While Chet Baker was famous for his almost evanescent singing voice and was strongly associated with West Coast jazz, this all-instrumental, all-ballad album recorded with some of New York's finest musicians may have been his most beautiful recording. These 1958-59 sessions place Baker in groups ranging from quartet to sextet, and his trumpet playing is strong, secure, and clear, capable of the subtlest inflections. The settings simply couldn't be better. Pianist Bill Evans was in the midst of redefining the piano ballad, and he's masterful at creating fresh harmonic underpinnings for Baker from the opening chords of "Alone Together," here reminiscent of "Blue in Green." Guitarist Kenny Burrell adds comparable support on a wistful treatment of "September Song," while Pepper Adams's baritone saxophone, present on seven tracks, is a craggy, rough-hewn complement to Baker's smoothly melodic trumpet. Herbie Mann contributes flute and arrangements to several sextet tracks, while the rhythm section, with Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones and Connie Kay sharing the drumming, is resilient and lightly propulsive. The concluding "Early Morning Mood" is a long, slow Baker blues that's a nice addition to the well-chosen set of standards. The 20-bit K2 super coding system results in excellent sound, capturing every drum detail and particularly enhancing Adams's broad, overtone-rich sound. --Stuart Broomer
Chet,Chet Baker,Ojc,Jazz,Pop
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Chester & Lester
Chet Atkins Manufacturer: Import [Generic] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000007691 Release Date: 1997-03-26 |
Tracks:
- It's Been a Long, Long Time
- Medley: Moonglow/Picnic
- Caravan
- It Had to Be You
- Out of Nowhere
- Avalon
- Birth of the Blues
- Someday, Sweetheart
- 'Deed I Do
- Lover, Come Back to Me
Customer Reviews:
One of the best guitar albums ever.......2005-12-14
The production and material is brilliant as well.
Once you could find this recording on a two for one cd, with the other recording they did called Guitar Monsters.
Les Paul supposively showed up with a cold and the performance is not as good. There is more joking around as well.
Never the less, if that recording, buy it. Else, purchase this recording.
By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves. With some who are less mature, this the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.
Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews
Classic meeting of the Greatest!.......2005-07-21
It's a wonderful chance to hear two of the greatest electric guitarists together. The vastly different styles of these two are a perfect blend, and the meeting of two old pros is classic. It's a lot of fun and great music.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Shagadelic baby.......2000-01-01
Entertainment at its best, for the players and listeners........1999-04-29
This is why those Brits picked up their axes!.......1998-07-12
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Neck and Neck
Chet Atkins , and Mark Knopfler Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000026UV Release Date: 1990-09-24 |
Tracks:
- Poor Boy Blues
- Sweet Dreams
- There'll Be Some Changes Made
- Just One Time
- So Soft, Your Goodbye
- Yakety Axe
- Tears
- Tahitian Skies
- I'll See You In My Dreams
- Next Time I'm In Town
Amazon.com
Two generations of guitarists merge on this cleverly-titled album, with former Dire Straits virtuoso Mark Knopfler taking time off from scoring movies to join Chet Atkins, one of the fathers of electric guitar pickin'. And there's some mighty fine country pickin' on display here, with the duo joined by some of Nashville's all-time finest players, including the late, great Floyd Cramer, Mark O'Connor, Larry Londin, Vince Gill, and Steve Wariner. The material ranges from choice country covers (Doc Watson's "Poor Boy Blues," Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams") to rock 'n' roll ("Yakety Ax," a take on Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax"), jazz (Django Reinhardt's "Tears"), a Knopfler original, and even the old standard "I'll See You in My Dreams." It sounds like they had fun, too! --Bill HoldshipCustomer Reviews:
Two Masters.......2007-01-16
One of my favorites CD.......2006-11-03
Enjoy.
Review???.......2006-07-22
The music is easy to listen to and sing along with once you know the words - if you listen to it often enough, and I seem to be doing just that.
Am glad I made the purchase.
