Conference napalm::guitar

	Unfortunately didn't see it, but if you're a fan of C.A., have you
	heard the duet album he's done with Mark Knopfler?  Definitely
	worthwhile picking up, imo.

	Sandy

    Some of the other songs on that album have some real funny interactions
    between Knopfler and Atkins.  I love the one where Chet sings about
    becoming a rock star.
    
    Mike

Do you know the Title of that album?
I'm a fan of both, so I'll probably pick it up.


Thanx,
Rick

	Chet's also done duo albums with both Doc Watson (excellent record)
	and Les Paul ("Chester and Lester").

	Also an interesting book is "Country Gentleman" the Chet Atkins 
	story.  A little old but interesting reading.

	_gary

    re: .3
     The name of the album is Neck and Neck.
    
    chuck

    RE: 2224.4
    
    Chet and Les have done two albums together.  "Chester and Lester" was
    first.   The second was "Guitar Monsters" (certainly an apt title).
    
    Jim

Atkins / Knoffler

Yea, heard some of it,,, also, there was a live video cut of these
two characters on CMT about a year ago..  Sensational...

    
    
    	Also notible duet albums include "Me and Jerry"(Chet and 
    	Jerry Reed) as well as the "Atkins, Travis Traviling Show"
        (Chet and Merl Travis) 

    
    	Also could be frequently heard in the old Prairie Home Companion
    both solo and with company like Doc Watson, Leo Kotke etc... He gave
    the Everly bros their start after their old man talked to him thru the
    fence of a country fair (the old man was a fair picker himself). Nice
    stuff always, and a real pioneer in the recording industry too.
    
    	bob
    
    
    

    Chet's solo rendition of Mr. Bojangles dropped my jaw to the floor.
    Also note that Paul Yandell would be considered one of the world's best
    guitarists if he hadn't chosen to spend his life playing backup to Chet
    (not a bad gig:-)).
    
    BTW, Chet's electric was a *Gibson* Country Gent. These are very nice
    guitars, but I don't like the lack of binding and choice of inlay on
    the neck.
    
    Danny W.

    Not only was Chet the Everly's producer in the early days, he also had a
    hand in some of Elvis's first hit's including 'Heartbreak Hotel' I
    believe.
    
    P.S. I love 'Neck and Neck' too, I saw Chet and Mark on a British TV
    show last year where they were jamming 'House of the Rising Sun'
    together. Brilliant !
    
    Richard Bell

    A Boston Globe feature on Duane Allman, years ago, mentioned that Duane
    dated Chet Atkins' daughter for a while, and Duane and Chet got to know
    each other pretty well.  (I like to try to imagine them sitting down
    together and picking...)

    As you might expect, given Chet Atkins' sensibilities, he said he much
    preferred Duane's session musician work to his Allmans stuff (based on
    some early Allmans stuff he heard).  I'll bet he'd like cuts such as
    "Little Martha" and "Pony Boy" just fine though.    - Jay

    The Bear Family label has released a multi-CD Box Set of what
    is billed as "early" Chet Atkins recordings. Has anyone heard
    these recordings or a review???   Is this stuff pre-columbia?
    
    I love Chet's stuff but find that many of his recordings suffer
    from sappy accompanyments and arrangements. I'm wondering if
    this early stuff does as well or if it is really some raw Chet
    that might provide good listening.
    
    jim
    

    Re: .13
    
    I'm sure it's RCA material (or earlier if such exists).  Chet was the
    Nashville VP of RCA for many years.  After he retired from RCA (early
    80s?) he immediately signed with CBS (hmmm.....). I don't think there
    *is* such a thing as "raw" Chet Atkins, remember this is the guy who
    helped create the "countrypolitan" sound in the first place.  
    
    Bear Family has got pretty good taste, so if anybody could put find some
    un-sappy stuff, it would be them. 
    
    							Brian

    I thought we had discussed some Chet recordings that aren't cluttered
    with extraneous instruments, but was surprised that there's no mention
    of them in this topic.
    
    Found it at note 160.12. It's confusing when there are multiple notes
    on the same subject ;-)
    
    Danny W.

        I grew up listening to Chet Atkins records back in Scotland and
        finally realised a  lifetime  ambition last night when I got to
        see him play live  for  the first time!  It was especially good
        given the weather and the  setting  -  Waterville  Valley  in a
        semi open-air pavilion on a perfect summer evening.
        
        Sheer magic!
        
        Andy (& Sandy)
        

    Does anyone know if Chet has *any* performances on video?
    
    Me, I'd like to see a nice compilation of TV appearances, perhaps
    mixed in with a contemporary concert.
    
    					--Eric--
    
    P.S. I have several fond memories of watching Chet on TV; mostly his
    appearances with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, but a smattering
    of shots on other shows: when Tom Jones (remember him?) had his own TV
    show and Chet was a guest, Tom greeted Chet with a too-firm handshake
    and Chet quipped in his dry voice "That's my pickin' hand; that's like
    *me* grippin' *you* around the throat..." Tom wisely let go (*whew*) and
    Chet played "Yellow Bird" on the classical and "Freight Train" on his
    Gretsch (*sigh!*)
    
    P.P.S.  After listening to "Chester & Lester" for the umpteenth time, I
    sure wish they had a video camera going in *there*!  Anyone know what
    happened after the second ("more nervous than that?") take on "Avalon"
    where everyone in the studio cracks up - Les the loudest of them all?
    I always wondered..... :)

    
    There is a concert with Mark Knopfler guesting plus, if I remember, the
    Everlys and a few other choice acts. Excellent concert. Must be on
    video somewhere as its been on UK TV a few times (concert was in US).
    
    Richard

    re -17
    
    I read a biography on Les Paul a while ago, Les Paul An American
    Original by Mary Alice Shaughnessy. It was a good book. Hard to 
    picture anyone that could work harder than Les. The guy lived on
    about 3 hours of sleep 7 days a week. Actually his work ethic may
    have had a lot to do with both his rise and fall from the charts.
    
    But there is a section on the Chet Atkins sessions that's also pretty
    interesting. When they agreed to do their first session someone told
    Les to watch out for Chet because he likes to con people into doing
    things from his own repertoir (sp), his own polished material. So Les
    was adament about doing songs which he knew cold & pretty much got his
    way regarding song selection. But this was not a pleasant bonding at
    all. The book says that they wouldn't even go to lunch together and as
    soon as the last cut was done Les was flying home.
    
    By popular demand they were brought together again to do the second LP.
    This time the karma was even worse. Les ended up flying home when he 
    thought the sessions were done. Suppsedly Chet called him long distance
    and said "what about some of these clams on the tracks?".  And to that
    Les said "leave them in, that way they'll know we're human". And they
    did.  Darned if I can hear any clams though!      8^)
    
    Also, when Les started his Les Paul Trio (way back before Mary Ford was
    in the act), Chet's older half brother was the singer. Even with that
    bond I don't think the two really ever shared a stage/session until
    they made those LP's. Great sessions too.
    
    Don