Posted by Howard
on 8/22/2008, 12:12 am, in reply to "Re: Jerry's recordings"
98.213.99.63
Jeremy, thanks for your response. I apologize for taking so long to respond.
I did check out "Finger Dancing" and "Explores Guitar Country". I was not able to find the torrent of "Half Singin' Half Pickin'" but my ISP blocks torrents anyway so it would be of little value. I did find some place offering a free download but then after I registered (using a throwaway email address) they asked for money. I was a little leery about that.
I really should explain what it is that I am looking for. You know, Chet Atkins made about a million recordings. Most feature some really great guitar playing (usually electric) which is then obscured by a bunch of overproduction. (Just a personal opinion Chet fans!!!)
Chet did make a handful of recordings featuring only his classical guitar. One album called "The Other Chet Atkins" (some of which did have accompaniment but not too heavy-handed). Some tracks of one album called "Alone" were just solo classical guitar instrumentals and in my opinion the most beautiful stuff he ever released. There is just a richness to the sound of the acoustic classical or steel-string guitar that cannot be matched. Check out "Spanish Fandango" for a primo example.
I guess there were a few other Chet albums that might have featured a small number of solo, acoustic numbers.
Then there were a couple of Chet's duet albums. "Standard Brands" with Lenny Breau, a real masterwork from both players. "Atkins-Travis Traveling Show" had some real great playing also. Mostly acoustic or at least acoustic-sounding.
Jerry, like Chet, has made a lot of recordings and I hope I do not make enemies when I say that much of what I have heard concentrates on electric guitar, vocals, drums, and a lot of production stuff that sells records but to me hides his genius as a player.
What I really want to hear is what Jerry might play sitting in the kitchen by himself with just his classical guitar. "Jerry Alone and Unplugged" as it were.
Some of "Finger Dancing" sounds like it might be fairly close. They do manage to make the "gut-string" sound pretty electric though in some of the samples I heard on iTunes.
If any of the stuff on part two of "Half Singin' Half Pickin'" is like that, alone and unplugged, please tell me. And I guess at this point I would be interested in knowing if there are ANY other JR albums with even a single track which falls into this category.
Sorry to get so long-winded but it is a little intimidating to look at the long LONG list of JR albums and think about wading through it to find what I would consider to be the gems. That's why I am asking your advice.
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