DT: MARCH 1, 2023

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TODAY RELEASES VIDEO FOR
“WHITE FREIGHT LINER BLUES”
COLLABORATION WITH MOLLY TUTTLE

MARKS FIRST SINGLE FROM
THE ACOUSTIC GUITARIST EXTRAORDINAIRE’S
‘ACCOMPLICE TWO’ ALBUM
OUT APRIL 28 VIA CGP SOUNDS

COLLABORATIONS ALBUM FEATURES AN “A” LIST OF MUSICIANS
INCLUDING BILLY STRINGS, MOLLY TUTTLE, MICHAEL MCDONALD,
JAMEY JOHNSON, RAUL MALO AND MANY MORE GREATS

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Simone Cecchett

Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer and global touring artist TOMMY EMMANUEL has today (March 1) released the video for “White Freight Liner Blues,” his collaboration with Grammy-winning guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle, ahead of the song’s digital release on March 3. The song, a cover of the Townes Van Zandt classic, is the first single from EMMANUEL’s much-anticipated full-length collaborations album ACCOMPLICE TWO (see the track listing below), due out April 28 via CGP Sounds as the follow-up to his Accomplice One album in 2018.

WATCH the sheer musical joy in this video as both artists record “White Freight Liner Blues” together. It was filmed in Nashville and directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart Productions. The video was premiered yesterday by Guitar Player which described the collaboration as “spectacular.”

• Pre-save the single HERE.
• Pre-save the album HERE.

“My accomplices on this album are all in a league of giants to me,” says TOMMY. “They all inspire me to reach for the stars; to give my best while supporting them as they give their best. We all have a chemistry and electricity together when we play music. I wanted to capture this power in songs and performances that will stand the test of time.”

Playing with TOMMY was a dream come true for Tuttle, winner of the Best Bluegrass Grammy for 2022, for the album Crooked Tree made with her band Golden Highway. She says: “I’ve been a big fan of Tommy’s music since I was first learning to play guitar as a kid. I got to see him play a few times growing up and felt so inspired by his virtuosity on the instrument as well as his spirit as an entertainer. It was a dream come true to get to jam with Tommy on stage a few years back when he asked me to sit in with him during his set on Cayamo Cruise. That was the first time we played ‘White Freight Liner Blues’ together and I was thrilled when Tommy called and asked if we could cut it for his new album!”

Produced lovingly by EMMANUEL, regarded by guitar great Chet Atkins as “one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen,” the 16-track ACCOMPLICE TWO is a spirited mix of new takes on indelible classics and brand-new originals from TOMMY. His collaborators are some of the most remarkable musicians on the planet—an “A” list of musicians including Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Michael McDonald, Jamey Johnson and Raul Malo.

The album is alive with the electric spirit of spontaneous, timeless joy created by inspired virtuosos. The combined artistry contained on these tracks is stunning, as is TOMMY’s cheerful ease at connecting naturally with this vast spectrum of musicians. Like the first volume, he merges the presence of beloved, legendary musicians—such as Jorma Kaukonen, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Sam Bush, the Del McCoury Band and Jerry Douglas—with the bright spirit of acclaimed young artists breaking through with deep artistry and true reverence for the power of song.

“I love the word ‘accomplice,” explains TOMMY, “because it’s deeper in meaning than `partner’ or `duet.’ I feel that the artists that are on this project are all so unique and gifted that all we had to do was find the right song, work up the arrangement, then record it live and its magic will appear!”

“This album takes risks and is unpredictable,” says TOMMY. “Hopefully it will delight the people who are ready to receive it in their open hearts, minds and ears. I love the fact that Raul Malo sings `Faraway Places’ so beautifully calm, powerful, yet true to Sam Cooke’s original version. Then Sam Bush and I become Homer & Jethro, on `Yeller Rose of Texas,’ a total spoof on the original.”

The album starts with TOMMY’s duet with Billy Strings, the Michigan-born guitarist who won the 2021 Grammy for Best Bluegrass for his album Home. Like TOMMY, Billy honors his roots while also expanding always as a musician. His energy combined with TOMMY’s is what launches this journey, on a two-song medley that honors his hero, Bluegrass legend Doc Watson. It starts with Doc’s own song “Doc’s Guitar” and segues into the “Black Mountain Rag,” an old fiddle tune that was Doc’s signature song.

TOMMY has often said that Michael McDonald is one of his favorite singers and songwriters. He’s played Michael’s songs through the years and recorded a beautifully tender version of “I Can Let Go Now” on his Heart Songs album with John Knowles. Now he’s got both—a song and the voice—on “Someone Like You,” co-written by Michael with Dennis Morgan. TOMMY, singing through the strings of his guitar, said he’s emulated the soulful warmth of McDonald’s vocals for decades, and is thrilled to have that sound on his album. Michael, like the other accomplices, was greatly moved by his inclusion. “After being a fan for so many years now,” says McDonald, “the chance to work with an artist and musician of Tommy Emmanuel’s capacity and stature is an immense honor.”

On his own song, “Mombasa,” TOMMY duets with Yasmin Williams, a unique solo guitarist who also plays kalimba, and plays both instruments here. “Mombasa,” she says, “is one of her favorite solo guitar songs ever.” They made the track alone, with no other musicians, which was surreal for her, she said, because he made it fun and easy. “Even though Tommy is one of the best guitarists in the world,” she adds, “the recording session wasn’t daunting at all because he made me feel super-relaxed throughout the session, and comfortable adding my own unique touches.”

Look for TOMMY’s concert special “Accomplice LIVE!”—featuring such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Sienna Hull and Yasmin Williams—to debut this month on PBS during pledge drive. Known to deliver shows that are truly a head-spinning experience, TOMMY will be on the road throughout 2023 in America, Europe and Australia. His tour dates are HERE.

Here’s the track listing for ACCOMPLICE TWO:

1. Doc’s Guitar Black Mountain Rag Featuring Billy Strings
2. White Freight Liner Blues Featuring Molly Tuttle
3. Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man) Featuring Jamey Johnson
*4. Precious Time Featuring Sierra Hull
5. Cajun Girl Featuring Little Feat & Sam Bush
6. Another Man Done A Full Go Around Featuring Jorma Kaukonen
*7. Son Of A Gun Featuring Richard Smith
8. Someone Like You Featuring Michael McDonald
*9. Mombassa Featuring Yasmin Williams
10. Everybody Loves You Featuring Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams
*11. Mama Knows Featuring Jerry Douglas
12. Sweet Temptation Featuring The Del McCoury Band
13. Yeller Rose Of Texas Featuring Sam Bush
14. Tennessee Stud Featuring Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
15. Seven Come Eleven Featuring David Grisman
16. Far Away Places Featuring Raul Malo

*Original TOMMY song

Accomplice Two Cover Art

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be. EMMANUEL subsequently released three EP’s with different collaborators, Accomplice Series Vol. 1, 2 and 3, the last of which was in 2022.

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

SRO PR: Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas

Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
ROLLS OUT SPARKLING ALL-INSTRUMENTAL REIMAGINING OF
“BE MY MISTAKE” BY THE 1975

SONG IS FEATURED ON THE FIVE-SONG EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3’ WITH MIKE DAWES
OUT THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 ON CGP SOUNDS

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
TOMMY EMMANUEL AND MIKE DAWES WILL HIT THE ROAD
TOGETHER ON DECEMBER 6

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3 Cover Art

Acoustic guitarist extraordinaire TOMMY EMMANUEL today (September 21) rolls out the video for “Be My Mistake.” It’s a sparkling instrumental arrangement of the song by the band The 1975 from their 2018 album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Watch the video here that was premiered yesterday by Pop Matters which wrote: “Guitar luminaries Tommy Emmanuel and Mike Dawes join together for a gorgeous acoustic interpretation of the 1975’s hit ballad, “Be My Mistake”. The arrangement is approached with trademark restraint. For decades, Emmanuel has let heart and substance surmount flash, and Dawes is a forthcoming virtuoso cut from the same cloth. Both allow the original song’s melancholy to overtake the complexities of their arrangement, bringing an emotional core to an impressive display of fingerstyle and percussive guitar techniques.”

