| Solo Sessions - Chet Atkins | |
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Reviewed by Jolene Downs
Chet Atkins left behind the proverbial gold mine in his home office. Among the tapes he had stored there from various projects, there were also some solo recordings that he had done on his own over the years and put aside. In all, they found 28 solo recordings of various American Standards. They have been released on a two CD set that is simply titled, Solo Sessions. These recordings are a reminder of Chet's incredible genius with a guitar. While listening to the songs, you have the feeling that there are more instruments backing him up, but it is just he and his guitar. They sound so good that it becomes hard to remember the majority of these songs are normally done with full arrangement. It is inspiring to listen to them knowing that they are being done with just one guitar and one man.
While a few people knew that Chet had 'played around' with these songs while rehearsing or warming up, no one knew that over the years he had been quietly recording them. In fact, Chet's engineer, Mike Poston, had told him that they were so good he should record a solo album with them. In typical Chet style, he would say, "ah, no one wants to hear that stuff." Mike disagreed with that statement, but Chet was the boss. When the songs were discovered, Mike helped to compile them for everyone to enjoy.
Since this is an entirely instrumental album, I won't break down the individual songs. They are as diverse as they are relaxing. You will find everything from the die-hard cowboy songs such as "Happy Trails To You" to the whimsical "Bicycle Built For Two." There are also inspirational songs such as "In The Garden" and "Amazing Grace." Chet just recorded whatever music struck his fancy on that given day. Even though they were done purely for his pleasure, you will find he was as much of a perfectionist when he was playing, as he was when he was working. These CD's are great to pop in your player after a stressful day at work. Turn the stereo on low, grab a cup of coffee and just relax. You can find the CD exclusively at his official website www.misterguitar.com
Song List:
Disc One:
Disc Two:
Album cover used with permission of Chet Atkins Official Website