cat to draw from? The music and arrangements have their own personality and plenty of breathing space-- and feature a rhythm section to die for. And he's really going for his own voice and grooves. But does he crank it up and burn too? You betcha! 

So buy one or four Only Human CD's, as they'll make great stocking stuffers for those fusion pals who you wouldn't want to discover Chris Schreiner from anyone else but your own Strat-o-Savvy self. Get it!

Read Full Review - THE STRATO-BLOGSTER