“Be My Mistake” marks the third single and video from EMMANUEL’s ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3, his five-song EP with British acoustic guitar virtuoso Mike Dawes out this Friday, September 23 on CGP SOUNDS. Pre-order the EP here.

The video for “Be My Mistake” was filmed, directed, and edited by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart. It was filmed live in the director’s home outside of Nashville, TN, with the live audio recorded by Dylan Allredge. Quotes from TOMMY and Mike about “Be My Mistake” are below as is the EP’s track listing. More info about the EP is HERE.

TOMMY and Mike joined forces last year to record and release their interpretation of Goyte’s 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used To Know” (described by Guitar Player as “spellbinding,” 6/24/21) and followed it with their cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” of which Guitar World noted: “the acoustic virtuoso duo combine powers to rework the era-defining grunge anthem, with spectacular results” (6/23/22). TOMMY and Mike next released their arrangement of the Sting gem, “Fields of Gold” which Glide Magazine praised as “a colorful take where a breezy soul elevates this nostalgic yet melancholy tune to imaginative double melodies.”

TOMMY EMMANUEL and MIKE DAWES:
“Be My Mistake” Quotes

Tommy Emmanuel: “Mike brought this song to my attention, and he had it all arranged and worked up as a solo piece. Everything he was doing was just what it needed, so I only had to find some spaces to add a few ideas and stay out of his way. Hopefully, I embellished enough to create some beauty. Recording together with our engineer, Marc DeSisto in LA, was a happy, creative experience that recording should be, and we found our mojo in our different sounding guitars and styles and put them together and let it mesh! Hope you all enjoy the music.”

Mike Dawes: “’Be My Mistake’ is probably my favorite cut from the record. This ‘The 1975’ cover was the only new arrangement we didn’t record live together in the studio. Instead, as Tommy hadn’t heard it before, I played my rhythm guitar part in one take whilst he listened. He then listened to playback to further acknowledge the structure. Then, he sat down and just NAILED it. This moment captured is a testament to Tommy as the greatest player out there. Every touch and delicate phrase sit with such an iconic character. Note his amazing mandolin impression in the second half. A beautiful way to conclude a special record that has been a privilege to create.”

TOMMY and his special guest Mike, who’ve toured together in the past including this past January’s run, will do so again in the U.S. starting in December 2022. The dates follow below and most shows are on sale now.

Full Track Listing for Accomplice EP #3:
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
2. Slow Dancing In a Burning Room (John Mayer cover)
3. Fields of Gold (Sting cover)
4. Somebody I Used to Know (Gotye cover)
5. Be My Mistake (1975 cover)

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

Mike Dawes
Photo Credit: Adam King Photography

ABOUT MIKE DAWES:

Mike Dawes is an award-winning solo guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one instrument. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists with a repertoire spanning solo viral video hits and mainstream chart success with artists including Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. The British guitarist was named “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” by Total Guitar Magazine and MusicRadar twice in their end-of-year reader’s poll. Popular YouTube personality Rick Beato recently interviewed Dawes in a video titled “World’s Greatest Acoustic Guitarist?”, with Dawes regularly appearing online sharing tips and tricks regarding his unique playing style. All three of Dawes’ solo albums have spawned viral video hits with millions of views including his popular arrangements of Metallica’s “One” and Van Halen’s “Jump.” His original songs “The Impossible” and “Boogie Shred” are frequently covered by aspiring fingerstyle performers. Dawes has been featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits…Live, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Charts. As a keen educator, Dawes has frequently worked as a columnist for the biggest guitar magazines in the world, including Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar.

For more information on MIKE DAWES, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: AUGUST 4, 2022

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
SHARES ALL-INSTRUMENTAL STIRRING COVER OF
STING’S CLASSIC “FIELDS OF GOLD”

SONG IS TAKEN FROM FIVE-SONG EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3’ WITH MIKE DAWES
OUT SEPTEMBER 23 ON CGP SOUNDS

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

TOMMY EMMANUEL AND MIKE DAWES WILL TOUR TOGETHER
STARTING DECEMBER 6

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3 Cover Art

“I always think like a singer when I play a Sting melody,” says acoustic guitarist extraordinaire TOMMY EMMANUEL, who today (August 4) releases his video for “Fields of Gold,” an all-instrumental cover of the Sting gem he recorded with British acoustic guitar virtuoso Mike Dawes. The song is featured on the upcoming five-song EP from TOMMY with Dawes, ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3, due out September 23 on CGP SOUNDS. Watch the beautiful video here, filmed in Franklin, Kentucky amid the yellow sagebrush and directed and edited by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart. Pre-save the single, out tomorrow (August 5), here and pre-order the EP here.

“Fields of Gold” was premiered yesterday by Glide Magazine, which wrote: “Fearless fingerstyle guitarist Tommy Emmanuel certainly has an almost supernatural ability to create a cinematic substance with the most abbreviated musical setups. Yet the man and his acoustic, continue to set a bar that very few have approached…the duo’s reimagination of Sting’s “Fields of Gold” (below) a colorful take where a breezy soul elevates this nostalgic yet melancholy tune to imaginative double melodies.”

TOMMY and Mike joined forces last year to record and release their interpretation of Goyte’s 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used To Know” (described by Guitar Player as “spellbinding,” 6/24/21) and followed it with their cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” of which Guitar World noted: “the acoustic virtuoso duo combine powers to rework the era-defining grunge anthem, with spectacular results” (6/23/22)

Both artists also light up the EP with their stirring all-instrumental reworkings of “Slow Dancing In a Burning Room” (John Mayer) and “Be My Mistake” (The 1975), alongside “Somebody That I Used To Know,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and “Fields of Gold.”

“Playing this masterpiece with Mike is always fun and emotional…a simple repetitive melody with a slowly building arrangement that becomes powerful,” says TOMMY about “Fields of Gold.” Mike explains that “’Fields’ was Tommy’s idea based on his own arrangement from the ‘Can’t Get Enough’ record [Tommy’s 1996 album]. I wanted to hold down something of a strict rhythm and backbeat for this one. The result is a mid-tempo homage to the classic Sting song. This was recorded in a single take by Marc DeSisto. I’m playing in DADGAD tuning whilst Tommy is in standard tuning. I particularly like the different tones on our guitars on this one. Tommy’s bright flatpicked Maton soars over my fingerpicked Indian Rose Cuntz guitar. This was very important in a tune with doubled melodies.”

TOMMY and his special guest Mike, who’ve toured together in the past including this past January’s run, will do so again in the U.S. starting in December 2022. The dates follow below and most shows are on sale now.

Full Track Listing for Accomplice EP #3:

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
2. Slow Dancing In a Burning Room (John Mayer cover)
3. Fields of Gold (Sting cover)
4. Somebody I Used to Know (Gotye cover)
5. Be My Mistake (1975 cover)

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

Mike Dawes
Photo Credit: Adam King Photography

ABOUT MIKE DAWES:

Mike Dawes is an award-winning solo guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one instrument. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists with a repertoire spanning solo viral video hits and mainstream chart success with artists including Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. The British guitarist was named “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” by Total Guitar Magazine and MusicRadar twice in their end-of-year reader’s poll. Popular YouTube personality Rick Beato recently interviewed Dawes in a video titled “World’s Greatest Acoustic Guitarist?”, with Dawes regularly appearing online sharing tips and tricks regarding his unique playing style. All three of Dawes’ solo albums have spawned viral video hits with millions of views including his popular arrangements of Metallica’s “One” and Van Halen’s “Jump.” His original songs “The Impossible” and “Boogie Shred” are frequently covered by aspiring fingerstyle performers. Dawes has been featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits…Live, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Charts. As a keen educator, Dawes has frequently worked as a columnist for the biggest guitar magazines in the world, including Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar.

