Melodic instrumental compositions and mesmerising playing from Australian guitar virtuoso.
What can one say about Tommy Emmanuel that hasn’t already been said or written in a career spanning well over a half-century? He is simply one of the best guitarists in the world, much-loved and followed by devotees of his craft. Multiple awards, including a 2024 Grammy for The String Revolution’s reworking of Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’, highlight the respect, reverence even, that this Australian-born guitarist commands wherever he travels. Now resident in Nashville, he tours almost constantly, never failing to delight with his original compositions or interpretations of songs drawn from any and every genre.
His recent “Accomplice” series featured collaborations with some highly accomplished string players, including Ricky Skaggs, Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings. Partnered with English guitarist Mike Dawes, their version of ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ is a masterclass in showing how the acoustic guitar can become a virtual ensemble in the hands of such talented musicians. Emmanuel was delighted with these albums but felt the need to return to his own writing. He found that the new songs just “started pouring out” and the result is a record that will delight his many fans.
During an Australian TV interview following the Grammy win, Emmanuel described himself as “a melody guy” and that’s certainly what comes through strongly on his new release, “Living In The Light”. Playing his customary Maton guitars for the most part, the album includes seven original compositions alongside four covers. The first four tracks are all instrumental, each one demonstrating Emmanuel’s sublime picking technique and use of the guitar soundboard for percussive effects.
Lead single ‘Scarlett’s World’ was written for a granddaughter and was an attempt to sound like a theme from the 80’s, quickly flagged up with Mark Knopfler’s opening licks from ‘Sultans Of Swing’. These kinds of musical echoes pop up elsewhere, such as on ‘Little Georgia’, another song inspired by a granddaughter, where strains of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ are woven into a beautiful ballad. The song ‘Maxine’ was an Australian hit in the 80’s for Sharon O’Neill, a friend of Emmanuel’s, and here he takes on the vocal in the story of a young sex-worker. With a searing electric guitar solo and backing vocals from Kristen Rogers, this is a track that would not sound out of place on a David Gilmour album.
Emmanuel’s early years involved much travelling around Australia playing with his musical family. This included many visits to play for Indigenous Australians in the outback. ‘Initiation 25’ is a musical description of a ceremony that Emmanuel has played many times alongside didgeridoo players and dancers. Here, a strong drumbeat provides a mesmeric backdrop to some spectacular sonic effects, Emmanuel pushing the digital technology to its maximum as he plays live in the studio.
After another original instrumental there’s a cover of the 1978 Crystal Gayle hit ‘Ready For The Times To Get Better’, inspired by hearing Doc Watson performing the song. As its title suggests, there’s a darkness here which Emmanuel captures in both the guitar and vocal parts.
‘You Needed Me’ is another from the same year. Written by Randy Goodrum, the song had started as an instrumental before it won a Best Female Pop Vocal Grammy for Canadian country singer Anne Murray. Played without the lyrics, this is a gorgeous rendition which demonstrates the melodic strength of the composition. Last up is the grungy ‘You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do’ by a friend of Emmanuel’s, Michael Macrae, who joins in on the backing vocals.
The album was produced by Emmanuel and Vance Powell, who also loaned his Martin D28 guitar for the Crystal Gayle track, one of the few where Emmanuel departs from the Australian-made Maton instruments. Most tracks were captured in just one or two takes and whether “Living In The Light” serves as a first introduction to this artist or as a new addition to a cherished library of his recordings, it will bring many hours of pleasure.
