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, Rovi