For more information on MIKE DAWES, visit:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: JUNE 24, 2022

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER

SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
ANNOUNCES NEW FIVE-SONG EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3’ WITH MIKE DAWES
OUT SEPTEMBER 23 ON CGP SOUNDS
UNVEILS SINGLE + VIDEO
“SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT”

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE

TOMMY EMMANUEL AND MIKE DAWES WILL TOUR TOGETHER
STARTING DECEMBER 6

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3 Cover Art

Sparks fly on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the new all-instrumental single and video from acoustic guitarist extraordinaire TOMMY EMMANUEL and British acoustic guitar virtuoso Mike Dawes. They first joined forces last year to record and release their interpretation of Goyte’s 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used To Know” (described by Guitar Player as “spellbinding”) and now their combined prowess takes flight again on their cover of Nirvana’s classic, released today (June 24). It’s one of the highlights on the upcoming five-song EP from TOMMY EMMANUEL with Mike Dawes, ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 3 due out September 23 on CGP SOUNDS. Watch the video here and listen to the song here. The video was premiered yesterday (June 23) by Guitar World which noted that “the acoustic virtuoso duo combine powers to rework the era-defining grunge anthem, with spectacular results.” Pre-order the EP here.

EMMANUEL and Mike Dawes also light up the EP with their stirring all-instrumental reworkings of “Slow Dancing In a Burning Room” (John Mayer), “Fields of Gold” (Sting) and “Be My Mistake” (The 1975), alongside “Somebody That I Used To Know” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the video for which was directed and edited by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart. The live audio was recorded by Dylan Allredge, while the audio was mixed and mastered by Marc DeSisto. It was filmed in an empty warehouse in Franklin, KY.

“I’ve always loved Nirvana’s original recording and music video of this song, but I never dreamed I’d play it as an instrumental one day,” says EMMANUEL. “Having Mike on tour with me gave me a window into other possibilities as a player, performer, and arranger. So, we set about to make it live for us. I let my imagination run wild and Mike created a strong foundation that gave us the freedom to soar with our hearts open when we play it!”

Mike Dawes says that “It has been so much fun playing this arrangement live with Tommy, and a thrill to bring some of my own guitar heritage to the table for this project. Some of my parts are heavily inspired by my old guitar teacher, the great Stuart Ryan, who had an arrangement of his own. Much like the late, great Eric Roche. To have Tommy Emmanuel play on top of the rhythm is an exceptional circumstance and the one-take recording we did in LA turned out so great! I hope that this timeless trans-generational piece sets up this ‘Accomplice Series’ EP in the appropriate way. A mix of shredding and percussive grunge!”

TOMMY EMMANUEL and his special guest Mike Dawes, who have toured together in the past including this past January’s run, will do so again in the U.S. starting in December 2022. The dates follow below and most shows are on sale now.

Full Track Listing for Accomplice EP #3:

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
2. Slow Dancing In a Burning Room (John Mayer cover)
3. Fields of Gold (Sting cover)
4. Somebody I Used to Know (Gotye cover)
5. Be My Mistake (1975 cover)

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

Mike Dawes
Photo Credit: Adam King Photography

ABOUT MIKE DAWES:

Mike Dawes is an award-winning solo guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one instrument. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists with a repertoire spanning solo viral video hits and mainstream chart success with artists including Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues. The British guitarist was named “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” by Total Guitar Magazine and MusicRadar twice in their end-of-year reader’s poll. Popular YouTube personality Rick Beato recently interviewed Dawes in a video titled “World’s Greatest Acoustic Guitarist?”, with Dawes regularly appearing online sharing tips and tricks regarding his unique playing style. All three of Dawes’ solo albums have spawned viral video hits with millions of views including his popular arrangements of Metallica’s “One” and Van Halen’s “Jump.” His original songs “The Impossible” and “Boogie Shred” are frequently covered by aspiring fingerstyle performers. Dawes has been featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits…Live, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard Charts. As a keen educator, Dawes has frequently worked as a columnist for the biggest guitar magazines in the world, including Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar.

For more information on MIKE DAWES, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER

SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
SHARES THIRD SINGLE + VIDEO
“NASHTOWNVILLE”
TAKEN FROM NEW EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2’ WITH RICHARD SMITH,
OUT TODAY, SEPTEMBER 10

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
LISTEN TO THE EP HERE

AND READ THE Q&A BELOW WITH BOTH ARTISTS
EMMANUEL AND SMITH WILL TOUR TOGETHER THIS FALL STARTING OCTOBER 12

Accomplice Series Vol. 2 EP Cover

Acclaimed and Grammy®-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL—one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins—today (September 10) has shared the single + video for “Nashtownville.” It’s the third release from his four-song EP ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2 featuring Richard Smith, out today, September 10. The video was premiered yesterday (September 9) at Glide, which noted: “Emmanuel and Smith play off each other seamlessly creating an enrapturing acoustic duet that sounds bigger than its parts. With his nimble fingers, Emmanuel continues to up the ante, playing one note towards the vintage groundbreakers and another in his own influential present—’Nashtownville’ is no exception.” Listen to the EP, a tribute to their heroes Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins, at all streaming platforms here.

Richard Smith is the revered British fingerpicking guitarist who has performed or recorded along the way with Chet Atkins, Les Paul and Tommy Emmanuel, among others. The EP, a tribute to their heroes Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins, also contains “Serenade to Summertime” “Twitchy,” and “Baby’s Coming Home.”

“Nashtownville” was originally written by Chet Atkins and appears on the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ Tommy and Richard’s interpretation of it, along with the other songs on their EP, was recorded at TuneSmith Studio outside of Nashville, TN in the spring of 2021. The video was filmed at the Chet Atkins statue in downtown Nashville, TN on the corner of Fifth Avenue North and Union Street. It was directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart Productions (The Killers, Lilly Hiatt, John Prine) and features many special guests such as Mark Pritcher (from Chet Atkins Appreciation Society), Annie Sellick, Pat Bergeson, John Knowles (fellow CGP), Stuie French, and a few more of Tommy and Richard’s friends. The police officer is played by Richard Smith’s wife, (versatile cellist) Julie Adams.

In other news, Tommy and Richard will tour together this fall starting October 12. The dates are listed here: https://tommyemmanuel.com/tour/.

Richard is also on Tommy’s Guitar Camp in Nashville, which takes place September 23-27 at the Virgin Hotel: https://tommyemmanuelguitarcampusa.com/

Here’s a Q&A with Tommy and Richard about “Nashtownville” and the EP:

Q&A WITH
TOMMY EMMANUEL AND RICHARD SMITH
ABOUT THE NEWLY RELEASED EP
‘TOMMY EMMANUEL ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2 FEATURING RICHARD SMITH’

TOMMY EMMANUEL:

—There’s so much joyous guitar work on the EP. How did this collaboration with Richard come about and how did you guys first meet?

TOMMY: I heard about Richard through other players at the Chet Atkins events in Nashville, and when we first met up, we played until we were exhausted! I had found someone I could have the best time playing all the music I loved from my childhood and who had a similar attitude and energy!

—What are your thoughts about Richard’s playing and what do you feel you both artistically have achieved with this recording?

TOMMY: Richard and I both approached these recordings with a deep respect for our heroes. We added our own ideas but kept the authenticity of the original recordings present. We played these songs with much love and joy!  Richard’s knowledge and abilities to channel Jerry Reed’s parts is what is most important to me, as I trusted him completely. When you stay close to Chet and Jerry’s parts, you can’t help but make great music, well written!

—The arrangement here for “Serenade to Summertime” comes from the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ Perfect, because you both have a strong connection to Chet. Can you talk about why this song resonates with you?

TOMMY: “Serenade” is a typical melodic piece that Chet would have chosen to showcase his tenderness in a musical setting. Richard really stayed close to Jerry’s perfectly honed part as the accompanist and I tried to perform the song without too many frills or embellishments, just heart and feeling…

—“Twitchy” was written by Jerry Reed and performed by Chet Atkins and Reed. Why do you find this song inspirational?