Ros Campbell
Two Pros.......2006-07-04
I want my Chet/Mark TEEVEE!.......2006-03-03
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Chester & Lester
Chet Atkins Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000ROAL8A Release Date: 2007-07-24 |
Tracks:
- It's Been a Long, Long Time
- Moonglow/Picnic [Theme from "Picnic"]
- Caravan
- It Had to Be You
- Out of Nowhere
- Avalon
- Birth of the Blues
- Someday Sweetheart
- Deed I Do
- Lover Come Back to Me
- World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
- You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
- Caravan [Alternate Version]
- Medley: Moonglow/Picnic [Theme from "Picnic"] [Rehearsal Version]
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A Master And His Music
Chet Atkins , and Chet Atkins Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005MP4X Release Date: 2001-07-09 |
Tracks:
- Mister Sandman
- Black Mountain Rag
- A Taste Of Honey
- Country Gentleman
- Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (w/Dolly Parton)
- Main Street Breakdown
- Yesterday
- Blue Angel
- Cascade
- Boo Boo Stick Beat
- Silver Bell (w/Hank Snow)
- The Streets Of Laredo
- It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
- Jerry's Breakdown (w/Jerry Reed)
- Yakety Axe
- Over The Rainbow (w/Less Paul)
Customer Reviews:
My uncle loved it.......2007-05-14
Smooth, smooth and sweet.......2006-11-10
The Eddie Van Halen of His Day...and Today.......2004-10-06
Listening to this disc, there is little doubt that Chet was the Eddie Van Halen of his day. Of course there were other masters who were active at the time and Chet wasn't the only one playing in this style; there was Merle Travis. But not even the latter virtuoso played with the finesse that Atkins did. Chet played with more grace than anyone. Heck, even Django didn't play Djangoesque arpeggios as smooth as Chet. His technique was as fluid as flowing water, unrivaled, even today.
Keeping Chet's prowess as a player in mind, it becomes all the more incredible how his immense technical proficiency could coexist with complete accessibility. These two things are usually mutually exclusive with instrumentalists, but not here. This is a record that you can listen to front to back with no sags, lulls, dull spots or self-indulgence. It is superbly compiled and the disc never ventures into the realm of "for guitarists only." Although, if you're into that sort of thing, it's in here; it's just not right up front. And, for me, that's what makes Chet's talent so unique. He somehow
managed to make baffling technical mastery palatable to everybody. In Chet's world, the song comes first, which means the picking never gets in the way. He's not a showoff; the technique is there, but it's often hidden in the melodies, so you have to to do a little work to uncover it. That's why, although this is some very complicated stuff, you can still tap your foot to it. Brilliant.
All the songs on this disc are great and there are no throwaways or fillers. In particular, the duet with Dolly Parton, "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" is out of this world. I don't know how much the two of them recorded together, but RCA would be wise to issue all of it, as soon as possible. The love between these two musicians literally jumps out of the speakers and you can't help but to be seduced by their interplay. They sound like they're having a ball and it's really something.
This disc is perfect. Although I own plenty other Chet Atkins cd's I find that this one makes it's way into the player most often. If you like it what you hear on this disc and want more, try the double cd "Guitar Legend." There will be some repeats, but that disc is essentially a more thorough version of this one and there's enough difference that the overlap isn't an issue. Or if you're looking to jump into the "deep catalog," try "Guitar Country/More of That Guitar Country." You can't go wrong either way.
Sweet Collection of Famous Work.......2003-04-17
The one and only.......2003-02-18
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The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World
Chet Atkins & Tommy Emmanuel Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002BT1 Release Date: 1997-03-11 |
Tracks:
- Borsalino
- To 'B' Or Not To 'B'
- The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World
- Tip Toe Through The Bluegrass
- News From The Outback
- Ode To Mel Bay
- Dixie McGuire
- Saltwater
- Mr. Guitar
- Road To Gundaghi/Waltzing Matilda
- Smokey Mountain Lullaby
Customer Reviews:
Finger Pickers CD.......2007-04-11
unison is not for masters.......2007-01-11
Most enjoyable.......2005-09-04
Additionally, this is an especially precious CD, because I've been told that it was the last thing Chet Atkins ever recorded. The cancer that was to take his life was well advanced at this stage.
The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World.......2005-07-20
Très bien ..........2004-09-29
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My Funny Valentine
Chet Baker Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005GWQ Release Date: 1994-01-25 |
Tracks:
- My Funny Valentine
- Someone To Watch Over Me
- Moonlight Becomes You
- This Is Always
- I'm Glad There Is You
- Time After Time
- Sweet Lorraine
- It's Always You
- Let's Get Lost
- Moon Love
- Like Someone In Love
- I've Never Been In Love Before
- Isn't It Romantic?
