1995 – Chet Atkins: Rare Performances 1976

For more than 40 years, the name of Chet Atkins has been associated with the finest Nashville-based fingerstyle guitar sounds. Even those records he did not play on showed his influence. Yet his own artistic growth never ceased, as is evident in this second volume of Vestapol’s chronological documentation of Chet’s career. We see this gentle genius exploring the music of Bob Dylan (Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right), marching band composer John Phillip Sousa (Stars and Stripes Forever), pop standards (Lover Come Back) and progressive funk (Knuckle Buster).

Chet’s tonal palette draws varied colors from electric guitars, nylon-strung classics, and even a resophonic guitar. Foremost in this collection are his traditional strengths as a tasteful soloist, but we also see him swap licks with the fiery Jerry Reed and Larry Carlton. The overall impression made by these performances is one of a master quietly demonstrating his continued primacy in his field and doing so with a calm assurance unabated by needless grandstanding.

Titles include: Pop Goes The Country, 1976 I’ll Say She Does Pop Goes The Country, 1977 Hawaiian Wedding Song Soundstage, 1978 Cascade, Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right, Kentucky, Stars and Stripes Forever Pop Goes The Country, 1979 You Needed Me, Dance With Me Pop Goes The Country, 1980 Malaguena Pop Goes The Country, 1982 Sukiyaki, Me and Bobby McGee Austin City Limits, 1987 Knuckle Buster Austin City Limits, 1991 Sunrise, I Still Can’t Say Goodbye Merle Watson Festival, 1992 Rainbow, There’ll Be Some Changes Made, Yankee Doodle Dixie Medley: Windy & Warm/Mr. Sandman/Wildwood Flower/The Bells Of St. Mary’s/In The Good Old Summertime/Freight Train/Yakety Axe, Young Thing At Chet’s Home Studio, 1995 Happy Again, Lover Come Back.