DT: AUGUST 7, 2023

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

TOMMY EMMANUEL
SHARES VIDEO FOR
“FAR AWAY PLACES” WITH RAUL MALO
OF THE MAVERICKS

RELEASED IN HONOR OF
MALO WHO CELEBRATES HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY
WATCH THE VIDEO, FILMED LIVE IN THE STUDIO, HERE
RETURNS TO AMERICA ON SEPTEMBER 7 FOR MAJOR FALL TOUR

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Simone Cecchett

Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer and global touring artist TOMMY EMMANUEL has shared the video for “Far Away Places” featuring Raul Malo who today (August 7) is celebrating his birthday. Watch the video HERE.

The acoustically performed song is a tender and aching expression of longing. It appears on EMMANUEL’s current album ACCOMPLICE TWO (the follow-up to 2018’s Accomplice One album) that was released this past April via CGP Sounds. “Far Away Places” is an American standard, written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer, first popularized by Bing Crosby and then Vera Lynn. Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard (for Neighborhoods Apart) directed and edited the video, which captures EMMANUEL and Malo recording the song live together at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, TN. The video was premiered earlier today by Glide.

“When you work with Tommy, anything is possible,” says Malo, who turns in a masterfully subtle and emotionally stirring performance. “His command of arrangements and melodies allows you to dig deep into a treasure chest of songs that only a few on the planet dare play. He is that kind of musician.”

“I chose to put this song as the final one on this album because it leaves us with a feeling of comfort and lets us marvel over such a great vocal performance,” says TOMMY. “It was my honor to record with Raul—he’s in a league of his own!”

Q&A with TOMMY About “Far Away Places”:

What inspired your collaboration with Raul Malo on “Far Away Places”?

“When I asked Raul to sing a song with me for this album, he sent me three choices of Sam Cooke recordings.  We knew it had to be a song that would suit just voice and guitar, not a big production. I chose “Faraway Places” for its beautiful melody, simple structure and Raul’s fabulous style of singing it! As you can see by the video, it was a stunning and perfect vocal performance by Raul—I am so proud to be his accompanist!”

“Far Away Places” is an American standard, written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer, and first popularized in 1948 by Bing Crosby (peaking at #2 on the Billboard chart). What led you to interpret the song?

“I didn’t hear the original Bing Crosby version; I heard Sam Cooke singing it and knew Raul would smash it out of the park! With a tight schedule to keep, I had to choose a song that I could arrange quickly and get a recording / performance in one or two takes. Raul and I did two takes and the second one is the one we thought was the best.”

On this track, you play with nylon string and steel string guitars. Can you talk about the dynamic of playing these two different guitars and what it brings to the song?

“I played my Kirk San Nylon-string guitar for the main accompaniment, then overdubbed the solo on my Maton Steel String. I kept it simple and tried to stay on the melody in my solo, an obvious choice to me.”

Look for TOMMY, coming off his July U.S. tour dates, to return to America September 7 for a major fall tour. See the dates below.

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, Raul Malo, and many more (the full list is HERE). View the album’s critical praise HERE. EMMANUEL has continued to release videos including most recently these, filmed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart.

“Mombasa” with Yasmin Williams
“Sweet Temptation” with The Del McCoury Band
“Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)” with Jamey Johnson

ACCOMPLICE TWO 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.

EMMANUEL recently shared a freewheeling “10 Questions” Q&A (below) where he talks about his inspirations and an array of subjects including his “Spinal Tap” moment; the JFK assassination; his desire to be on a bill with Carole King and James Taylor; and watching (as a kid) Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Read it HERE.

Here are TOMMY’s U.S. tour dates for 2023. The full international list of dates is HERE.

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: JULY 6, 2023

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER

SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
GEARS UP FOR MAJOR U.S. TOUR LAUNCHING
JULY 12 IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
AND WRAPPING DECEMBER 13 IN SACRAMENTO, CA

THE GRAMMY-NOMINATED ACOUSTIC GUITARIST EXTRAORDINAIRE, COMPOSER AND GLOBAL TOURING ARTIST
SHARES “10 QUESTIONS” Q&A

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Simone Cecchett

Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer and global touring artist TOMMY EMMANUEL is gearing up for a major U.S. tour launching July 12 in Grand Rapids, MI and wrapping December 13 in Sacramento, CA. The tour is pegged to his acclaimed current full-length collaborations album ACCOMPLICE TWO, the follow-up to his Accomplice One album (2018), released this past April via CGP Sounds (view the album’s critical praise HERE).

EMMANUEL has also shared a freewheeling “10 Questions” Q&A (below) where he talks about his inspirations and an array of subjects including his “Spinal Tap” moment; the JFK assassination; his desire to be on a bill with Carole King and James Taylor; and watching (as a kid) Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

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, Raul Malo, and many more (the full list is HERE) EMMANUEL has continued to release videos including most recently these, filmed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart.

“Mombasa” with Yasmin Williams
“Sweet Temptation” with The Del McCoury Band
“Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)” with Jamey Johnson

ACCOMPLICE TWO 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.