- I Fall In Love Too Easily
Amazon.com
Chet Baker was at the height of his popularity, the epitome of cool jazz, when these tracks were recorded for Pacific Jazz between 1952 and 1954. While Baker could hold his own in bop settings, the emphasis in this collection is squarely on his lyrical approach to ballads, whether singing or playing trumpet, with just a rhythm section or an added string orchestra. His vocals were absolutely distinctive, sung in a high-pitched, even fragile voice seemingly drained of emotion and yet possessing an inherent charm, a detachment that might be both the antithesis of style and its definition, whether it's heard as sensitivity or indifference. The singing is a double of his trumpet playing here, spare and barely present but achieving much through nuance and suggestion. Pianist Russ Freeman is an almost constant partner, supplying deft chords and harmonic daring, amplifying Baker's ideas. Their empathy is especially evident in the beautiful instrumental "Moon Love," but it's just as significant on signature Baker songs such as "My Funny Valentine," "Let's Get Lost," and "Like Someone in Love." --Stuart BroomerCustomer Reviews:
My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker.......2007-06-08
Sweet and Sultry and Simply Spectacular!.......2007-01-05
The right product at the right time.......2006-11-10
Beautiful.......2006-07-30
Top-notch..like a soft blanket that wraps around you.......2006-07-27
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The Best of Chet Baker Sings
Chet Baker Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005HFH Release Date: 1989-08-04 |
Tracks:
- The Thrill Is Gone
- But Not For Me
- Time After Time
- I Get Along Without You Very Well
- There Will Never Be Another You
- Look For The Silver Lining
- My Funny Valentine
- I Fall In Love Too Easily
- Daybreak
- Just Friends
- I Remember You
- Let's Get Lost
- Long Ago And Far Away
- You Don't Know What Love Is
- That Old Feeling
- It's Always You
- I've Never Been In Love Before
- My Buddy
- Like Someone In Love
- My Ideal
Amazon.com essential recording
Once Chet Baker arrived in California from his native Oklahoma, his career exploded. After landing gigs with Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan, Baker soon found himself a solo star and bandleader. Not long after that, he also found himself whispering love songs into a microphone. Baker was not gifted with the most robust voice of the day. Indeed, listening to pure singers like Nat "King" Cole or Johnny Hartman can expose Baker's weaknesses, but what Baker did, he did well. By choosing wistful, so-young, so-in-love tunes, Baker was able to pour his heart into the material, sketching soft, romantic moods and painting himself as the broken-hearted innocent. The effect can be devastating, as Baker's voice clings to the melody, threatening to disintegrate at any moment. Many of his best tunes--"I Fall in Love Too Easily," "But Not for Me," "Let's Get Lost"--are collected here, and as such, there is no better place to begin an appreciation of Baker's unique singing. --S. DudaCustomer Reviews:
buy this or you're fired........2007-01-29
WhAt'S "TeChNiCaL StAnDpOiNt"? .......2006-11-09
The place to start, and to come back to.......2006-08-06
excellent.......2006-07-06
Acquired Taste.......2006-03-26
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The Original Quartet With Chet Baker [2-CD SET]
Gerry Mulligan Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000007TFR Release Date: 1998-07-14 |
Tracks:
- Get Happy
- 'S Wonderful
- Godchild
- Dinah
- She Didn't Say Yes, She Didn't Say No
- Bernie's Tune
- Lullaby Of The Leaves
- Utter Chaos #1
- Aren't You Glad You're You
- Frenesi
- Nights At The Turnstable
- Freeway
- Soft Shoe
- Walkin' Shoes
- Aren't You Glad You're You
- Get Happy
- Poinciana
- Godchild
- Makin' Whoopee
- Cherry
- Motel
- Carson City Stage
Tracks:
- My Old Flame
- Love Me Or Leave Me (Alternate Take)
- Love Me Or Leave Me
- Swinghouse (10in LP Take)
- Swinghouse (12in LP Take)
- Jeru
- Utter Chaos #2
- Darn That Dream
- Darn That Dream (Alternate Take)
- I May Be Wrong (12in LP Take)
- I May Be Wrong (10in LP Take)
- I'm Beginning To See The Light (10in LP Take)
- I'm Beginning To See The Light (12in LP Take)
- The Nearness Of You
- Tea For Two
- Five Brothers
- I Can't Get Started
- Ide's Side
- Funhouse
- My Funny Valentine
Amazon.com essential recording