TOMMY: “Twitchy” is such a great composition–you get the feeling it’s been around forever. It’s also one of the great duets that only Jerry could write to have Chet play the melody and he works all the harmony around it and plays a solo as well. We’ve played it for audiences a thousand times and hope we can play it another thousand times!

—”Nashtownville” was written by Chet Atkins and appears on the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ What drew you to take this song on?

TOMMY: “Nashtownville” is a Chet composition and we both love its simplicity, yet, how strong it is, musically. Chet was a wonderful writer, and this song proves that. It’s two and a half minutes of pure MOJO!

—“Baby’s Coming Home” was written by Jerry Reed, and Chet Atkins recorded it for his ‘Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed’ album. What quality does this song have that attracted you to record it?

TOMMY: “Baby’s Coming Home” is a wonderful song that is perfect for harmonies and solo sections that give the player and the listener everything they’re looking for!

—It’s exciting news that the two of you will tour together this November in America (having done shows in the past). What are you most looking forward to about this tour?

TOMMY: Playing this music to new audiences everywhere is such a joy, as most people haven’t seen players recreate these songs in front of them. It’s entertaining, surprising, and uplifting! When you are in the entertainment business, like us, you have a big desire to take people out of their normal existence and surprise them into another realm–music like this is your magic wand!

RICHARD SMITH

—There’s so much joyous guitar work on the EP. How did this collaboration with Tommy come about and how did you guys first meet?

RICHARD: Tommy asked me a while ago if I would like to do this tribute to Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed as part of his “Accomplice” series.  Of course, I had to do it!  Like Tommy, I’ve been playing their music all my life.  We both grew up on it. I first met Tommy back in 1996. He had played at a festival in France with the great Bay Area guitarist, Jim Nichols, who told him about me. I was living in England, where he had recently moved to, and he called up and came out to my family home. We jammed for hours that night.

—What are your thoughts about Tommy’s playing and what do you feel you both artistically have achieved with this recording?

RICHARD: Tommy has such an impeccable groove and such a personal touch and feel to his playing that has come about from listening to so many different musicians over the years. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed were two very earlyiest influences for him. To pay tribute to these guys and play the tunes we grew up listening to, and put our own little stamp on them, felt like going full circle. This music is like mashed potatoes to both of us. It’s just so ingrained, that playing it is like falling off a log. You bring yourself and other influences into it, which just kind of happens naturally.

—The arrangement here for “Serenade to Summertime” comes from the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ Perfect, because you both have a strong connection to Chet. Can you talk about why this song resonates with you?

RICHARD: On the original recording, Chet used a Del Vecchio resonator guitar. That instrument has a particularly beautiful tone and sustain. Tommy captures that beautifully with his Maton acoustic. That recording was probably the first time I’d ever heard that guitar sound. Jerry Reed’s back-up part is a huge part of the sound of that song.  The kind of rolling chords he used and the inversions he used were so beautifully constructed. Listening to it just takes me back to my childhood and when I first heard it.

—“Twitchy” was written by Jerry Reed and performed by Chet Atkins and Reed. Why do you find this song inspirational?

RICHARD: I think that tune is probably my favorite thumb-picking tune. It has such a great groove and such a simple melody. To me, it’s one of those tunes that just sounds like it grew there, like no one wrote it, and like it has just always existed. Those are the great songs to me. Songs and tunes that have melodies and chord structures that sound so obvious that you think “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” Another tune we both grew up on. It is also a pure duet. No band.

—”Nashtownville” was written by Chet Atkins and appears on the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ What drew you to take this song on?

RICHARD: It was just another great song from that album that was addictive listening. As a student of the guitar and the music, you want to learn everything. It’s another one of those songs that any guitar player who had that album would have had a go at.

—“Baby’s Coming Home” was written by Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins recorded it for his ‘Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed’ album. What quality does this song have that attracted you to record it?

RICHARD: This is one of those tunes that every thumb-picker knows. A real standard among that crowd. Another simple melody with a great groove. These tunes are not known to the mainstream crowds, but there are guitar pickers dotted around all over the world  that will come out of the woodwork to meet like-minded folks at concerts or festivals and get together and play these kinds of tunes from records they all had. When I was at school, there wasn’t another kid in my school or any other local school that was listening to this stuff that I knew of. I’m sure it was the same for Tommy. But!!.. There were players out there. These records weren’t getting airplay like pop records, but there were a select few pickers out there buying these records. There must have been, or RCA would never have invested in putting more and more out there. You wonder who those people are, and where they are out there. When you meet them, it’s always great because you realize you were not alone in your pursuits and thirst for learning this music that was so obscure that it seemed like you were the only one listening to it.  At least, as a kid, that’s how it felt.  Playing these tunes with Tommy is always special.  We’d played all of them together over the years many times either jamming or on shows or festivals. I never get tired of playing them and I can feel that with Tommy, too.

—It’s exciting news that the two of you will tour together this November in America (having done shows in the past). What are you most looking forward to about this tour?

RICHARD: Oh yeah! Always a blast playing shows with Tommy. Playing the music, of course, is what I look forward to most, but being out west, too. AZ and TX.  I love the desert, you know. In certain places, I feel like I’m on Mars, or in a scene from the original “Planet of the Apes” movie.  Meeting new people, going to different places, or back to some of your favorite places. So many folks I’ve met think being on the road is such a tough life. To me, it’s like being on vacation and instead of living in one place, you kind of get to live everywhere. It’s a beautiful thing. Living everywhere, seeing so many places, doing what you love, and playing your favorite music with one of your all-time favorite musicians and people?  It makes me giddy. I can’t wait.

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Artist: Richard Smith

ABOUT RICHARD SMITH

Born in 1971 in Beckenham, England, Richard started early and first picked up the guitar at the age of 5 with his father teaching him his first chords and songs. After some early solo performances and six years of working as a trio with two of his brothers, Rob and Sam in the 90’s, Richard moved to Nashville, TN. in January 2000. In 2001 he won the national fingerpicking championship and has since forged a career as a solo artist, performing all over the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and Brazil, releasing solo records, duet and ensemble records.  Constantly touring with a repertoire of fingerpicking classics, originals, fiddle tunes, blues, Joplin rags, jazz standards, classical repertoire and everything from pop to Sousa marches. Richard has also performed or recorded along the way with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel, Suzy Bogguss, Steve Wariner, Jimmy Fortune, Earl Klugh, Martin Taylor, Joscho Stephan, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, John Schneider, Lee Roy Parnell, Brent Mason, Rory Hoffman and a host of others.

For more information on RICHARD SMITH, visit:
WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: JULY 30, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
ANNOUNCES NEW EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2’ WITH RICHARD SMITH, OUT SEPTEMBER 10
SHARES EP’S FIRST SINGLE + VIDEO
“SERENADE TO SUMMERTIME”

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE
AND READ THE Q&A BELOW WITH BOTH ARTISTS

EMMANUEL AND SMITH TOURING TOGETHER THIS FALL STARTING NOVEMBER 5

Accomplice Series Vol. 2 EP Cover

Acclaimed and Grammy®-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL—one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins—has announced he will release his new EP, ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2 with Richard Smith, on September 10. Smith is the revered British fingerpicking acoustic guitarist who has performed or recorded along the way with Chet Atkins, Les Paul and Tommy Emmanuel among others. The four-song EP, a tribute to their heroes Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins, also contains “Twitchy,” “Nashtownville” and “Baby’s Coming Home.” Listen to “Serenade to Summertime” at all streaming platforms here and pre-order/pre-save the EP here.

Today (July 30), Emmanuel shares the EP’s first track and video, ““Serenade to Summertime.” Watch it here. Yesterday it was premiered at Guitar Player which noted: “ in this brand-new video for the song – the first track from Emmanuel’s forthcoming EP – the love for their heroes’ formative playing styles is tangible as they duet on acoustic guitars.”

