It is such a joy to see Tommy Emmanuel work his way around the fret board in “Gdansk/Tall Fiddler”. From around halfway through, his fingers really fly and it’s utterly spellbinding. Emmanuel’s strumming pattern is delightfully rhythmic and he plays with incredible precision. There’s also a lightness of touch and a musical freedom in his melody that the audience at The Sydney Opera House respond to in this live performance video.
This captivating blend of two songs performed as one track, “Gdansk/Tall Fiddler”, is taken from his forthcoming album “Live at The Sydney Opera House”, which will be released on 21st March 2025. Emmanuel says of the two songs: “Here’s an example of two songs that were written almost 20 years apart that fit quite nicely together. One was written in Poland and the other backstage at a bluegrass festival. What a crazy world we all live in!” The album also features Emmanuel’s popular “Beatles Medley”, a previous version of which has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube.
The GRAMMY-winning guitarist and composer’s immense talents are on full display at this legendary venue. Of course, Emmanuel has played iconic venues all over the world but playing at The Sydney Opera House in his native Australia is particularly special. He says: “As a 15-year-old boy living in Circular Quay, I spent many a time walking past the Opera House. I would daydream about what it must be like in there, what it would be like to perform there. After fifty years in the business, we finally got there! Playing the shows for this recording was a dream come true for me. I felt so ready! I was surrounded by my team of brilliant people, and I was looking into the faces of so many loving and happy fans in the concert Hall. The momentum and power in these hours spent playing music, is perfectly captured and preserved here on this record. I hope you can feel the intensity of our musical and spiritual relationship…a bond built on a life freely given to all.”
Many years ago, I slept through an entire play at Sydney Opera House due to jet lag. But I’m sure I would have managed to stay awake for Tommy Emmanuel playing like this. Enjoy.