Gerry Mulligan's off-the-bandstand relationship with Chet Baker could never be considered amiable, but once the two West Coast bad boys picked up the horns, everything was sweetness and light, though often underscored by a subtle and sweet tension. That's never been more apparent than on The Original Quartet with Chet Baker, a limited- edition, two-CD set (42 tracks!) that compiles the group's entire Pacific Jazz output (with the exception of their collaborations with Lee Konitz, available on Konitz Meets Mulligan. As the band that defined the swinging and sophisto West Coast sound, these Mulligan/Baker sides are laid-back but also sly and cerebral. While the rhythm section (bassists include Red Mitchell, Joe Mondragon, Bob Whitlock, and Carson Smith; drums were brushed by Chico Hamilton and Larry Bunker) lays back and affords the horns plenty of room, Baker and Mulligan circle each other like boxers one moment, lovers the next. It's a dance you don't want to miss. --S. DudaAlbum Description
The pianoless Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which launched the careers of Mulligan, Chet Baker and Chico Hamilton, lasted only one year (June of '52-'53). These two remastered CDs cover all 42 tracks that the quartet recorded for Pacific Jazz in that one year in which the band invented itself, evolved, hit the big time and then disappeared. Recorded live at the Haig and in various studios, this music is essential modern jazz.Customer Reviews:
A Cornerstone of Modern Jazz.......2006-05-31
Starting with the leader's very first (pre-Baker) California recordings, GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET traces the rapid evolution of this gifted group's sound, sensibility and personnel (An early version of the unit included a pianist but no drummer!), allowing listeners to share in the excitement these young men must have felt as they recorded three-minute masterpieces like "Lullaby of the Leaves" and "Soft Shoe" - pivotal works which sound as fresh, and dare I say it as important, today as they ever could have in their own era. Oft-covered warhorses "Makin' Whoopee," "My Old Flame" and "Darn that Dream" get spectacular makeovers here - the last in two different versions from which I defy anyone to pick a favorite. The live sets which made Mulligan's and Baker's reputations are well represented too, with bouncers like "Poinciana" balanced by such moody classics as "My Funny Valentine" and Mulligan's own "Funhouse." It's all here.
...Well, almost all. Those duly enchanted by this generous collection should seek out OJC's GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET/CHUBBY JACKSON BIG BAND disc, REUNION and KONITZ MEETS MULLIGAN for more of these major musicians' efforts; all are well worth it.
Stunningly good.......2005-08-24
It's always a pleasure to hear such talented instrumentalists working together, but this CD takes it to another level entirely. You can almost feel the energy crackling between Mulligan and Baker when they play off each other's riffs. It's just amazing stuff. Whenever I play these CDs, I end up playing them a second time, and a third, and a fourth.
Get this set. You will not be disappointed.
Absolute beauty.......2005-03-07
This cd, as my title indicates, is absolutely beautiful. To start, I would recommend getting this cd along with "Chet with Russ Freeman" and the Chet Baker/Art Pepper release that was once known as "Playboys" when on Capitol Records that is now called "Picture of Heath" in it's reissued form. These three releases combined make for a great combination/trilogy.
That said, this cd is fantastic. It captures Chet, and Mulligan, in their infancy, right on the cusp of what was to come. You can still hear the naivete in Chet's playing and while it's not as great as his "Chet" cd (which is absolutely, hands-down, my all-time favorite), it is just as magical. Just in a different way. This is the absolute epitome of the "West Coast Vibe." And, now, for me living here in Miami Beach and having left my home of San Francisco (where I lived for over 25 years), it brings back many, many memories of being very young, slaving away at menial jobs to go spend all my money at record stores to pick up jazz lp's (yes, lp's). All my minimum wage earnings went to Chet, Pepper, Getz, Garland, Mitchell, Adderly, Miles, MJQ, Monk, Webster, Hawkins, Milt, etc, etc, etc. Then, I'd take them home, cherish them, make mix tapes, and then hit the PCH or the city streets in my Ford Falcon with this as my company.
