This is the anniversary of Chet Atkins’ death. Apart from being a legendary guitarist, he was an essential contributor to “the Nashville sound”. What was (is) the Nashville sound? You can hear it better than it can be described, I suspect; but one word that comes to mind is “supple”. There is strength, depth, and complexity, too, but the first word for me is supple. So what does it actually SOUND like? Maybe the best way is simply to play some Chet Atkins. Here are two clips: youtube/watch?v=rltEI9PA5yo youtube/watch?v=h9bajxt02h8 After you listen to these, find the originals on You Tube or elsewhere (The Carter Family and The Beatles) to remind yourself of what Chet was working with. Now, here is a confession. I appreciate his art and his contributions, truly I do. But I want to hear Texas swing, or rock and roll, or blue grass or jazz fusion or folk as they are. Still, he played beautifully, truly he did, and with a sense of humor, as in the “Truth in Music” selection today, CA playing a mash up he claimed originated in a live radio show situation in which he had to play two songs, but only had time for one:
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 22:20:52 +0000
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