The arrangement for “Serenade to Summertime” that Emmanuel and Smith play comes from the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, Me & Chet. This song was recorded at TuneSmith Studio outside of Nashville, TN in the spring of 2021 and features both Tommy and Richard on guitar. The video was directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart. It was filmed in Lebanon, TN at an antique car collectors shop in the spring of 2021.

In other news, Tommy and Richard will tour together this fall starting November 5: https://tommyemmanuel.com/tour/. The tour dates are below. Richard is also on Tommy’s Guitar Camp in Nashville, TN in September: https://tommyemmanuelguitarcampusa.com/

Q&A WITH
TOMMY EMMANUEL AND RICHARD SMITH
ABOUT THE NEW EP
‘TOMMY EMMANUEL ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOL. 2’
WITH RICHARD SMITH
OUT SEPTEMBER 10

TOMMY EMMANUEL:

—There’s so much joyous guitar work on the EP. How did this collaboration with Richard come about and how did you guys first meet?

TOMMY: I heard about Richard through other players at the Chet Atkins events in Nashville, and when we first met up, we played until we were exhausted! I had found someone I could have the best time playing all the music I loved from my childhood and who had a similar attitude and energy!

—What are your thoughts about Richard’s playing and what do you feel you both artistically have achieved with this recording?

TOMMY: Richard and I both approached these recordings with a deep respect for our heroes. We added our own ideas but kept the authenticity of the original recordings present. We played these songs with much love and joy!  Richard’s knowledge and abilities to channel Jerry Reed’s parts is what is most important to me, as I trusted him completely. When you stay close to Chet and Jerry’s parts, you can’t help but make great music, well written!

—The arrangement here for “Serenade to Summertime” comes from the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ Perfect, because you both have a strong connection to Chet. Can you talk about why this song resonates with you?

TOMMY: “Serenade” is a typical melodic piece that Chet would have chosen to showcase his tenderness in a musical setting. Richard really stayed close to Jerry’s perfectly honed part as the accompanist and I tried to perform the song without too many frills or embellishments, just heart and feeling…

—“Twitchy” was written by Jerry Reed and performed by Chet Atkins and Reed. Why do you find this song inspirational?

TOMMY: “Twitchy” is such a great composition–you get the feeling it’s been around forever. It’s also one of the great duets that only Jerry could write to have Chet play the melody and he works all the harmony around it and plays a solo as well. We’ve played it for audiences a thousand times and hope we can play it another thousand times!

—”Nashtownville” was written by Chet Atkins and appears on the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ What drew you to take this song on?

TOMMY: “Nashtownville” is a Chet composition and we both love its simplicity, yet, how strong it is, musically. Chet was a wonderful writer, and this song proves that. It’s two and a half minutes of pure MOJO!

—“Baby’s Coming Home” was written by Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins recorded it for his ‘Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed’ album. What quality does this song have that attracted you to record it?

TOMMY: “Baby’s Coming Home” is a wonderful song that is perfect for harmonies and solo sections that give the player and the listener everything they’re looking for!

—It’s exciting news that the two of you will tour together this November in America (having done shows in the past). What are you most looking forward to about this tour?

TOMMY: Playing this music to new audiences everywhere is such a joy, as most people haven’t seen players recreate these songs in front of them. It’s entertaining, surprising, and uplifting! When you are in the entertainment business, like us, you have a big desire to take people out of their normal existence and surprise them into another realm–music like this is your magic wand!

RICHARD SMITH

—There’s so much joyous guitar work on the EP. How did this collaboration with Tommy come about and how did you guys first meet?

RICHARD: Tommy asked me a while ago if I would like to do this tribute to Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed as part of his “Accomplice” series.  Of course, I had to do it!  Like Tommy, I’ve been playing their music all my life.  We both grew up on it. I first met Tommy back in 1996. He had played at a festival in France with the great Bay Area guitarist, Jim Nichols, who told him about me. I was living in England, where he had recently moved to, and he called up and came out to my family home. We jammed for hours that night.

—What are your thoughts about Tommy’s playing and what do you feel you both artistically have achieved with this recording?

RICHARD: Tommy has such an impeccable groove and such a personal touch and feel to his playing that has come about from listening to so many different musicians over the years. Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed were two very earliest influences for him. To pay tribute to these guys and play the tunes we grew up listening to, and put our own little stamp on them, felt like going full circle. This music is like mashed potatoes to both of us. It’s just so ingrained that playing it is like falling off a log. You bring yourself and other influences into it, which just kind of happens naturally.

—The arrangement here for “Serenade to Summertime” comes from the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ Perfect, because you both have a strong connection to Chet. Can you talk about why this song resonates with you?

RICHARD: On the original recording, Chet used a Del Vecchio resonator guitar. That instrument has a particularly beautiful tone and sustain. Tommy captures that beautifully with his Maton acoustic. That recording was probably the first time I’d ever heard that guitar sound. Jerry Reed’s back-up part is a huge part of the sound of that song.  The kind of rolling chords he used and the inversions he used were so beautifully constructed. Listening to it just takes me back to my childhood and when I first heard it.

—“Twitchy” was written by Jerry Reed and performed by Chet Atkins and Reed. Why do you find this song inspirational?

RICHARD: I think that tune is probably my favorite thumb-picking tune. It has such a great groove and such a simple melody. To me, it’s one of those tunes that just sounds like it grew there, like no one wrote it, and like it has just always existed. Those are the great songs to me. Songs and tunes that have melodies and chord structures that sound so obvious that you think “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” Another tune we both grew up on. It is also a pure duet. No band.

—”Nashtownville” was written by Chet Atkins and appears on the Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins album, ‘Me & Chet.’ What drew you to take this song on?

RICHARD: It was just another great song from that album that was addictive listening. As a student of the guitar and the music, you want to learn everything. It’s another one of those songs that any guitar player who had that album would have had a go at.

—“Baby’s Coming Home” was written by Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins recorded it for his ‘Chet Atkins Picks on Jerry Reed’ album. What quality does this song have that attracted you to record it?

RICHARD: This is one of those tunes that every thumb-picker knows. A real standard among that crowd. Another simple melody with a great groove. These tunes are not known to the mainstream crowds, but there are guitar pickers dotted around all over the world  that will come out of the woodwork to meet like-minded folks at concerts or festivals and get together and play these kinds of tunes from records they all had. When I was at school, there wasn’t another kid in my school or any other local school that was listening to this stuff that I knew of. I’m sure it was the same for Tommy. But!! There were players out there. These records weren’t getting airplay like pop records, but there were a select few pickers out there buying these records. There must have been, or RCA would never have invested in putting more and more out there. You wonder who those people are, and they are out there. When you meet them, it’s always great because you realize you were not alone in your pursuits and thirst for learning this music that was so obscure that it seemed like you were the only one listening to it.  At least, as a kid, that’s how it felt.  Playing these tunes with Tommy is always special.  We’d played all of them together over the years many times either jamming or on shows or festivals. I never get tired of playing them and I can feel that with Tommy, too.

—It’s exciting news that the two of you will tour together this November in America (having done shows in the past). What are you most looking forward to about this tour?

RICHARD: Oh yeah! Always a blast playing shows with Tommy. Playing the music, of course, is what I look forward to most, but being out west, too. AZ and TX.  I love the desert, you know. In certain places, I feel like I’m on Mars, or in a scene from the original “Planet of the Apes” movie.  Meeting new people, going to different places, or back to some of your favorite places. So many folks I’ve met think being on the road is such a tough life. To me, it’s like being on vacation and instead of living in one place, you kind of get to live everywhere. It’s a beautiful thing. Living everywhere, seeing so many places, doing what you love, and playing your favorite music with one of your all-time favorite musicians and people?  It makes me giddy. I can’t wait.

