Tommy
Emmanuel,
C.G.P.
Little by Little
Favored Nations
From the opening notes of “Halfway Home,”
Tommy Emmanuel bowls you over with his
amazing technique and his ability to craft a melody
that sticks in your head.
Little by Little is an
ambitious double album full of everything from
delicate Beatles-inspired fingerpicking to the
barn-burning instrumentals that have become
a cornerstone of his live shows. On a masterful
arrangement of Carole King’s “Tapestry,” Doyle
Dykes joins Emmanuel for an inspired version
of the ’70s classic. Relying on his arsenal of
Maton, Collings, Larrivee, and Gibson guitars,
Emmanuel knows how to pick just the right axe
for the tune. For the vocal version of the jazz
standard “Moon River,” he chooses a vintage
Gretsch Synchromatic to cop an old-school jazz
vibe. Between the two discs there are some common
threads. The title track, “Haba Na Haba”
(Swahili for “Little by Little”) is given an instrumental
treatment on the first disc while the
second disc adds Pam Rose and Victor Wooten
for a funky vocal version. The tracks that stand
out most are the solo pieces where Emmanuel
lets his musical spirit flow freely. “Mountains
of Illinois,” written by fellow Nashville super-picker
Pat Bergeson, is a bluesy ballad that is
equal parts Chet Atkins and Joe Pass. With so
many moving parts on this album, from different
guests to genres, Emmanuel has created one
of the most accessible albums of his career, one
that’s sure to inspire other guitarists to drop the
pick more often.