Contemporary Instrumental: instrumental music that has something to say. The virtuosity and mastery of the guitar playing bring these stirring compositions to life.

10 MP3 Songs
EASY LISTENING: Mood Music, POP: Beatles-pop



Details:
Dean Musser has been a guitar master for 30 years. In that time, he's written over 500 songs. Yet somehow, he has just now gotten around to recording. His unique style shines in both his playing and composition. It was inevitable that the records would come.

Dean started playing guitar at the age of 15. Diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, he was told he'd be dead before the age of 25. "I decided I'd better spend my time doing something I liked. I basically slept all day and played guitar all night." By the time he was 17, he was playing solo gigs 6 nights a week.

Working up solo instrumental covers to please whatever audience he played to did little to quench the creative drive in Dean. Soon he was writing songs. He began to work them into his acts. They became the highlight of the concerts, and before long the covers dwindled.

Dean also supplemented his income by giving lessons. "Teaching opens you up to all kinds of musical influences you might not otherwise consider. It's been a big part of what shaped me as a songwriter." His style in both playing and composing has matured into something truly unique and fresh.

When asked about his influences, Dean is reluctant to comment. He finds it too limiting. His playing style was definitely shaped by such diverse influences as Chet Atkins, Lenny Breau, Jerry Reed and Jimmy Page. Compositionally he relates to John Fogerty and

Over the years, Dean has played with and tutored others who have gone on to great things. All the while, he kept writing his songs and perfecting his craft. "I kept writing all these songs and throwing them in some dark hole. I find them stuffed everywhere. One off the CD, Turn the Page, was being used as a bookmark in a book I read over ten years ago. I took it to my producer and we turned it into something. I find songs I've written and forgotten all the time."

A year ago, Dean came to the realization that it was too late for him to die young. "I knew I finally had to do something with all this. I'd waited long enough. I'd prepared long enough. There was nothing left but doing it." It's our good fortune that he's finally done it. His first CD is truly a work of art. With a backlog of 500 songs and new ones being written all the time, more CD's are not far behind. Dean Musser may be the most prolific songwriter you've never heard. Until now. You're going to love it.