Tommy Emmanuel on tour with Richard Smith:

11/5 – Mesa, AZ (Phoenix) @ Mesa Arts Center, Ikeda Theatre
11/7 – Albuquerque, NM @ National Hispanic Cultural Center – Albuquerque Journal Theatre
11/8 – Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater
11/9 – Tulsa, OK @ Legacy Hall
11/10 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
11/11 – Stafford, TX (Houston) @ Stafford Centre
11/13. -San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theatre
11/14 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre

“Serenade to Summertime” Cover

Full Track Listing for Accomplice EP #2:

1. Baby’s Coming Home
2.    Nashtownville
3.    Serenade to Summertime
4.    Twitchy

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

Richard Smith

ABOUT RICHARD SMITH

Born in 1971 in Beckenham, England, Richard started early and first picked up the guitar at the age of 5 with his father teaching him his first chords and songs. After some early solo performances and six years of working as a trio with two of his brothers, Rob and Sam in the 90’s, Richard moved to Nashville, TN. in January 2000. In 2001 he won the national fingerpicking championship and has since forged a career as a solo artist, performing all over the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia and Brazil, releasing solo records, duet and ensemble records.  Constantly touring with a repertoire of fingerpicking classics, originals, fiddle tunes, blues, Joplin rags, jazz standards, classical repertoire and everything from pop to Sousa marches. Richard has also performed or recorded along the way with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel, Suzy Bogguss, Steve Wariner, Jimmy Fortune, Earl Klugh, Martin Taylor, Joscho Stephan, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, John Schneider, Lee Roy Parnell, Brent Mason, Rory Hoffman and a host of others.

For more information on RICHARD SMITH, visit:
WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: JUNE 25, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

BRITISH ACOUSTIC GUITAR VIRTUOSO MIKE DAWES
ALONG WITH ACOUSTIC GUITARIST EXTRAORDINAIRE TOMMY EMMANUEL
SHARES NEW SINGLE/VIDEO “SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW”

LISTEN HERE TO THEIR INSTRUMENTAL INTERPRETATION OF
GOYTE’S 2011 WORLDWIDE SMASH

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR JANUARY 2022

British acoustic guitar virtuoso MIKE DAWES, along with acoustic guitarist extraordinaire TOMMY EMMANUEL, today (June 25) shares a new single and video, “Somebody That I Used To Know.” The song (on Qten Records) is a stirring instrumental cover of the massive worldwide 2011 hit by Gotye which marks its 10^th anniversary this year. Listen to the song here and watch the video here. It premiered yesterday (June 24) at Guitar Player which hailed the track as “spellbinding.” TOMMY EMMANUEL and MIKE DAWES, who have toured together in the past, will do so again starting in January 2022 with MIKE DAWES as special guest. Below are the tour dates and a Q&A with both artists about the single and video.

Q&A WITH MIKE DAWES AND TOMMY EMMANUEL:

MIKE DAWES:

–What originally inspired you to record and release your version of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” in 2012?

It was the perfect storm of events really. I hate to sound too obvious, but I had a breakup that knocked me back at the time (boohoo, I know). “Somebody That I Used to Know” seemed an appropriate way to reset. I had also seen the fantastic ‘Walk Off The Earth’ cover version with five performers on one guitar. Taking on the challenge was a great way to channel that energy.

–What was it like to discover Tommy’s music and then tour with Tommy?

I mean, Tommy is the greatest guitar player alive in my opinion. It is beyond humbling and a complete honor to have been able to share the stage with him and observe not just his performance, but also to be around him on the road. He is the real deal and such an inspiring soul.

–How would you describe Tommy’s artistry?

I’d say it is an extension of himself as a person. Dedication to a craft he loves and honesty of expression. Pure fun.

— What led you to record a new version of the Gotye hit with Tommy and can you talk about what you feel you musically achieved?

There are a few reasons why this collaboration had to happen, and I’m so glad it did. “Somebody That I Used to Know” is one of the biggest songs to come out of Australia and Tommy is an Aussie national hero! Not only that, but this month marks the 10-year anniversary of the song, as well as the 9-year anniversary of my 2012 arrangement. We’re also announcing our 2022 USA tour together. I am so proud of this collaboration, the arrangement and production. Once you add Tommy to a track, everything falls into place.

–Were there challenges in recording the song with you in the UK and Tommy in the US?

It was really fun. Tommy tracked his part to my original recording, and then I reworked my part into a re-recording with extra licks, structure and harmony based around what he played. That way I could get Tommy’s DNA into the tune in a way that avoided a lazier approach of just having him play over the top of an old arrangement. I’m so happy with the result and I hope the fans of the original enjoy it too!

–Can you talk about the video with you shooting your part in the UK and Tommy in the US?

It would have been a dream to be in the same location but for obvious reasons we couldn’t. Fortunately, Tommy and I have the same manager and he was graciously able to coordinate and film Tommy doing his thing. The funny thing was, I had just had eyeball surgery so was pretty blind whilst shooting. Thanks muscle memory!

TOMMY EMMANUEL:

–How did you first become aware of Mike and what was it like to tour with him?

I became aware of Mike through YouTube videos and people in England telling me to check him out. I loved his playing and his personality on stage–he has a generous spirit with his audiences! When my manager took him on as a client, he asked me if I’d like to have Mike on some shows, I jumped at the opportunity to have Mike on a EU tour. We got on as friends and found a good way of making our shows exciting for our audiences and I found I could rely on Mike to always give his best out there onstage. We had fun together and my team became his team too!

–How would you describe Mike’s artistry?

Mike’s style is so different to mine and that makes for a good chemistry between us. I ask him to play his arrangements as he did solo, then I found a way to blend in, harmonize, strengthen choruses and stay out of his way, musically, yet add to what he’s doing! His approach to melodies is solid!

— What led you to record this version of the Gotye hit with Mike and can you talk about what you feel you musically achieved?

The Gotye song is a powerful statement, musically, and his arrangement is very true to the composer. When it was suggested we should do it together, I jumped at the chance and hopefully added a part that enhanced what he was already doing. He was covering everything including melody, rhythm, bass and percussion parts!! So, I just needed to play the chorus melody and add some vocal-type fills around his playing.

–Were there challenges in recording the song with you in the US and Mike in the UK?

He recorded his part at his studio in the UK, I did mine in Nashville. After recording all my parts, we sent it to him and he chose what he needed of my playing and mixed it into the final cut. I played a lot more than was really necessary, to give him plenty to choose from as he mixed the track.

–Can you talk about the video with you shooting your part in the US and Mike in the UK?

The last job was to shoot the videos and make a version that would give the viewer an interesting look at two guys pouring their hearts into a duet of industrial strength! Thanks to Mike for his high standards!

Tommy Emmanuel with special guest Mike Dawes tour dates:

1/7 – Denver, CO – Soiled Dove
1/8 – Denver, CO – Soiled Dove
1/9 – Denver, CO – Soiled Dove
1/1 – Portland,OR – Aladin Theatre
1/2 – Portland,OR – Aladin Theatre
1/13 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
1/14 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
1/15 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door
1/17 – Red Blufff,CA -State Theatre
1/18 – Berkley,CA – Freight & Salvage
1/19 – Berkley, CA – Freight & Salvage

###

Mike Dawes
Photo Credit: Adam King Photography

For more information on MIKE DAWES, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

###

For press inquiries regarding MIKE DAWES and TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR

(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: MAY 6, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TOMORROW (MAY 7) RELEASES NEW EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY’
ON CGP SOUNDS

SHARES NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO
“COPPER KETTLE” FROM THE EP
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
AND READ A Q&A BELOW

TOMMY, ROB & TREY TO PERFORM AT THE SOLD-OUT GRAND OLE OPRY
SATURDAY, MAY 8
AND SET LIVESTREAM FOR SUNDAY, MAY 9
TO EMANATE FROM 3RD AND LINDSLEY IN NASHVILLE

Acclaimed and Grammy®-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL—one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins—today (May 6) shares the video for “Copper Kettle.” It’s the third single + video from the EP ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY, out tomorrow May 7 on CGP SOUNDS. Watch the Zach Pigg-directed video here with TOMMY and powerhouse Grammy®-nominated acoustic duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley in the studio in Nashville when they recorded the EP. Pre-save and pre-add the EP here.

