Acclaimed guitarist Richie Kotzen has set Sept. 2 as the release date for a comprehensive career retrospective that takes a look back at his last two decades of making music.

'The Essential Richie Kotzen,' slated to be comprised of two CDs and one DVD, was curated by Kotzen himself who says that he wanted to give listeners an overarching view of who he is as an artist.

"I’ve really changed and grown as an artist and as a person,” Kotzen says. “I hand-selected songs so newcomers can get into my music and learn who I am as a recording artist.”

Included on 'The Essential Richie Kotzen' will be tracks taken from his 18 studio efforts in addition to acoustic performances and bootlegs.  A pair of new tracks ('War Paint' and 'Walk With Me') will also be included. The compilation DVD will focus primarily on Kotzen's music videos but, like the CDs, will also feature acoustic renditions and live cuts.

During his more than two decades of music-making, Kotzen has explored a variety of musical styles including rock, blues, jazz, fusion and pop music. He has extensively toured his American homeland but has also built a dedicated fan base throughout Europe, Latin America and Japan.

In addition to his prolific solo output, Kotzen is also a member of the Winery Dogs, a band formed with former David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan and former Dream Theater timekeeper Mike Portnoy. He also served in Poison for a brief stint.

Kotzen's next solo record is due for release in 2015.

“When you perform, record or write, you go to a different place. It’s another world. I love hearing people react to the music and lyrics. That’s the ultimate reward,” he says.

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