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Thread: Tommy Emanuel

  1. #1
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    Tommy Emanuel

    Kind of curious what people here think of this guy? He is coming to town next fall and my father wants to go see him, so I got us tickets. I am not really familiar with him other than he seems to be one of those guys who PBS is selling DVD’s during fundraisers. I have seen him on TV a time or two, and he always seems to be doing covers of other people’s material, but again I have not explored him much at all. Thoughts?

    BTW, the opening act for this show is Jorma Koukonen which I think should be cool.

  2. #2
    Member jake's Avatar
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    I didn't like that whole show that public tv put together, I felt it was a bit twee. I much preferred when I saw him at BB King's a couple of years ago, a couple of guests for a mini-set of Django-type music, but mostly just Tommy himself. He really is an unbelievably talented guitarist and, in my opinion, is much better when he performs solo. He is very funny, tells a good story and mixes it up by performing classics, originals and music from or inspired by his native Australia.
    There is no shortage of YouTube vids available to get a flavour of his range - but chances are he has continued to expand that range and the only thing you can pretty much guarantee is that you will be completely blown away by his playing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jake View Post
    I didn't like that whole show that public tv put together, I felt it was a bit twee. I much preferred when I saw him at BB King's a couple of years ago, a couple of guests for a mini-set of Django-type music, but mostly just Tommy himself. He really is an unbelievably talented guitarist and, in my opinion, is much better when he performs solo. He is very funny, tells a good story and mixes it up by performing classics, originals and music from or inspired by his native Australia.
    There is no shortage of YouTube vids available to get a flavour of his range - but chances are he has continued to expand that range and the only thing you can pretty much guarantee is that you will be completely blown away by his playing.
    Cool, good to hear. I plan on checking out more of his stuff when I get the chance.

  4. #4
    LinkMan Chain's Avatar
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    There is no denying he is an incredible guitarist, but I find his schtick gets tiring after a short time
    “Pleasure and pain can be experienced simultaneously,” she said, gently massaging my back as we listened to her Coldplay CD.

  5. #5
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    He is great, plays simple and wellknown music and can make any tune sound new and inspiring - but dont expect any adventurous or even complicated music.

  6. #6
    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    Audience pleasing virtuosity
    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

  7. #7
    Member No Pride's Avatar
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    Amazing guitar player! He comes out of the Chet Atkins school of finger picking, but he plays much more than just country music. He makes it look and sound easy, but he's actually playing stuff that's really difficult; in fact he often sounds like two guitar players. And yes, he's quite the entertainer too, but that's not a detriment. He writes some really nice originals, which he plays along with interesting covers that skip across several genres. I saw him live once; he played for over two hours and it never got boring for a second. I think you'll dig it!

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    What Ernie said, only more so. Emmanuel is a truly extraordinary guitarist, though there's no doubt that he engages in some showboating antics that can seem a bit tacky at times. However, as Emmanuel has often said when questioned about this, he's an entertainer, not just a musician, and this kind of thing was expected when he was growing up as part of a family of entertainers. Just ignore the schtick and enjoy his incredible playing. FWIW, I'd go just to see the incredible Jorma Kaukonen, the fact that you're getting Emmanuel as well is just a bonus, afaic! Btw, Emmanuel is very popular here in China, too. Most of the local guitar players I know absolutely revere TE to the point of deification. Have a wonderful time!
    Last edited by kid_runningfox; 03-08-2019 at 01:56 AM.

  9. #9
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    He's also a funny guy. The song intros when he plays live are filled with witty banter.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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