Tommy Emmanuel Essentials

Alongside his solo recordings, Tommy Emmanuel’s guitar has graced countless albums and tours with other artists. But hearing the Australian virtuoso on his own fully illuminates the entwined intricacy and fluidity of his playing. One moment he might bring to mind Carlos Santana and the next his childhood idol, Chet Atkins—with whom he collaborated on 1997’s The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World. Also instructive is hearing how Emmanuel finds a fresh (and purely instrumental) perspective on all-too-familiar songs, whether it’s Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”—a Grammy-winning guest turn with The String Revolution—or John Lennon’s “Imagine.” These pieces are quite resplendent with feeling too; behold the many tender turns of “Angelina,” a tribute to his daughter.