I’d heard of Tommy Emmanuel  for a long time but I missed a chance to hear him in Ithaca this summer so I was delighted when Glenn Holmes from On Target Media Group asked if I’d like a review copy of Emmanuel’s latest album ‘The Mystery‘.

Tommy Emmanuel is a guitarist’s guitarist who’s played with musicians as diverse as Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Stevie Wonder, Les Paul and several symphony orchestras. His boyhood hero Chet Atkins, became one of his biggest fans. They recorded together in 1996, an album which sadly became Atkin’s last.

Emmanuel’s latest album ’The Mystery‘ highlights his superb guitar playing and features mostly his own compositions. After the fireworks of the first two tracks ‘Cantina Senese’ and a medley ‘Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag’ the album settles into a more contemplative mood. No less impressive however for the quieter tone. Only one of the twelve tracks has vocals, the rest are solo guitar.

Emmanuel is an artist of many influences and this album wanders pretty far from the standard folk idom but this folkie thoroughly enjoyed it.

1. Tracklist:
2. Cantina Senese
3. Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag
4. The Mystery
5. Cowboy’s Dream
6. Walls – Listen
7. Lewis & Clark
8. The Diggers’ Waltz
9. Antonella’s Birthday
10. And So It Goes
11. That’s The Spirit
12. Footprints
13. Keep It Simple

You can listen to samples here.
Tommy Emmanuel’s web site is www.tommyemmanuel.com