The “Copper Kettle” video was premiered yesterday at Bluegrass Today which praised the EP: “It features these three virtuoso instrumentalists in a spontaneous, freewheeling recording…” “Copper Kettle” follows the album’s first two videos, “Flatt Did It” and “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka,” premiered at The Bluegrass Situation and Glide Magazine, respectively.

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY was born out of the deep admiration the musicians have for each other, also underlined by shows they’ve played together intermittently for nearly five years, the first of which was May 5, 2016 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.

Creative sparks fly on the EP, which radiates good vibrations with white-hot picking virtuosity on acoustic guitars and Dobro—it’s all a welcome sanctuary from these upside-down times. There are three cover songs—the Chet Atkins/Doc Watson song “Flatt Did It,” Buck Owens’ “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” and the standard “Copper Kettle”—plus a rendering of the Emmanuel composition, “It’s Never Too Late,” originally released in 2015.

To support the EP, TOMMY, ROB & TREY have announced they’ll perform together at the sold-out Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 8. The performance will be broadcast worldwide on www.wsmradio.com at 7 PM CDT that same night.

They’ve also announced a ticketed livestream event via nugs.tv for Sunday, May 9 at 8 PM CDT to emanate from 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville. Purchase tickets here.

Q&A WITH
TOMMY EMMANUEL
AND ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY

TOMMY EMMANUEL:

—Congratulations on the recording of the EP. It emanates good vibrations and an easy charm…with a whole lotta virtuosity… quite a welcome sanctuary from these upside-down times. Sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. What are your feelings about the sessions?

The sessions were very spontaneous and, in fact, I suggested “Flatt Did It” and “Copper Kettle” as pieces on the day we recorded them. That’s how it came about. It was very spontaneous.

—What led to this collaboration with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and what are your thoughts about their playing? There’s a lot of creative sparks here.

I have been a fan of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley for a long time. I love working with them. There’s a lot of creativity around us, and those guys are willing to just fly it. I need people like that to just bounce off and have a creative time with.

—There are songs by Chet Atkins, Buck Owens, one by Atkins + Doc Watson, and the final one on the EP is an older one of your songs that was recently recorded for ‘The Best of Tommy Songs’ album. Why were these particular songs chosen?

They were chosen because we didn’t have a lot of time. That’s what really helped this project come together. We could record the whole thing in just one day. I also felt “Flatt Did It” was a wonderful piece that is simple, and it’s one of Chet’s tunes. It’s a tribute to Lester Flatt of course. And the “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” was fun and a part of my childhood. We had four songs to do and each one had to be different and special.

—Of the four songs, two are you with Rob and Trey; there’s one with you and Rob; and another with you and Trey. Can you talk about why two of the songs were done as a trio and the other two as a duo?

The reason I recorded two songs as a trio is to feature both the guys and for us to do that. And then I wanted a song each with Rob and Trey. There would have been nothing for Rob to do in “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka.” It’s just me and Trey. And then in “It’s Never Too Late,” Rob and I have everything covered in that song so there would have been nothing for Trey to do. That’s how that came about.

—The first track and video from the EP is “Flatt Did it.” Can you talk about recording this one?

As I said before, “Flatt Did It” is a tribute to Lester Flatt and some of his classic kind of licks. We had the film crew in there for the day and they just rolled the cameras. We actually just played and ignored them almost.

ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY:

—Congratulations on the recording of the EP. It emanates good vibrations and an easy charm…with a whole lotta virtuosity…quite a welcome sanctuary from these upside down times. Sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. What are your feelings about the sessions?

Rob: Well, it’s always great to work with Tommy.  He’s such a great artist, and such a great person. There are always a lot of sparks flying when we play together, and all three of us are into lots of different musical genres, so that’s always fun to explore different musical territories when we get together.

Trey: Getting to pick with Tommy and Rob any time is always a blast! Working in the studio with Tommy was so much fun, which I think is evident throughout this EP. The great vibe in the studio that day is prominent in the recordings. It was really just the three of us hanging out and playing tunes…what could be more fun?

—What led to your collaboration with Tommy and what are your feelings about his playing?

Rob: When Trey and I first started working together, I just thought it would be a great combination to tour with Tommy. I mentioned this to our booking agent, and he told me that a good friend of his had just started managing Tommy and he would reach out to him. A few days later we had some offers to open some shows with Tommy on the West Coast, and they fit in perfectly to our schedule that was already in place out there. Our first show was in San Francisco, and it was just an amazing night! We’ve been friends ever since, and we have done a lot of shows together. Tommy is the “whole package.” Obviously, he’s a brilliant technician, yet he always puts so much emotion and feeling into it. His love for the guitar comes out of that instrument and really has a profound effect on people–myself included.

Trey: Rob and I have worked with Tommy several times through the years, which is always amazing. I mean, Tommy is definitely one of my biggest guitar heroes and to be able to call him a friend has been such an incredible thing. Getting to record this EP with Tommy is one of the proudest moments of my musical career for sure. Tommy is the best. His playing is the high-water mark that all of us guitar players strive for.  To work with such a legendary and important musician is just insanely cool. And he’s the nicest dude on the planet.

—Two of the songs here were recorded as a trio, and the other two as a duo. There’s a lot of creative sparks here. Can you talk about your experience of playing with Tommy?

Rob: I remember the first night we played with Tommy I had mentioned that I loved the title cut on his new album at the time called, “It’s Never Too Late.” He asked if I wanted to play it on stage that night and I said “sure!” What a moment, it felt so great to play that one on stage. His rhythm is impeccable, and I just felt like I was riding on a really great groove that I could not fall out of! We’ve played that same song live many times since then, so it’s great to document it on this record.  Such a beautiful piece.

Trey: The song that Tommy and I play together is a Buck Owens Polka tune. The first show that Rob and I played with Tommy was in San Francisco, and Tommy had just played in Bakersfield, so the conversation immediately went to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Tommy played a bunch of those polka tunes during his soundcheck. So, when Rob and I played on the Tommy Emmanuel/David Grisman tour a year or so later, Tommy and I jammed on “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” after one of the shows and ended up playing it on the show the next day. We’ve played that one a ton since then, so it’s cool to have it on tape! I love playing it with Tommy…and the energy is always through the roof. I’d like to think Buck (up there in heaven) digs it too…

—The first track and video from the EP is “Flatt Did it.” Can you talk about recording this one?

Rob: This song comes from an album that Chet Atkins did with Doc Watson. I love to hear Tommy and Trey play together. There’s a great respect between the two of them. They are both so brilliant. It’s great to hear them feeding off each other. And this song is just the perfect vehicle for a Dobro, so I’m enjoying the whole thing!

Trey: Yeah, this one was Tommy’s idea, and it’s a tune from the Doc Watson and Chet Atkins duo record. Rob and I both have a bluegrass background, and this song was written with the great bluegrass icon Lester Flatt in mind. (Hence the title.)  It really was a natural fit and recording it with Tommy was so much fun!

Full Track List for Accomplice EP #1:

1. Copper Kettle (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)

2. Raz-Ma-Taz Polka (featuring Trey Hensley)

3. Flatt Did It (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)

4. It’s Never Too Late (featuring Rob Ickes)

L-R: Trey Hensley, Tommy Emmanuel, and Rob Ickes
Photo Credit: Brian Penix

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

L-R: Trey Hensley, Rob Ickes
Photo Credit: Chad Jenkins

ABOUT ROB ICKES AND TREY HENSLEY

Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, the GRAMMY® nominated duo cleverly and uniquely melds bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jamgrass, and string band music of all kinds to create a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. NPR has called Ickes and Hensley “two musical phenoms”; Vintage Guitar raved they’re an “acoustic firestorm” who “are changing the rules”; Acoustic Guitar describes their sound as “steel-string bluegrass with all the intensity of rock ‘n’ roll” and No Depression observed they’re “two of the finest musicians playing today.” Ickes and Hensley have shared the stage or collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Stuart, and Steve Wariner—all admirers of the duo.  Ickes, former founding member of bluegrass “supergroup” Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and more. Hensley, who earned his first IBMA Guitar Player of the Year nomination in 2020, made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11 (thanks to an invite from Marty Stuart with Earl Scruggs) and has appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton and Old Crow Medicine Show.  All three of the albums released by Ickes and Hensley have received widespread acclaim, including their debut Before The Sun Goes Down, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination, and the combo’s most recent release World Full of Blues, which features collaborations with Vince Gill and Taj Mahal.

