The Complete Guitarist

As with several other Jan Akkerman albums that are perceived as complete original works, The Complete Guitarist is really a hodgepodge of informal studio creations, laid down at various points (though mostly the very early '80s), primarily at his home studio in North Holland — though at least one cut has its origins several years earlier, in America. But whatever each track's origins, those who appreciate Akkerman's fluency rather than his flash should love this recording, which shows him mostly in a laid-back mode, not trying to impress anyone but succeeding nonetheless, whether he's working in a funk idiom, or amplified classicism, or blues. And while some Charly releases offer dubious sound quality, that isn't the case here — there may be improvements that could be made in the decade since its appearance, but there are no apologies needed for the sound here.