Sixth Plectrum Podcast - Tommy Emmanuel - the guitar virtuoso from Down Under

Check out the new Tommy Emmanuel CD - The Mystery
He's another finger-picking virtuoso that leaves me with my mouth opened when I listen to his music. What he does with the guitar is unimaginable. To top it all he is even such a good showman and manages to make the audience laugh while he plays. How I wish I could see him play live. Tommy Emmanuel is in a class of his own. He started playing with his family band at the tender age of 4! I used to think that I started playing early (in local restaurants that is) at the age of 14! Amazingly, Tommy Emmanuel started giving guitar lessons at the age of 12 - and he never had any formal musical instruction himself! Well read his biography by clicking on his picture on the left hand side of this article.

Podcast description:

TRACK 1. I've Always Thought of You - From ONLY. A romantic track beautifully executed as expected. This track sounds particularly similar to something by Earl Klugh in its style and melody. Well both artists are fans of Chat Atkins so one can imagine why they sound similar...but contrary to Earl Klugh one cannot pin any one style onto Tommy Emmanuel as he seems confident in any style imaginable and plays any style actually.

TRACK 2. Classical Gas - From LIVE ONE. (The title of this track always makes me smile - I mean classical and gas are very unlikely words to be associated with each other if not because one is listening to classical music while eating beans). This track is taken from a live album. Classical Gas has been performed by many artists including Eric Clapton but I do not believe anybody can match Tommy Emmanuel's virtuosity...I mean he even manages to include a piece of another tune in this already complex piece. And true to Tommy Emmanuel style he adds his own embellishments to it and makes it even more complex!

TRACK 3. Lutrell - From LIVE IN SOAVE. This is another live piece taken from a concert in Italy. The style can be described as ragtime or bluegrass, styles that I do not particularly fancy - but coming from Tommy Emmanuel it is still really pleasant especially when one notices his ability as an entertainer making the crowd laugh as he adds strange noises from his guitar like banging on the guitar body or scratching one of the strings with his finger nail (I assume its his finger nail because he is a finger picking guitarist so he does not use a pick or plectrum like I do).

Enjoy the music.



Check out this video of Tommy Emmanual in action:


PLECTRUM

All you Tommy Emmanuel fans come and get it. The new Tommy Emmanuel CD - The Mystery - is out. Recorded at Azalea Studio, Yorktown VA. Mixed at Wistaria Studio with Producer/Engineer Kim Person.

TRACK LISTING (Click on the track name for a streamed teaser):
1. Cantina Senese- "A restaurant located in Livorno, Tuscany (Italy) near Florence-a very interesting place. You walk through the front door and into another dimension: the smell of garlic, coffee and cigarettes, and the buzz of people talking combine to create a unique, magical experience. I tried to capture this ambience in a composition." Tommy Emmanuel.
2. Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag
3. The Mystery- This is a meditative title track. Its wistful chords and ringing arpeggios address wonder at the universe, at the essence of life. "The Mystery is all about God's love," says Emmanuel, "about human lives and how we all fit together; It's about the things we see-and the things we don't"
4. Cowboy's Dream
5. Walls- This one is penned by the Grammy-nomnated duo of Pam Rose and Mary Ann Kennedy-whose tunes have been recorded by Reba McEntire, Martina McBride and others-along with co-writer Randy Sharp. Emmanuel sings and plays this warm, optimistic song with Elizabeth Watkins. What sounds like a full band is actually all Tommy Emmanuel, who's also an accomplished drummer. He says "We first recorded that song with just me on guitar, then we added Lizzie. But then it seemed like it needed something more, so I overdubbed bass and drums. It turned out very nice. I love the song's beautiful message-that there is hope for love, but some walls must fall in order for it to succeed."
6. Lewis & Clark- This track has "cowboy chords" and a lifting folk melody. It is a tribute to the American expediton of the early 1800's. Tommy Emmanuel says:"I used overtones of the Old West to tell a story of the great unknown, of an untouched expanse of land. The tune also deals with the interaction of the explorers and the native Americans."
7. The Diggers' Waltz- This came from a dream of Emmanuel's in which an elderly soldier, while preparing to be honoured for his wartime deeds, sees the ghost of his wife and dances with her. The track's first section is borrowed from military funeral music. "This is only my second waltz," says Emmanuel. "A 'digger' was a soldier who prepared trenches in World War I and II. Nowadays digger is a term of endearment-an old friend, an honest, straight-up guy. So, this song has that sort of feel-good vibe to it. And the dancing is where the walz comes in."
8. Antonella's Birthday
9. And So It Goes
10. That's The Spirit
11. Footprints
12. Keep It Simple

As expected it is a superb piece of work. I mean from the likes of Tommy Emmanuel one cannot but expect good music. In fact Tommy Emmanuel himself regards this as his greatest work to date! All tracks are fabulous but this time round Tommy decided to add a sung track with his fiance` Elizabeth Watkins, entitled Walls, which I particularly like. Well this is another must have for any music lover. Visit the Favored Nations Official Website for more details and some samples too!

Now you can even enjoy the DVD! Tommy Emmanuel Live at Her Majesty's Theatre Ballarat Australia An excellent DVD to accompany the new CD, The Mystery. Some tracks in fact are from the CD so its an added bonus to be able to listen to the audio version of a track and then then watch Tommy Emmanuel play it live! What amazes me is that most of his guitars are in really bad shape - all scratches - even though in the Extras section he is presented with a brand new guitar at last! I mean he does use them but I am sure he can buy new ones to replace the tatterd ones he used on stage. Anyway maybe he likes them that way - and as usual - appearances don't matter that much - especially when you have such an entertainer on stage like Tommy Emmanuel. This is what Tommy Emmanuel has to say about the DVD: "I think it showcases my entire musical life; you really get to see my different influences coming together quite nicely. And, being back in Australia made for a truly inspired evening."

TRACK LISTING:
1. Tall Fiddler
2. Antonella's Birthday
3. Nine Pound Hammer
4. Cannonball Rag
5. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
6. Heartbreak Hotel
7. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
8. Dream a Little Dream
9. Walls
10. Together Alone
11. Lewis & Clerk
12. Cowboy's Dream
13. That's All
14. Tahitian Skies
15. The Man with the Green Thumb
16. I Still Can't Say Goodbye

For more information visit the Favored Nations website.

Click HERE for a video clip from the DVD