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

For more information on ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

###

For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: MARCH 19, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TO RELEASE NEW EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY’
ON MAY 7 VIA CGP SOUNDS
SHARES FIRST SINGLE AND VIDEO

“FLATT DID IT”
LISTEN HERE TO THE ALBUM’S FIRST SINGLE “FLATT DID IT,”
RELEASED TODAY (MARCH 19),
AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Acclaimed and Grammy®-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL—one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins—has joined forces with powerhouse Grammy®-nominated acoustic duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley to record the EP ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY out May 7.

Today (March 19), they’ve shared the first single and video “Flatt Did It” from the four-song digital-only EP (*see the track listing below) on CGP Sounds. Listen here to the album’s first single and watch the video here. The Zach Pigg-directed video, premiered at The Bluegrass Situation, was shot in Nashville when the three artists recorded the EP. Pre-save and pre-add the EP here.

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY was born out of the deep admiration the musicians have for each other, also underlined by shows they’ve played together intermittently for nearly five years, the first of which was May 5, 2016 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.

Creative sparks fly on the EP, which radiates good vibrations with white-hot picking virtuosity on acoustic guitars and Dobro—it’s all a welcome sanctuary from these upside-down times. There are three cover songs—the Chet Atkins/Doc Watson song “Flatt Did It,” Buck Owens’ “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” and the standard “Copper Kettle”—plus a rendering of the Emmanuel composition, “It’s Never Too Late,” originally released in 2015.

Here are quotes from TOMMY, ROB and TREY about the EP:

TOMMY EMMANUEL: “The sessions were very spontaneous, and in fact, I suggested ‘Flatt Did It’ and ‘Copper Kettle’ as pieces on the day we recorded them. That’s how it came about. It was very spontaneous.”

ROB ICKES: “Well, it’s always great to work with Tommy.  He’s such a great artist, and such a great person. There are always a lot of sparks flying when we play together, and all three of us are into lots of different musical genres, so that’s always fun to explore different musical territories when we get together.”

TREY HENSLEY: “Getting to pick with Tommy and Rob any time is always a blast! Working in the studio with Tommy was so much fun, which I think is evident throughout this EP. The great vibe in the studio that day is prominent in the recordings. It was really just the three of us hanging out and playing tunes…what could be more fun?”

Here are quotes from them about “Flatt Did It”:

TOMMY EMMANUEL: “‘Flatt Did It’ is a tribute to Lester Flatt and some of his classic kind of licks. We had the film crew in there for the day and they just rolled the cameras. We actually just played and ignored them almost.”

ROB ICKES: “This song comes from an album that Chet Atkins did with Doc Watson. I love to hear Tommy and Trey play together. There’s a great respect between the two of them. They are both so brilliant. It’s great to hear them feeding off each other. And this song is just the perfect vehicle for a Dobro, so I’m enjoying the whole thing!”

TREY HENSLEY: “Yeah, this one was Tommy’s idea, and it’s a tune from the Doc Watson and Chet Atkins duo record. Rob and I both have a bluegrass background, and this song was written with the great bluegrass icon Lester Flatt in mind. (Hence the title.)  It really was a natural fit and recording it with Tommy was so much fun!”

The Full Track List for Accomplice EP #1:

1. Copper Kettle (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)
2. Raz-Ma-Taz Polka (featuring Trey Hensley)
3. Flatt Did It (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)
4. It’s Never Too Late (featuring Rob Ickes)

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

L-R: Trey Hensley, Rob Ickes
Photo Credit: Chad Jenkins

ABOUT ROB ICKES AND TREY HENSLEY

Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, the GRAMMY® nominated duo cleverly and uniquely melds bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jamgrass, and string band music of all kinds to create a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. NPR has called Ickes and Hensley “two musical phenoms”; Vintage Guitar raved they’re an “acoustic firestorm” who “are changing the rules”; Acoustic Guitar describes their sound as “steel-string bluegrass with all the intensity of rock ‘n’ roll” and No Depression observed they’re “two of the finest musicians playing today.” Ickes and Hensley have shared the stage or collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Stuart, and Steve Wariner—all admirers of the duo.  Ickes, former founding member of bluegrass “supergroup” Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and more. Hensley, who earned his first IBMA Guitar Player of the Year nomination in 2020, made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11 (thanks to an invite from Marty Stuart with Earl Scruggs) and has appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton and Old Crow Medicine Show.  All three of the albums released by Ickes and Hensley have received widespread acclaim, including their debut Before The Sun Goes Down, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination, and the combo’s most recent release World Full of Blues, which features collaborations with Vince Gill and Taj Mahal.

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For more information on ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

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For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

DT: FEBRUARY 5, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TO RELEASE NEW LIVE ALBUM
‘TOMMY EMMANUEL–LIVE FROM THE BALBOA THEATRE’
OUT FEBRUARY 12 ON CGP SOUNDS

LISTEN HERE TO THE ALBUM’S FIRST SINGLE “LOCOMOTIVATION,” RELEASED TODAY (FEBRUARY 5), AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

“My memories of the Balboa show are filled with adrenaline, wonder and joy,” says the acclaimed and Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL about his new digital-only live album TOMMY EMMANUEL–LIVE FROM THE BALBOA THEATRE out February 12 on his label, CGP Sounds. Listen here to the album’s first single “Locomotivation,” released today (February 5), and watch the video here. Pre-save and pre-add the album here.

Featuring 17 tracks (see the track listing below), LIVE FROM THE BALBOA THEATRE is a classic TOMMY EMMANUEL concert filmed on February 13 and 14, 2011 at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego, CA. The album features special guest performers such as Pam Rose, Anthony Snape, and Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo. Both Pam Rose and Anthony Snape are acclaimed songwriters who have co-written songs with TOMMY. Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo are masters in the jazz world who are also longtime touring collaborators with TOMMY.

This album–and the accompanying DVD (released in 2011)–was produced by KPBS in San Diego, and it was exclusively available through PBS pledge drives. It will now be available for the first time on all digital outlets.

“Playing with Frank and Vinnie, singing with Pam and Anthony, having fun with the audience and working with the PBS network made it a once-in-a-lifetime event, I hope you enjoy it and feel it too!” says TOMMY.

In other exciting TOMMY news, his guitar work graces Barry Gibbs’ newly released solo album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook. EMMANUEL plays on the Bee Gees’ classic “How Deep Is Your Love” featuring Little Big Town.

Track Listing for TOMMY EMMANUEL–LIVE FROM THE BALBOA THEATRE:

1. Guitar Boogie
2. Locomotivation
3. Haba Na Haba (with Pam Rose, Anthony Snape, Frank Vignola, & Vinny Raniolo)
4. My Life (with Pam Rose)
5. The Trails
6. Everlasting (with Anthony Snape)
7. Frequency (with Anthony Snape)
8. My Beloved (with Pam Rose)
9. I’ll Still Be Loving You (with Pam Rose & Anthony Snape)
10. Avalon (with Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo)
11. How High The Moon (with Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo)
12. Hungarian Dance No. 5 (with Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo)
13. Smokey Mountain Lullaby
14. Nine Pound Hammer
15. The Diggers’ Waltz
16. Moon River
17. What A Wonderful World (with Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo).

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

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For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com