Brad Paisley photo courtesy of SonyBMG Nashville.

"I have two voices," says Brad Paisley. "One is as somebody who conveys the lyric of a song. The other is as a guitar player."

With Play, Brad indulges that remarkable second voice, bringing to the forefront his long-standing love for and mastery of the guitar, a gift that in 2008 earned him his first GRAMMY—Best Country Instrumental Performance—for "Throttleneck," from his Platinum-certified 5th Gear album.

This record," he says of Play, "is essentially my love affair with the guitar."

With five stellar exceptions, Play is a purely instrumental project that celebrates the guitarists and styles that have helped form this quintessential modern country guitar slinger. Those exceptions, including the project's leadoff single, "Start a Band," are duets—one with a peer, one with a key early influence, one with an entertainment icon, and two with heroes who helped define their respective genres.

"Start a Band" features another of country's premiere all-around performers, Keith Urban, a natural for collaboration with Brad.

"I told Keith we could either write a really fast guitar instrumental just to try to blow people's minds," he says with a smile, "or record this song that had been pitched to me about starting a band. I sent it to him and he cracked up—he loved it—and I think when our fans say, 'We want to hear you play together,' they really want to hear us sing together just as much." The result is the best of all worlds—two talented vocalists, plenty of world-class picking and a great deal of Paisleyesque fun.

Other vocal collaborations are filled with instrumental treats, as well. There is "More Than Just This Song," a tribute to guitar mentors featuring Steve Wariner, one of Brad's inspirations in the '90s; "Come on In," a duet built around a track begun by the late Buck Owens, who wrote the song; and "Let the Good Times Roll," a rollicking journey with the legendary B.B. King through one of the most upbeat and life-affirming blues numbers ever committed to tape.

The disc also includes Paisley's No. 1 single, "Waitin' on a Woman," in a version not previously available on another album, as the collaborative spirit continues with Andy Griffith, whose vocals alongside Brad appear here as they were heard in the song's award-nominated music video, in which Griffith guest starred.

Beyond those songs, the eleven instrumentals that make up the bulk of the album—written or co-written by Paisley, often with longtime producer and friend Frank Rogers—feature a rainbow of musical genres, comprising a primer of guitar styles and of Brad's influences.