* En anglais uniquement
Two veteran hard rock guitarists join forces in
Smith/Kotzen, a project that brings together the talents of
Adrian Smith, best known for his work with
Iron Maiden, and
Richie Kotzen, who was a member of
Mr. Big,
Poison, and
the Winery Dogs as well as holding down a prolific solo career. Together, their music is rooted in well-crafted, melodic hard rock with a bluesy undercurrent rather than what their background in heavy metal might suggest. The duo made their debut in 2021 with an album simply titled
Smith/Kotzen.
Adrian Smith and
Richie Kotzen got to know one another when they were living in the same neighborhood in Los Angeles and became pals; the fact
Kotzen was a passionate
Iron Maiden fan helped cement the friendship. As the two guitarists began hanging out together, they started jamming on a regular basis, and
Smith's wife suggested they write some songs together. The ideas came fast, and in time they had more than enough material for an album. In February 2020, they headed to the Turks and Caicos Islands near the Bahamas and began recording with producer
Kevin Shirley.
Smith and
Kotzen both contributed guitar, bass, and vocals, while
Smith's
Iron Maiden bandmate
Nicko McBrain and
Kotzen's longtime collaborator
Tal Bergman played drums;
Kotzen also provided percussion on several numbers. Calling their project
Smith/Kotzen, the duo released their self-titled first album in March 2021. ~ Mark Deming