Few people have left a larger mark on the face of American music in general and country music in particular than Chet Atkins. As the most-recorded instrumentalist in history, countless people have heard Mr. Guitar play. He was among the musicians who helped develop what came to be known as The Nashville Sound. Today, more than two decades since his death, musicians still employ his distinct fingerpicking style on guitar. Later this year, some of the best pickers on earth will come together for We Still Can’t Say Good Bye, a tribute to Atkins’ immortal impact on music.
Videos by American Songwriter
We Still Can’t Say Good Bye will drop on April 19 via Morningstar Music Productions/MVD Entertainment. The album will feature some of the best guitar players and artists from a multitude of genres. The list includes names like Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Eric Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel, and many more.
[RELATED: A Primer for the Country-Curious: 5 Fascinating Chet Atkins Facts]
Before his passing in 2001, Atkins bestowed the title of Certified Guitar Player on five people. Emmanuel was one of them. In a statement, he talked about Atkins’ impact on him and how he hopes to carry on the legacy of Mr. Guitar. “Mentoring and encouraging people is something that Chet always did,” he said of Atkins. “I try to do this thing with Gareth [Pearson] and I try to do the same with all young people, I encourage them to do things that I learned from Chet. I hope that somewhere somehow, I showed somebody something because of him that changed their life and made their life better. ‘Cause he sure did that for me,” he added.
The album’s first single, “Mr. Guitar” will be out March 15. It will feature Emmanuel and Grammy-winning bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland.
We Still Can’t Say Good Bye: A Musicians’ Tribute to Chet Atkins Tracklist
- “Mr. Guitar”—Tommy Emmanuel (CGP) & Michael Cleveland
- “Lover Come Back to Me”—Brent Mason
- “Alley Cat”—Ashley Campbell & Thor Jensen
- “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)” Vince Gill, Bradley Walker, Eric Clapton
- “Yakety Axe”—Ricky Skaggs & Bryan Sutton
- “Sleepwalk”—Jerry Douglas & Bryan Sutton
- “In His Hands”—Carl Jackson
- “Mr. Sandman”—Gareth Pearson
- “Windy and Warm”—Brad Paisley
- “How’s the World Treating You”—James Taylor & Alison Krauss
- “Caravan”—Guthrie Trapp
- “All I Ever Need Is You”—Sierra Hull
- “The Entertainer”—John Knowles (CGP) & Catherine Marx
- “I Still Can’t Say Goodbye”—Vince Gill
- “Freight Train”—The Chester Bees (Campbell, Clapton, Emmanuel, Gill, Hill, Jackson, Jensen, Knowles, Mason, Moore, Paisley, Pearson Skaggs, Sutton, and Trapp)
Featured Image: Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
