Photo: Tommy Emmanuel, Alyssa Gafkjen
By Mike O’Cull
Certified Guitar Player and Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel continues to expand his acclaimed body of work with a new double album, The Best Of Tommysongs, that comes out May 8th, 2020 on CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records. The double set is made up of brand new re-recordings of many of Emmanuel’s finest original songs, some of which he’s been playing for the last 30 years. The goal was to capture the evolution of the songs and present them to the world as he presently plays them. The record also contains five new songs that prove that time hasn’t diminished Emmanuel’s creativity and artistry one bit. Tommy wrote, produced, and recorded all the tracks on the album himself, which makes it even more of a personal triumph.
Originally from New South Wales, Emmanuel began his life in music at only four years old when he and his brother Phil started sneaking away with their father’s electric guitar. They were driven by sibling rivalry, an outstanding developmental tool that turned out to be a priceless musical education. A family band ensued and Tommy grew up on the road, spending more than six years touring with the group until local authorities made him attend regular school. He got to the stadium level as an electric guitarist but walked away from the bombast of rock and roll to devote himself to the purity and grace of the steel-string acoustic guitar. This was when he found his true self and mode of expression, inspired by guitar legend Chet Atkins.
Tommy went on to become one of the best solo acoustic players to ever touch strings, forging a style that’s based in musicality and joy as much as his extraordinary technique. He will inspire you to either listen close and practice more or sell your guitar and find something else to do with your life.
It would take three musicians, or more to do what Tommy does solo. It is one thing to play multi-dimensional arrangements flawlessly on acoustic guitar but to do it with unbridled delight, is an invitation to feel his music as deeply as he does.
The Best Of Tommysongs gets underway with the gorgeous “Song For A Rainy Morning,” a new tune with an introspective feel that’s all melody. Emmanuel is one of those rare musicians who is so good that listeners first notice his innate musicality and not his commanding chops. Though he doesn’t sing on this release, his songs deliver soaring melodies and emotional content as well as the best vocalists in the game. Many instrumentalists write songs that sound like practice sessions but Tommy transcends those typical bounds and makes music that connects directly to the human heart.
“Angelina,” one of Emmanuel’s most popular songs, follows and his performance of it shines with the kind of delicate grace most musicians will never achieve. His ideas and arrangements are beyond reproach and he touches the sleeve of the divine so easily that it takes time to appreciate all that he injects into a softly-voiced piece like this. “Fuel,” another new track, shows Tommy’s more energetic side and ability to go from fired-up to chilled-out and back again in mere moments. His story song, “Lewis & Clark,” shows up in its present form and again demonstrates the depth of Emmanuel’s musical architecture. As always, Emmanuel is powerful and hypnotic, holding listeners spellbound and waiting for each new note to be articulated.
Fan favorite “Train To Düsseldorf” lets Tommy show the kind of precise, technical playing that has made him a star. Even when he lets flurries of notes fly, there is absolutely no slop or over-indulgence to be found. He instinctively puts each note and groove perfectly in place and it’s breathtaking.
“Mombasa,” another of his most well-known compositions, is another example of Emmanuel’s gift of being able to combine melody, rhythm, and dynamics at the highest level without ever sounding forced or academic. The light simply beams out of his guitar and into your speakers.
Every second of The Best Of Tommysongs is stunning, redemptive, and sublime. Tommy Emmanuel is likely to be the most brilliant and capable guitarist any of us will ever encounter and this new release will only add to his already-monumental legend.
Pre-order The Best Of Tommysongs.
Tommy Emmanuel Online
I will definitely get this album! Thanks for the great review!