Atkins-Travis Traveling Show / Reflections

I have both these albums in their original formats and they are easily my favorites of the scores of Atkins/Travis/Watson albums that I own. The banter between Chet and Merle on the "Atkins Travis Traveling Show" is refreshing and informative. Both discuss how they began playing like they do (did). Both Merle and Chet are at their prime - their very best - and performing the music that they clearly enjoy playing. Merle does one of his best presentations of his own "Cannonball Rag" and Chet covers it as if it were his own tune.

The "Reflections" collection with Chet and Doc Watson is a genuine treasure. The album demonstrates how harmonious the two radically different playing techniques can meld into beautiful music. With Chet's unbelievable finger-style and thumb-rhythm combination along with Doc' fantastic flat-pick playing, every tune is most pleasing to the ear. The track "Tennessee Rag/Beaumont Rag" is my favorite, along with the little fun song, "Don't Monkey...Read more