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  #61  
Old 05-16-2007, 06:39 AM
rgregg48 rgregg48 is online now
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Originally Posted by Bevelman View Post
Herb, there are four CGPs: John Knowles, Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner and Tommy Emmanuel.

The title is all well and good but what does it really mean? That Lenny Breau was somehow less regarded by Chet?

Bevelman, wow great point,, Lenny Breau, what legendary talent he had, and what a tragic life he lead.

If all these folks who say "Tommy E just blows me away"
If they could have heard Lenny,, who was at the very very least
Tommy Emmanuels equal, but much different style of music of course.

Rick
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  #62  
Old 05-16-2007, 09:45 AM
Stuart Stuart is offline
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Originally Posted by SongwriterFan View Post
Check out ol' Chet playing a fretless guitar here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVrq6RGQV8s
That fretless guitar sounds pretty cool. And, when did Jerry Reed pack on all that weight?
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  #63  
Old 05-16-2007, 10:11 AM
Giannini12 Giannini12 is offline
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Originally Posted by Bevelman View Post
"One of the greatest guitar players on the planet”, Chet Atkins on Tommy Emmanuel

"Pat Donohue is one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world today", Chet on Pat Donohue

"He plays my tunes better than I ever did, with more flair and command, and has added elements to the arrangements that are beyond anything I ever did. ", Chet on Richard Smith

"Only once in lifetime does something come down the river like that", Chet on Jerry Reed

"He is one of the true geniuses of the guitar", Chet on Lenny Breau

"Doyle is one of the finest fingerpicking guitarists around. I sincerely admire him as a person and as a musician.", Chet on Doyle Dykes

The Tommy quote is overdone. I think it's safe to say that there were a LOT of guitarists Chet admired.

"The most encouraging, supportive and altruistic guitar legend that ever lived." Giannini12 on Chet Atkins
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  #64  
Old 06-06-2007, 08:09 PM
BluesGuy69 BluesGuy69 is offline
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Originally Posted by Cbanjo View Post
Man I cant stand tommy emmanuel, his music is repetitive and he tries to do chet's style and just blows it (IMHO). Notice how chet calls him "one of the greatest", classic humble Chet Atkins, obviosuly chet is much much better than tommy will ever hope to be.

(Can you tell i feel strongly about this? )
I agree, I only wish I sucked as bad as him!
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  #65  
Old 06-07-2007, 05:43 AM
trion12 trion12 is offline
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Originally Posted by Cbanjo View Post
Man I cant stand tommy emmanuel, his music is repetitive and he tries to do chet's style and just blows it
Whether you like Tommy or not is one thing but to say he "blows it" just exposes your own ignorance . . .

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Originally Posted by Cbanjo View Post
And for the record I'm pretty amazing at the guitar... you know... if nobody already told you.....
No, no one has told me . . . and I suspect that no one will . . .

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Originally Posted by rgregg48 View Post
If all these folks who say "Tommy E just blows me away". If they could have heard Lenny,, who was at the very very least
Tommy Emmanuels equal, but much different style of music of course.
Yup, Lenny was something pretty special. I had the opportunity to meet and hear him a number of times and to study with him. I have never heard anyone who could play so many styles of music so well. Country, Classical, Atkins style, flamenco, jazz. For all of you who are impressed with Tommy's use of harmonics - that came from Lenny. Lenny also took Chet's thing of sounding like 2 players at once to another level.
Lenny's first record, Guitar Sounds has recently been reissued and it should be required listening for every guitar player. Another very nice record is Standard Brands which has Lenny and Chet doing duets.
Lenny was also a very generous teacher in showing and explaining what he did and how he approached things. I read an interview with Tommy where he tells about meeting Chet for the first time at Chet's house and Chet tells him to go upstairs that there is someone there he should meet. As he is walking up the stairs Tommy says he heard the most amazing guitar playing. Lenny was upstairs and the 3 of them proceeded to play for a while.
Man, to have been a fly on that wall!

Aaron

Last edited by trion12; 06-07-2007 at 06:15 AM.
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  #66  
Old 06-07-2007, 05:48 AM
EJG EJG is offline
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Count me in as one of TE's fans. I've seen a lot of the Giants (including Chet) over the years, but I have never been as impressed by anyone as I was by Tommy. He is the only player who did things that I thought were physically impossible. I had the pleasure of meting him briefly after the show, and he did seem to a genuinely nice a great guy.

I don't think I've seen Stephen Bennett mentioned yet. If you haven't heard him, check him out. Wonderfully melodic player. He opened for Tommy when I saw him.
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  #67  
Old 06-07-2007, 06:30 AM
rhudson rhudson is offline
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If I could paraphrase something Jean Luc Picard might have said, "To try to determine who is the best guitarist is futile." I have been fortunate to have grown up listening to the music of the great Chet Atkins. I first discovered him in the mid 50's, around '54 or '55. No one's guitar music has ever had the influence on me that Chet's has. Now that is obviously a personal viewpoint of mine. Lenny Breau was an amazing player whose troubled life came to a tragic end. Tommy Jones was a little less known, but still an amazing fingerstyle guitar player who never reached his potential because of personal battles. But, such is life. Tommy Emmanuel is certainly among the very best ever; but, so is Jerry Reed, Doyle Dykes, Richard Smith, Buster B. Jones, and so many others. When you talk of great fingerstyle guitar players, the one common thread in most all of them is that Chet Atkins is the greatest influence in their playing. Chet himself, I think, was uncomfortable when people would try to portray him as the best. He was a very humble and decent man who set admirable examples for all of us in many more ways than just how to play guitar. Chet one time said, "I'm not the best. Perhaps the best known, but..."