That's the truth. A bit of a diversion from a "review" of this cd, but it kind of, kind of, catches a vibe about this cd that, if you can at all dig what I'm saying (and hopefully, if you're checking out this release anyway - you're a soul I can relate to and CAN catch my drift), then you can get this vibe. But, if you know anything about this scene, then you know what I mean anyway. This is fluid, soul-touching stuff. If it needs any explanation, chances are there isn't anyone who can really explain it to you, nor anyone who would want to, and this is probably something you'd never get. But, it probably won't need explaining. You get this, you put it in, you close your eyes, you'll know. Top down, sunny day or rain on window pane with your heart full of sadness. Oddly, it fits both 'cause I've tried it. But just do yourself a favor and pick this baby up, along with the others I mentioned. You will be glad you did.
Baritone Sax and Baker Horn.......2001-02-06
Great Jazz.......2000-03-01
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Menotti: Amahl and the Night Visitors
Gian Carlo Menotti , Thomas Schippers , Rosemary Kuhlmann Chet Allen , and Andrew McKinley, David Aiken Leon Lishner Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003EPE Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Amahl! Amahl!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Oh, Mother, You Should Go Out And See!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Stop Bothering Me!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Poor Amahl!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Don't Cry, Mother Dear
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: From Far Away We Come
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Amahl...Yes, Mother?
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Good Evening! Good Evening!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Come In, Come In!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Are You A Real King?
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: This Is My Box
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Amahl, I Told You Not To Be A Nuisance!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Oh, These Beautiful Things
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Have You Seen A Child
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Shepherds! Shepherdesses!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Emily, Emily
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Olives and Quinces
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Shepherds' Dance
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Thank You, Good Friends
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: All That Gold!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Thief! Thief!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Don't You Dare!
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Oh, Woman, You Can KeepThe Gold
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Oh, No, Wait
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: I Walk, Mother
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Do You Really Want To Go?
- Amahl And The Night Visitors: Shepherds, Arise!
Amazon.com
Back in the days when the forces that controlled television actually cared about art, it was perfectly normal to see original plays and live musical performances right in your living room. In 1950, Menotti was commissioned to write an opera for television, and on Christmas Eve, 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors was performed by the NBC Television Theater. This recording, under the composer's personal direction, was made a few days later, and it remains the definitive version, even though the sound is very dated and rough in places. This story of a poor shepherd boy's encounter with three kings and the miraculous healing of his crippled leg when he offers his crutch as a gift has captured audiences around the world ever since its premiere. Its charming mix of tuneful melody, dancing rhythms, delightful choruses, humor and poignancy, and an English text makes this work immediately accessible to audiences of all ages and musical tastes. --David VernierCustomer Reviews:
My favorite Christmas music.......2007-05-13
An unsung genius.......2007-04-10
In my opinion, this creation should be lovingly produced every year!
I am a grateful singer of his works.
Amahl and the Night Visitors made our Christmas very precious!.......2007-01-20
Mother, Mother, Mother Come With Me..........2007-01-13
A must have.......2007-01-10
It has become the cornerstone of my families holiday celebrations.
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Guitar Legend: The RCA Years
Chet Atkins Manufacturer: Buddha ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004S7JG Release Date: 2000-04-04 |
Tracks:
- Canned Heat
- The Nashville Jump
- Dizzy Strings
- Tellin' My Troubles To My Old Guitar
- Dance Of The Goldenrod
- Galloping On The Guitar
- Centipede Boogie
- Main Street Breakdown
- Indian Love Call
- Mountain Melody
- Jitterbug Waltz
- Rainbow
- Nobody's Sweetheart
- Chinatown, My Chinatown
- Fiddle Patch
- (When It's) Darkness On The Delta
- High Rockin' Swing
- Guitars On Parade
- Oh By Jingo!
