For some musicians, concepts like "genre" and "song" are merely avenues that must be traveled in order to properly showcase their musical proficiency. For Guitar Garden, the genre is world fusion with a taste of traditional Asian folk music, and the songs are a series of five minute instrumental jams. It might not sound exciting in print, but that's fine: China Rose is intended to showcase the work of two extraordinarily talented guitarists. It's not pop music. The fact that the duo have given their music a taste of the Far East is immaterial; China Rose is an album for guitar-action fans, not song fans.

The real question is whether guitarists Pete Prown and Rich Maloof can play guitar. The answer is a resounding "yes!" Switching between acoustic and electric guitars, synth guitars, pianos and Lord knows what else, Guitar Garden put on what could easily pass for a short clinic at your local Guitar Center. Maloof's finger picking style is ultra clean; the Asian grooves of "Erhu" and "Lotus" provide a perfect showcase for his nimble and accurate fingers. Prown seems to prefer the smoother fusion-styled tunes -- "Cloudburst", for instance, gives him the space to layer multiple guitar lines and tones to achieve a mellow groove.

China Rose isn't a Satriani-influenced shred fest -- Prown and Maloof are more interested in studio techniques like finding interesting guitar tones and playing solos to pitch perfect climaxes. It might sound a bit like smooth jazz to the untrained ear, but for those gearheads hanging out near the Vox amps at the music shop, Guitar Garden is a dream come true.