10 QUESTIONS WITH TOMMY EMMANUEL (2023)

Have you had a Spinal Tap moment in your career so far and can you describe it?

TOMMY: I’ve shown up at the wrong hall to play a show!!! Being a male, I don’t always follow directions well, and sometimes I’m convinced I know where I’m going!!  That’s why I have a good Tour Manager…he knows!

If you could have a conversation with anyone who’s living or dead, who would it be and why?

TOMMY: If I could ask Jack Ruby to please tell me the truth about the assassination of JFK, I would love that!

Is there a song you crank up on Friday night to kick off the weekend—and a song you kick back with on a Sunday morning?

TOMMY: Every day is Saturday to me! Some days I like to listen to the Beatles, up loud, sing along and let go. Sometimes I need peace and quiet to be my sanctuary. I am always aware that I must try to preserve what hearing I have, as I was born with yellow fever, so I go carefully.

Which two artists would you like to appear on a dream bill with?

TOMMY: Carole King and James Taylor…What a song list that would be!!

Which famous historical event would you like to have witnessed and why?

TOMMY: I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon in 1969. I was at school in the Town of Parkes, NSW, Australia. The radio telescope that beamed the images all around the world of this historic event, made it possible for us to see it as it happened!! We had no idea of the significance of being in Parkes on that day, but it was big!

What was the first concert you attended and what was it like?

TOMMY: My mother, Virginia, took me to my first concert. I was 5, and it was held in the Town Hall of the place we lived, Gunnedah, Australia. We sat in the front row, and as I watched the great Dave Bridge Trio play, my mum leaned in and whispered, “See how he smiles, looks at the audience, stands so straight and tall? See how he looks neat, his shoes are shiny, his hair is perfect, his guitar is glistening in the spotlights. He talks to us, and we can understand him. Don’t forget all these things!”

What do you look forward to most when you return home from touring?

TOMMY: I always love getting to cook my own dinner and sleep in my own bed when I come home from touring. Then I love driving my car!

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

TOMMY: I would love to experience Django Reinhardt live! Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman and his big band, too, and I would love to hear Hank Williams up close, just to feel that mojo!

You have one question to ask one musician. Go for it.

TOMMY: Hey Larry Carlton, what amp did you play the solo on “Kid Charlemagne” through? What a solo!! What a sound! BRAVO!!

Can you talk about a particular book and/or film that has helped shape your sensibility as an artist?

TOMMY: I don’t think there is just one book or movie that has shaped me as an artist. I think it has been my curiosity about some artists that have inspired me to keep reaching for higher standards, higher goals, and deeper meaning for my art/gifts/calling or reason for being who I am.  I look at people who move the world, who inspire us all; they somehow show us a way, a trail, a clue as to what they do that causes them to touch our sensibilities. Writers, Actors, Musicians, Producers, Speakers, Comedians and sometimes those who deal with tough physical or mental challenges and still achieve great works that have GREAT meaning in our hurting world. These are the ones that cause me to trust in a power bigger than myself, that make me see that my life has purpose, meaning and momentum. So now I get to work with a full heart, trying to do something that might change someone’s life for the better.

###

Here are TOMMY’s U.S. tour dates for 2023. The full international list of dates is HERE.

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: APRIL 26, 2023

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER

SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL AND BILLY STRINGS
JOIN FORCES FOR INTOXICATING DUET,
“DOC’S GUITAR/BLACK MOUNTAIN RAG FEATURING BILLY STRINGS”

THE INSTRUMENTAL IS THE THIRD 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, LITTLE FEAT, MICHAEL MCDONALD, JAMEY JOHNSON, RAUL MALO AND MANY MORE GREATS

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

TOMMY IS ON TOUR NOW
SEE THE FULL TOUR DATES HERE

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Simone Cecchett

Coming off his singles/videos with Molly Tuttle (“White Freight Liner Blues”) and Little Feat/Sam Bush (“Cajun Girl”), Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer and global touring artist TOMMY EMMANUEL has today (April 24) rolled out “Doc’s Guitar/Black Mountain Rag Featuring Billy Strings.” Watch TOMMY’s video with Grammy-winning artist Billy Strings—filmed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart at TuneSmith Studios outside of Nashville as the song was being recorded—HERE. The video was premiered yesterday (4/25) by The Bluegrass Situation HERE.

With an intoxicating blend of precision and passion, both guitarists light up this two-song bluegrass medley honoring their hero, bluegrass legend Doc Watson (who would have celebrated his 100^th birthday this past March 3). The track kicks off TOMMY’s full-length collaborations album ACCOMPLICE TWO, the follow-up to his Accomplice One album (2018), out this Friday, April 28 via CGP Sounds. Pre-save the album HERE.

“Doc’s Guitar/Black Mountain Rag Featuring Billy Strings” 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. Strings is the Michigan-born guitarist who won the 2021 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for his release Home. Like TOMMY, Billy honors his roots while also expanding always as a musician. His energy combined with TOMMY’s is what drives the track.