- The Bells Of St. Mary's
- Country Gentlemen
- Memphis Blues
- Downhill Drag
- Ballin' The Jack
- Silver Bell
Tracks:
- Mister Sandman
- New Spanish Two Step
- The Poor People Of Paris (Jean's Song)
- Tweedlee Dee
- (The Wallflower) Dance With Me, Henry
- Blue Ocean Echo
- Trambone
- Dig These Blues
- Yesterdays
- Walk, Don't Run
- Hot Toddy
- Slinkey
- Frankie And Johnny
- Windy And Warm
- Early Times
- Satan's Doll
- So Rare
- Yakety Axe
- Blue Angel
- Steeplechase Lane
- Black Mountain Rag
- Take Five
- Blue Finger
- Cascade
- Carolina Shout
Amazon.com
Chet Atkins recorded way too often, in way too many dubious contexts; wanting to showcase the depth and breadth of his playing, he instead buried himself. So what's a fan to do? This two-disc set is beautifully programmed, keeping all emphasis on Chet himself, from the delicate drive of 1947's "Canned Heat" to the four-guitar interplay of 1978's "Carolina Shout." Though he recorded frequently over the years with A-list country sidemen under various names, his most enduring work remains the scintillating sides with guitarist Homer Haynes and mandolinist Jethro Burns (and you thought they were just a novelty act). There's also a rare rollicking reading of "Dig These Blues." And any set that follows the sweet timing of "Guitars on Parade" with the high-stepping "Bells of Saint Mary's" and the piercing "Country Gentleman" is indeed irrefutable testimonial to a guitarist who often hid his own virtues. This is the one Atkins album you really need to own. --John MorthlandCustomer Reviews:
Velvet Glove.......2007-05-20
Is this a steel string right? Yeah babe it is... I'm seriously infatuated with listening to Chet Atkins this evening, Balling the Jack right now looking forward to hearing the Black Mountain Rag in a second. Who needs to hear me extol his playing ability? Who needs my opinion on his jazz undertones, on the way he plays... He makes a mockery of anyone foolish enough to forget how terrific a player he is...Take Five, lovely. Go man..gotta think on the Tennessee tones right now from my family roots I'm listening large tonight. And it's funny I'll tell you I can hear in this Centipede Boogie that ukulele he started with long ago and my dad loved so much.It's in there, trust me.
Tell me these are my roots, please...please...excuse me a second gotta bring this one on home no, up a little bit here to stomp it. Ah..that's right..smooth sound. Gliding. Cleanest player I ever heard. Blue Angel...let me pull myself together.Dig These Blues...And down here to the the Memphis Blues...listen to that awhile...gotta go tap around the kitchen table get me some sugar now. ...so... sweet.Ah babe.
Do you want to know the way I like to think about my life in West Virginia? The good times, arts fairs, the culture, the bluegrass, people, seeing friend Thelma in my mind, the schools, the mourning mist and the sweat of the sticky summer, the cranberry bogs, the coal tipples, the little ones waiting for your time, the cookin, the jams, jellies, four H, the days mowing the yard, times jumping over the violets, finding a boxturtle or indigo bunting? Well, now, listen to Chet tell you my life. Let him glide fingers, take you right away into a country girls' dreams of art, culture, meanings and metaphors set in the hills and Appalachian springs. It's here you'll find me. jazz and all...I'm here. Listen. My past is here. Mountain melody..
Looking for a good gift, this would make anyones day, beautiful compilation. Smooth, clean, exquisite. i just wish I was sitting in a room filled with hammered ddulcimers taking on playing along...right now. Ah...just have to settle for resting my head or jumping up with my son.
Play it baby.
"Years from now, after I'm gone someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."
Atkins
Stellar collection from the greatest guitarist ever.......2006-02-20
"The RCA Years" is a superb compilation of his work starting in 1947 with "Canned Heat" and follows through to the late '70's before Chet jumped ship to Columbia to pursue a more jazzy path than RCA was willing to allow.
Every track in this 50 song double CD is indispensible. We hear shred guitar before the term and the hot shots of the 80's, including Vai and Satriani were even born. Never hokey, Atkins was a living breathing slice of American music history. Rock and roll, bluegrass, country, blues and jazz are blended together in a musical soup that astonishes the listener, usually in the space of a single song.
The accompanying booklet is interesting, along with early photos of the great man. It's the best place to start for the serious Atkins fan and beginner alike, and damn hard to beat, although his "Essential" CD's are good company. Guitarists, pay your dues today.
great stuff from a great guitar player.......2005-10-15
Excellent sampler of the first 30 years of Chet's career..........2004-02-25
Nashville Cat.......2003-02-18
As with so many guitarists, such as Clapton and Page, the RCA collection showcases Chet's evolution from frantic virtuoso (with flaming L7 in tow) into a rounded, melodic interpretative artist.
The CD disc 1 is early stuff, with a more jazzy hillbilly feel-very cool, but a bit lacking in the fidelity department as befits the era. The disc 2 is some later stuff and it is extraordinary and worth the entire set price-there are some jazz tunes which are Chet at this best. This is a more sophisticated look into Chet and for the neophite not a bad first choice (although the best Chet sampler, IMHO, is Master and his Music). For those who really enjoy Chester and wish to visit his roots this is a good CD and bears the price.
Jazz Music: