Saturday Music Pick - 9th February, 2013

Saturday is here again - so it is time for Tony to pick of an awesome moment from the world of music. My pick for today is Australian Tommy Emmanuel - one of the finest fingerstyle guitarists playing today. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their readers' poll
Chet Atkins named him one of the best guitarists he had ever seen.

At age 6 he was touring professionally in the family band - Until the NSW School Board caught up with them and sent him back to school!
He has recorded with with Chet Atkins, John Denver, Doc Watson, Les Paul, Sir George Martin, Eric Clapton and many more.
He played the Tina Turner 1987 World Tour as a member of Dragon. In 2000 he played the closing of the summer Olympics and in 2010 he was awarded the Order of Australia. His guitar manufacturer of choice is Maton - and his three favorite stage guitars now reside in the Maton Museum. They made three more for him - with wood from the same tree!

Here is his website - https://www.tommyemmanuel.com/
He had to slow down his touring schedule due to health problems – but is currently touring in the USA until the end of this month.

He uses several techniques, his favorites being "Travis Picking" and "Percussive" and the following two recordings highlight each of these techniques. I hope that you enjoy them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4ha8rZEK_ig

Thanks Tony.He seems like such a nice and humble man with just an amazing talent.I listened to all the promo and really liked it.I haven`t heard "classical gas" for a long time,sounded great.I was in LV in late Jan and noticed he played there on the 25th.Do you know where he played? I will try to keep up with your musical info.BTW Ben Harper has a nice cd out with Charlie Musselwhite-good stuff.

What a coincidence. He's playing at Fresno's Tower theater tomorrow night and I'll be there with Mrs AlanLeroy.

The Vegas show was at Sunset Station.
Just wishing that I lived closer to Alan Leroy!

Wow, Tony. Another awesome choice.

I especially enjoyed the second selection. I’d swear there’s got to be 4 or 5 guys behind that curtain, generating some of those unreal sounds. Hard to believe that Tommy’s doing it all himself – but yet I know that he is. Absolutely amazing.

Also enjoyed his unique take on Classical Gas (the first selection). If I’m not mistaken, he squeezes in a little bit of Walk Don’t Run beginning at about the 2:05 mark, followed by Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting beginning at about 2:30, before transitioning back to Classical Gas around 2:55 for the finish. Very entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.

I took the opportunity to listen to some of his other work on YouTube, and enjoyed that as well. I also watched a few interviews. Tommy seems to be a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy.

Thanks for posting!

Glad you enjoyed it. When you checked out some of his other work did you find this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPWMLcXpXKw

No, I didn’t come across that one, Tony, but I like it. Who wouldn’t like While My Guitar Gently Weeps when it’s being played by Tommy, right?

He really gets flying there, especially when he moves into Day Tripper and Lady Madonna. The guy’s gotta have the fastest hands on the planet, but yet he seems to hit each and every note.

I noticed that one of the commenters recommended a video that happens to be one I DID come across last night. It features fast hands on full display. I’m sure you’ve seen it already, but this one blew me away.

Yep - 12 bar never looked so good!

Sunday Feb. 10th Mrs.AlanLeroy and I attended Tommy Emmanuel's performance at Fresno's Tower Theater. What a treat. I can't believe I'd never heard of him until last Friday when I saw a local advertisement for his concert and bought tickets and then read tonyrob's Saturday Music Pick.

He played 2 sets with an intermission. Close to three hours. A truly eclectic selection of music including:

Amazing Grace, Over the Rainbow, Beatles Medley, Lots of Blues and lots of Tommy Originals. It's truly amazing the sounds he gets out of those Guitars. I've never heard anything quite like it. He may be the greatest living guitarist. No question he’s the best I’ve ever seen.


Fresno’s Historic Tower Theater (1939)


Tommy Poster


Inside the Tower. It’s on the national register of historic places. Considered by many to be Acoustically Perfect.


Bad Pic of Tommy

Thanks for sharing that - really happy that you liked him - just wish that I was there