Misterguitar...

owwdatune · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 6:28 pm Post subject: Misterguitar...

its really hard for me to pigeon-hole Mr. Atkins as country because he played so many styles so wonderfully---and if ya don't believe me, get this compilation...you owe it to yourself to hear what a guitar is fully capable of in the hands of a master !!---> http://www.misterguitar.com/ Cool

Herb · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 5:24 pm Post subject:

You can't pigeonhole Chet, he played almost every style around in his day. I have over 50 of his recordings, and don't have but a fraction of what he recorded. Mostly he covered old jazz standards, helped create the Nashville sound, recorded leads for the likes of Elvis, and the Everly Brothers, made duet albums with Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Les Paul, Mark Knoffler, just to name a few, discovered and groomed Jerry Reed, Lenny Breau, Steve Wariner, Paul Yandell...........and on and on. He is my number one guitar hero. That compilation is a wonderful set. I also reccommend Chet Atkins - Guitar Legend - The RCA Years. This one has 50 of his tunes from 1947 to 1978. Mister Guitar was the master, I miss him dearly. Sad

And thank you for posting this, ~T~.

owwdatune · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 7:50 pm Post subject:

glad to do it herb---Chet has been my hero-mentor-idol for as long as i can remember--i can listen/watch him for hours on end-and many nites i do LOL..i have a small handful of his recordings-some videos i made whenever i caught him on TV-some learning tapes & books and i wear them out--his playing is always a learning experience for me as well as pure enjoyment to listen----if i could just have 1/10 of his skill with a guitar, i could go to guitar players heaven a happy man !! Cool

Herb · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:57 pm Post subject:

owwdatune · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 3:55 pm Post subject:

Biography

b. Chester Burton Atkins, 20 June 1924, Luttrell, Tennessee, USA, d. 30 June 2001, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The man known as "Mister Guitar" was one of the most influential and prolific guitarists of the twentieth century, as well as an important producer and an RCA Records executive. The son of a music teacher and brother of guitarist Jim Atkins (who played with Les Paul), Atkins began as a fiddler in the early 40s, with the Dixieland Swingers in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also played with artists including Bill Carlisle and Shorty Thompson. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1946 and his first recording session took place that year, for Jim Bullet. In 1947 Atkins was signed to RCA, recording 16 tracks on 11 August, including a number of vocals. Atkins first performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1948, working with a band that included satirists Homer And Jethro. He toured with Maybelle Carter in 1949 and recorded as an accompanist with the Carter Family the following year. At that time he made a decision to concentrate on session work, encouraged and often hired by music publisher Fred Rose. During this period, Atkins recorded largely with MGM Records artists such as Red Sovine and the Louvin Brothers, and most notably on 24 of Hank Williams' tracks for the label. He also recorded on several of the Everly Brothers' Cadence Records hits later in the 50s.

In 1952 RCA executive Steve Sholes, who had signed Atkins for session work, gave him authority to build up the label's roster, and Atkins began a second career as a talent scout. By the mid-50s he was recording his own albums and producing 30 artists a year for RCA. Atkins' first album, Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar, was issued in 1953, and his discography eventually comprised over 100 albums under his own name. Among the other artists with whom he worked at RCA were Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Don Gibson, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Hank Snow, Jerry Reed and Perry Como, and he is generally regarded as the chief architect of the pop-orientated "Nashville Sound". His trademark guitar was a Gretsch, which was later manufactured as the "Chet Atkins Country Gentleman". George Harrison endorsed this instrument, and this led to a huge increase in sales for the company during the 60s. During this decade Atkins recorded the first of a series of guitar duet albums, including works with Snow, Reed, Merle Travis, Les Paul and Doc Watson. Atkins was named an RCA vice-president in 1968 and remained in that position until 1981. The following year he left RCA for Columbia Records and continued to record for that company into the following decade. Atkins won several Grammy awards and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. In the 90s he collaborated with Suzy Bogguss and Mark Knopfler and went full circle in 1996 with a true solo work, Almost Alone, which contained tributes to the aforementioned artists. For over five decades Atkins was the consummate professional musician who was greatly respected and liked by all who ever worked with him.

