Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World

This is a Chet Atkins album. It has to be. Tommy Emmanuel was playing with his mentor, his inspiration for fingerstyling. Enamored with Atkins, Emmanuel could be said to be an evangelist for his favorite guitarist.

Chet Atkins passed in 2001 after leading the way to popularize country, bluegrass, and to some extent, folk music. His guitar work is legendary. Tommy Emmanuel is his heir. Hearing these two on this album together is bittersweet; it is Atkins' last recording.

It is a relaxed, easygoing collection of whimsical songs. Listen to Atkins full catalog to hear all that made him "Mr. Guitar," emulated by everyone from Willie Nelson to Phil Keaggy, and as heard here, Tommy Emmanuel.

"Ode to Mel Bay" pokes fun at the famous guitar teacher Bay, whose how-to booklets were everywhere in the 1940s until now.

"Day Finger Pickers Took over the World" is a nonsense song where Atkins and Emmanuel switch voices and licks.

"Road...Read more

In the eighties Chet Atkins reinvented himself to fit the new style jazz that was then emerging. In this, his last recording, Chet closed the circle by returning to his fingerstyle roots.

Tommy Emmanuel is a lifelong Chet Atkins fan that is a great fingerstylist in anyone's book. The combination of the two players is satisfying and entertaining. Tommy is probably the closest living guitarist you will find to Chet Atkins style, talent and virtuosity and in this recording I feel that Chet was giving us an introduction to Tommy as his parting gift.

If you want to know more about Tommy I would suggest "The Very Best of Tommy Emmanuel". He is a great showman and a great musician.

May I also recommend "Neck and Neck" with Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler.

I own every CD that Tommy has recorded, barring "greatest hits." This one is so fun -- it kind of brings you back to his touring roots. And because Chet Atkins was one of Tommy's "mentors" listening to this album brings double the pleasure. You can tell they're having fun recording this album and of course the musicianship is so professional, as always. It may not be the "best" of each musician, but it is certainly a wonderful collaboration of two virtuoso guitarists.