If the name Marty Walsh doesn't ring a bell from the off, that's ok. Even he admits his own name isn't a solo claim to fame at this juncture either. That said, the former guitarist for the arena rock icons Supertramp was touring the world, breaking records, selling records and doing all those things rock stars should be doing (and not) back in the day.

Still teaching at the Berklee College of Music in Los Angeles; and having done so for the past few years, Walsh now brings out a long-anticipated new debut solo CD, The Total Plan. Combining fluent pop melodies with chords of harmony and even giving it all a jazz edge, The Total Plan isn't what one would call a true-blue jazz album. No, but what it is is an album that once you put on you will find very hard to not want to hit repeat on - over and over (and over) again!

Growing up in Van Nuys, California, Walsh hit his stride in music early and this debut solo album shows he hasn't taken his foot of the musical gas since. Indeed, along for the ride here are such notables as John Robinson, Abe Laboriel, and the great Billy Sherwood.

I guess, if you had to label this album most all would put it as "nu-fusion." I don't think there's a true need to do such a thing, but that would definitely work if one was required. Each track has a different ensemble gathering playing on it, which means the flow, the styling is varied.

Indeed, some/most six string aficionados will have their minds blown by the music on show here, whereas other casual listeners might find it all, well, a little too busy for their liking. That all said, The Total Plan is one of those records that finds our musical hero in some of the best form of his career. I mean, this is the very same musician who found himself playing on the hits '9 to5' by Dolly Parton, 'She Works Hard for the Money' by Donna Summer and Heartlight' by Neil Diamond, after all!