Discography:
Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar 10-inch album (RCA Victor 1953)***, Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins 10-inch album (RCA Victor 1953)***, A Session With Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1954)***, Chet Atkins In 3 Dimensions (RCA Victor 1955)***, Finger Style Guitar (RCA Victor 1956)**, Hi-Fi In Focus (RCA Victor 1957)***, Chet Atkins At Home (RCA Victor 1958)***, Mister Guitar (RCA Victor 1959)***, Hummm And Strum Along With Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1959)***, Chet Atkins In Hollywood (RCA Victor 1959)**, The Other Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1960)***, Teensville (RCA Victor 1960)***, Chet Atkins' Workshop (RCA Victor 1961)**, The Most Popular Guitar (RCA Victor 1961)***, Christmas With Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1961)**, Down Home (RCA Victor 1961)***, Plays Back Home Hymns (RCA Victor 1962)***, Caribbean Guitar (RCA Victor 1962)**, Our Man In Nashville (RCA Victor 1963)***, Teen Scene (RCA Victor 1963)***, Travelin' (RCA Victor 1963)***, The Guitar Genius (RCA Camden 1963)***, Guitar Country (RCA Victor 1964)***, Progressive Pickin' (RCA Victor 1964)***, with Hank Snow Reminiscing (RCA Victor 1964)***, My Favorite Guitars (RCA Victor 1965)***, More Of That Guitar Country (RCA Victor 1965)***, Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles (RCA Victor 1966)**, From Nashville With Love (RCA Victor 1966)***, with Boston Pops, Arthur Fiedler The "Pops' Goes Country (RCA Victor 1966)**, Music From Nashville, My Hometown (RCA Camden 1966)***, It's A Guitar World (RCA Victor 1967)***, Chet Atkins Picks The Best (RCA Victor 1967)**, Class Guitar (RCA Victor 1967)***, Chet (RCA Camden 1967)***, Solo Flights (RCA Victor 1968)***, Solid Gold '68 (RCA Victor 1968)***, Play Guitar With Chet Atkins (Dolton/Liberty 1968)***, Hometown Guitar (RCA Victor 1968)***, Relaxin' With Chet (RCA Camden 1969)***, Lover's Guitar (RCA Victor 1969)***, Solid Gold '69 (RCA Victor 1969)***, with Hank Snow C.B. Atkins And C.E. Snow By Special Request (RCA Victor 1969)***, with Boston Pops, Arthur Fiedler Chet Atkins Picks On The Pops (RCA Victor 1969)***, Yestergroovin' (RCA Victor 1970)**, with Jerry Reed Me And Jerry (RCA Victor 1970)**, Pickin" My Way (RCA Victor 1970)***, This Is Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1970)***, Mr. Atkins, Guitar Picker (RCA Camden 1971)***, For The Good Times (RCA Victor 1971)***, with Floyd Cramer, "Boots' Randolph Chet, Floyd, Boots (RCA Camden 1971)***, with Jerry Reed Me And Chet (RCA Victor 1972)**, Now And ... Then (RCA Victor 1972)***, Nashville Gold (RCA Camden 1972)***, Chet Atkins Picks On The Hits (RCA Victor 1973)**, Finger Pickin' Good (RCA Camden 1973)***, with Jerry Reed Chet Atkins Picks On Jerry Reed (RCA Victor 1974)**, Superpickers (RCA Victor 1974)***, with Merle Travis The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show (RCA Victor 1974)***, In Concert (RCA Victor 1975)***, Alone (RCA Victor 1975)***, with Les Paul Chester & Lester (RCA Victor 1975)***, Chet Atkins Goes To The Movies (RCA Victor 1975)***, Love Letters (RCA Camden 1976)***, Me And My Guitar (RCA Victor 1977)***, with Floyd Cramer, Danny Davis Chet, Floyd & Danny (RCA Victor 1977)****, A Legendary Performer (RCA Victor 1977)***, with Les Paul Guitar Monsters (RCA Victor 1978)***, The First Nashville Guitar Quartet (RCA Victor 1979)**, The Best Of Chet On The Road ... Live (RCA Victor 1980)**, with Doc Watson Reflections (RCA Victor 1980)***, Country After All These Years (RCA Victor 1981)***, with Lenny Breau Standard Brands (RCA Victor 1981)***, Work It Out With Chet Atkins C.G.P. (Columbia 1983)**, East Tennessee Christmas (Columbia 1983)**, Stay Tuned (Columbia 1985)***, Street Dreams (Columbia 1986)***, Sails (Columbia 1987)****, C.G.P. (Columbia 1988)***, with Mark Knopfler Neck And Neck (Columbia 1990)***, with Jerry Reed Sneakin" Around (Columbia 1992)***, with Suzy Bogguss Simpatico (Liberty 1994)***, Read My Licks (Columbia 1994)****, Almost Alone (Columbia 1996)***, with Timmy Emmanuel The Day Finger Pickers Took Over The World (Sony 1997)***.

Compilations:
The Best Of Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1964)****, The Early Years Of Chet Atkins And His Guitar (RCA Camden 1964)***, The Best Of Chet Atkins Volume 2 (RCA Victor 1966)****, Country Pickin' (Pickwick 1971)****, The Golden Guitar Of Chet Atkins (RCA Victor 1975)****, The Best Of Chet Atkins & Friends (RCA 1976)***, Solid Gold Guitar (RCA 1982)***, Great Hits Of The Past (RCA 1983)***, Tennessee Guitar Man (Pair 1984)**, A Man & His Guitar (RCA 1985)***, Collector's Series (RCA 1985)***, 20 Of The Best (RCA 1986)****, Pickin' On Country (Pair 1988)***, Guitar For All Seasons (Pair 1988)****, Pickin' The Hits (Pair 1989)***, The Magic Of Chet Atkins (Heartland 1990)***, Country Gems (Pair 1990)***, The RCA Years 2-CD box set (RCA 1992)****, Galloping Guitar: The Early Years 1945-54 4-CD box set (Bear Family 1993)****, The Essential Chet Atkins (RCA 1996)****, Super Hits (RCA 1998)****.

Videography:
Get Started On The Guitar (MMG Video 1987), Chet Atkins & Friends (MMG Video 1991), The Guitar Of Chet Atkins (Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop 1996), Rare Performances 1955-75 (Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop 1996).

Bibliography:
Country Gentleman, Chet Atkins with Bill Neeley. Chet Atkins: Me And My Guitars, Russ Cochran and Michael Cochran.

thanks Encyclopedia of Popular Music