Quote from TOMMY:

“I knew I wanted to have Billy Strings play with me on ‘Doc’s Guitar/Black Mountain Rag.’ The moment we played together the very first time at MerleFest (2016), I heard his beautiful phrasing and his Doc quotes that took me back to hearing Doc when I was a teenager. Billy has Doc in his DNA, so getting him to come and record these tunes was only a matter of finding a time to capture it in a studio. The actual recording was quick, and we only did a couple of takes and we were done.  I had never heard Doc in Australia as I had spent most of my life in very rural areas where record stores were rare and music by Chet, Merle and Doc was impossible to find. It was an American tourist who saw me play at a show and came up to me afterwards and told me I sounded a bit like Doc Watson. I said, ‘who is Doc Watson? ” He gave me his tape out of his car stereo and I heard Doc for the first time. I think that was around 1973-4. I was smitten with his singing and his great playing, and I could hear the influences of Chet Atkins and Merle Travis all over his playing, but there was some Jimmie Rodgers too. Then I found more recordings that led to some of his fiddle tunes and blazing guitar works! My personal favorite recording by Doc is the album Reflections—a duets album with Chet Atkins. His legacy and body of work and influence are monumental and unequalled in my eyes. Thanks Doc for showing so many of us the way!”

Track details:

Doc’s Guitar/Black Mountain Rag featuring Billy Strings
Doc’s Guitar written by Doc Waters for Hilgreen Music (BMI)
Black Mountain Rag written by Leslie Keith (Public Domain)
Recorded at TuneSmith Studios in Goodlettsville, TN
Brad Benge – engineer
Billy Strings – guitar
Mike Bub – upright bass
Tommy Emmanuel – guitar

“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.”

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.

Look for TOMMY’s concert special “Accomplice LIVE!”—featuring such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Sierra Hull and Yasmin Williams—airing now on PBS during pledge drive. Known to deliver shows that are truly a head-spinning experience, TOMMY and his accomplices 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: APRIL 6, 2023

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

TOMMY EMMANUEL
JOINS FORCES WITH LITTLE FEAT AND SAM BUSH
FOR EXHILARATING COVER OF “CAJUN GIRL,”
LITTLE FEAT’S CLASSIC 1988 SONG

THE SONG IS THE SECOND 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, LITTLE FEAT, 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 (April 6) released the video for his musically virtuosic and exhilarating cover of the 1988 Little Feat classic “Cajun Girl,” featuring Little Feat and Sam Bush. The song arrives digitally tomorrow (April 7) as the second 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 (2018).

Watch the “Cajun Girl” video, filmed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart Productions as it was being recorded at Ocean Way Studio B in Nashville, HERE. The video was premiered yesterday by Relix which called “Cajun Girl” a “joyous collaboration.”

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

Quotes from TOMMY:

“I have been a fan of Little Feat since I first heard them back in the 70’s. They are a powerful band with great songs and tight, funky arrangements. I’m so honored to be on this track with these legends, to play with them, sing with them, and to find a common love of good music that brings the best out in all of us. I am also thrilled that Sam Bush came and played a great fiddle part which makes this track unique and shows his love for Little Feat too! The youngest member of the band, Scott Sharrard, is doing such brilliant work on slide guitar that I had to feature him on the last solo of the track. Lowell George would be smiling down at him, playing his ass off! Lend “Cajun Girl” your ears and your heart, and you’ll smile from my crazy intro to Scotts’ mojo-dripping finishing touches of the song. ENJOY!”

Quotes from Little Feat’s Bill Payne:

“Great thanks to Tommy Emmanuel for bringing new life to Little Feat’s “Cajun Girl.” To be in his orbit is always fun and relaxed. He is the consummate musician and a warm and open host. Looking at the array of artists on Accomplice 2, many of whom the band know, gives us a tangible joy to be in Tommy’s extended family. We’re pleased to say he is part of Little Feat’s family, too. Tommy Emmanuel is one of the finest musicians in the world. He lives and breathes music. What else could one want? “Cajun Girl” also has an extra layer of brilliance added to it from our dear friend Sam Bush. Sometimes you just have to say, life is good!”

Track details for “Cajun Girl” featuring Little Feat & Sam Bush:

Written by Bill Payne and Martin F. Kibbee for Feat Publishing (ASCAP)
Recorded at Ocean Way Studio B in Nashville, TN
Rory Rositas – engineer
Bill Payne – piano and lead vocals
Kenny Gradney – bass
Fred Tackett – mandolin and backing vocals
Scott Sharrard – guitar and backing vocals
Tony Leone – drums and backing vocals
Sam Bush – fiddle and backing vocals
Tommy Emmanuel – guitar and backing vocals

Read the press release HERE announcing the ACCOMPLICE TWO album and its first single/video, “White Freight Liner Blues,” TOMMY’s collaboration with Grammy-winning guitarist and singer Molly Tuttle on this cover of the Townes Van Zandt classic. The video was premiered by Guitar Player which described the collaboration as “spectacular.”

“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.”

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.

Look for TOMMY’s concert special “Accomplice LIVE!”—featuring such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Sierra Hull and Yasmin Williams—airing now 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: 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