I never do a concert or a master class without citing the names of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. They are for me, the men who have achieved the greatest expression on the guitar. I could speak for hours about them, but I would prefer to have you discover them yourselves—listen to their music !

  Chet Atkins :

   Released in 1968, this album is a wonderful example of Chet’s talent and his ability to give the impression that all of the melodies have been written for the guitar. Moreover, you can feel all of the music that was influencing him at the time: Lenny Breau—in the use of new jazz harmonies, Jerry Reed—in the use of open strings. As far as the sound is concerned, it is the very best of Chet. For me, it’s a great reference of what an instrumental album should be.

Superpickers

   This is a good example of a guitar recording in which all of the other instrumentalists are shining. The cream of the crop are represented here, from Nashville in 1973, matching the virtuosity of Chet Atkins himself. With wonderful arrangements, solid solos, and great sound, you have in a word, Chet Atkins.

   Jerry Reed:

    This is a “groove” album. It is blues, it is rhythm and blues, and it is country and jazz. He sings like crazy and his riffs on the guitar knock you out! Recorded in 1967. 

    This is a clear example of the unique work of this genius. The arrangements are exceptional in their originality and Jerry’s virtuosity is amazing. He mixes everything from bluegrass to jazz and the vocal work is superb. Magic…

    These two albums were released three years apart. The two men, perform in total simplicity, as if they were at home. With great imagination and unique groove these two albums reflect the mutual admiration of the two masters. Still without equal.

  But the young generation is here--represented by Brent Mason:

    A fan of Jerry Reed,  Brent Mason is today the premier studio guitarist in Nashville and, for me, one of the greatest guitar players in the world, in all categories. 

  This album reflects the huge culture and technique of the man. He is always in good taste and efficient in any circumstance. He is a kind of sledge hammer for the ego of any other guitar players!

   I had the chance to work with the great guitarists Jim Nichols and Tommy Emmanuel. Both of them have recorded many CDs.

   To those who don’t yet know Jim Nichols, I would recommend these two albums:

  In this CD, Jim’s exceptional musicianship is mirrored by his wife, Morning, who is a wonderful singer. Jim easily shows his great ability move between many styles, as the two demonstrate their eclectic musical taste on this collection of Blues, Jazz, fingerpicking and bossa nova. 

This is Jim Nichols’ only solo album. When listening to it, Chet Atkins said: “This is one of the best records I ever heard.” It says a lot, when you think of how many guitar records he had listened to!
This album bursts with his tremendous musical culture and guitar technique.

   From Tommy Emmanuel, I would recommend:

Can’t Get Enough
   Tommy told me one day that the budget on this album had been huge, and you can hear it! The style of this CD may remind you of Larry Carlton, who plays along with Tommy on some of the tunes. Chet is here too—are you surprised?
His sound is superb and his groove is on fire!

   Tommy Emmanuel is certainly one of the greatest acoustic guitarists and this solo album shows it perfectly. The compositions are beautiful and the sound is fantastic.