The dust will never settle on the who is best argument. But let's just enjoy the talent of all of these great players. After all, it really doesn't matter who is the best.

Thanks,
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  #68  
Old 06-07-2007, 06:38 AM
EJG EJG is offline
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Originally Posted by rhudson View Post
If I could paraphrase something Jean Luc Picard might have said, "To try to determine who is the best guitarist is futile." I have been fortunate to have grown up listening to the music of the great Chet Atkins. I first discovered him in the mid 50's, around '54 or '55. No one's guitar music has ever had the influence on me that Chet's has. Now that is obviously a personal viewpoint of mine. Lenny Breau was an amazing player whose troubled life came to a tragic end. Tommy Jones was a little less known, but still an amazing fingerstyle guitar player who never reached his potential because of personal battles. But, such is life. Tommy Emmanuel is certainly among the very best ever; but, so is Jerry Reed, Doyle Dykes, Richard Smith, Buster B. Jones, and so many others. When you talk of great fingerstyle guitar players, the one common thread in most all of them is that Chet Atkins is the greatest influence in their playing. Chet himself, I think, was uncomfortable when people would try to portray him as the best. He was a very humble and decent man who set admirable examples for all of us in many more ways than just how to play guitar. Chet one time said, "I'm not the best. Perhaps the best known, but..."

The dust will never settle on the who is best argument. But let's just enjoy the talent of all of these great players. After all, it really doesn't matter who is the best.

Thanks,

Agreed. Has anyone mentioned Martin Taylor yet? Another guy who belongs in any converstaion about great guitar players of any style.
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  #69  
Old 06-07-2007, 06:40 AM
rlouie rlouie is offline
 
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oh no, it's the thread that won't die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  #70  
Old 06-07-2007, 06:51 AM
Andromeda Andromeda is offline
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Originally Posted by Cbanjo View Post
Man I cant stand tommy emmanuel, his music is repetitive and he tries to do chet's style and just blows it (IMHO). Notice how chet calls him "one of the greatest", classic humble Chet Atkins, obviosuly chet is much much better than tommy will ever hope to be.

(Can you tell i feel strongly about this? )
I am in agreement with you. First of all I will admit that the man has amazing talents ( I can admire his talent, heck, I hate opera, but must concede that those singers have amazing voices) but I really don't like his style. I don't like the percussive stuff. I like finger style that is more gentle and melodic. Tommy E is a bit too showy for my tastes.
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  #71  
Old 06-07-2007, 07:41 AM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bevelman View Post
Herb, there are four CGPs: John Knowles, Jerry Reed, Steve Wariner and Tommy Emmanuel.

The title is all well and good but what does it really mean? That Lenny Breau was somehow less regarded by Chet?
My point was that despite the praise that Chet gave to several guitarists, Chet had a special regard for Tommy. Only that and nothing more.

I've heard John Knowles introduced several times as one of only two to have received the CGP honor from Chet so I was surprised to read that Seve Wariner and Jerry Reed had also been bestowed with that honor.

Tommy is a great guitarist and I make it a point to see his performances. However, I find myself listening to less flamboyant guitarists' recordings more than the recordings of Tommy Emmanuel. I can easily understand others not appreciating his style but for the life of me I don't understand how someone could listen to his version of Mona Lisa and conclude that he has no heart or plays with little feeling.

I agree that there is no meaningful way to determine who is best and that we probably shouldn't even try but if someone held a gun to my head and demanded that I say who was best, the two names that would likely first pop into my head are Doyle Dykes and Tommy Emmanuel even if I do listen to other guitarists more.

This year, it looks like I'll get to see both Tommy and Doyle perform (I haven't seen Doyle Dykes in more than three years) along with Richard Smith, Laurence Juber, Stephen Bennett, Eddie Pennington, Tony McManus, Pat Kirtley, John Knowles, Craig Dobbins and many others at the CAAS convention. I'm looking forward to it.
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  #72  
Old 06-07-2007, 11:10 AM
nubjamin nubjamin is offline
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i'm with those who find TE to be amazingly talented, yet for some reason the music just doesn't do much for me. he's too... something. i can't put my finger on it.
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  #73  
Old 06-07-2007, 03:14 PM
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One of Tommy's strengths is his ability to play long, linear descending and ascending licks that sound much like flatpicking. He does use a flatpick occasionally but mostly on his ballads.

His compositions really grab me too. And to top it off, he is a funny and entertaining performer. I don't see how anyone could not like his performances but I do see how someone could be envious of his abilities.
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  #74  
Old 06-07-2007, 03:43 PM
Herb Hunter Herb Hunter is offline
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...I do see how someone could be envious of his abilities.
Envious is too feeble a word in my case.
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  #75  
Old 06-07-2007, 04:09 PM
bobc bobc is offline
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And for the record I'm pretty amazing at the guitar... you know... if nobody already told you.....
No one has told me either, but I bet your a legend in your own mind...
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