By: Rick Landers
Images – Courtesy T. E.
This interview was originally published in 2007.
Tommy Emmanuel The Mystery
In January 2007, Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel was handed a Golden Guitar award for “Best Instrumental Performance” at the Country Music Awards of Australia for “Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag” a track off his latest album, The Mystery, released in 2006.
We now look forward to the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on February 11, 2007, to see if the instrumental will also win a Grammy for “Best Country Instrumental Performance”. Tommy plays like lightning on the track that couples Merle Travis’s “Cannonball Rag” with his own “Gameshow Rag”.
It’s been a long road for Tommy, not from being long in the tooth, but because he picked up his first guitar at the ripe old age of four. Not much grass has grown beneath his feet since then, except maybe some Kentucky Blue.
Emmanuel has 15 albums of his own, as well as Terra Firma (1987) with his brother Phil and another The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World (1997), where he shares credits with his idol Chet Atkins.
Turning professional at 12, he helped his family earn a living with the family band called The Trailblazers. The guy’s got time in the saddle and a very rare “Certified Guitar Player” award from the late legendary Chet Atkins. His awards include, “Best Guitarist” (Juke magazine); Best Country Instrumental Album (Nashville Music Awards); Gold Award for live album recorded with the Australian Philharmonic; Best Guitarist Award (Rolling Stone magazine – Australia); and three platinum awards for album sales in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. In 2000, Tommy and his brother Phil were the featured performers at the Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney Olympic Games, watched by an estimated one billion viewers.
Tommy has shared the stage with such notables as Eric Clapton, Hank Marvin, Joe Walsh, Nokie Edwards, Stevie Wonder, Les Paul, Keith Urban, Sir George Martin, the Australian Symphony Orchestra and other formidable musicians.
Guitar International caught its first live glimpse of Emmanuel’s guitar magic at the 2005 Les Paul Birthday Tribute concert held at Carnegie Hall. There were only two standing ovations that night. Mr. Paul got a standing ovation when he walked on stage. Tommy earned his after a stunning performance of his tune “Mombasa” where he did some flash picking and percussionist thumping. The guy was all over that Maton guitar, spanking it and slapping it around with African rhythms.
We spoke with Tommy on January 8, 2007, just before he began packing for his 2007 European Tour. His home is now at the center of guitar universe, Nashville, Tennessee, but he’s still a bloke on the move and continues to roam the globe like an Old World gypsy or a modern day “road dawg”. He’d already gotten word of his Grammy nomination and told us he felt honored to be named in the company of such great musicians. Emmanuel’s a class act in more ways than one.
Rick Landers: Tommy, you’re getting ready to hit the road, right?
Tommy Emmanuel: Actually, my tour begins on Friday in Germany.
Rick: First things first, I’d like to congratulate you on your Grammy nomination in the “Best Country Instrumental Performance” category for your amazing instrumental “Game Show Rag/Cannonball Rag.” You end that tune with a laugh, like you were playing for the sheer fun of it.
Tommy: Yeah. Basically, I’ve always loved “Cannonball Rag”. It’s one of my favorite Mel Travis tunes and I wanted to record it, but I wanted to do something totally different with it, so I wrote “Game Show Rag” and wrote it in that kind of Travis style, but in a way that led me perfectly into “Cannonball Rag.”
The reason I think I laughed so much is when I actually recorded I did it on the first take. I actually did it once, and that’s it. So, we were pleased with that.
Rick: Sounded great. The segue between the two rags was seamless. Have you had a chance to listen to the other Grammy nominated tunes?
Tommy: I’ve heard a couple of the other songs, and they’re really good! I’m very honored to be in such great company.
Rick: Including Doc Watson, who also did “Cannonball Rag.”
Tommy: Yes, he does! The track that Doc did with Brian Sutton, I haven’t actually heard. I’ve heard some of the other tracks. I’ve heard the Chris Thile track, but I’ve always loved Doc and I’ve always loved his work. And Brian’s a friend of mine, as well. We’re all kind of connected, you know?
Rick: You know that your friend and idol Chet Atkins won the same award back in 1975 for Atkins-Travis Traveling Show, and now you’re nominated for a song with a Merle Travis connection. Is this “The Mystery” at work?
Tommy: It could be! I was just hoping that if I won I would be bringing up a kind of connection from my early days when I first heard Merle Travis way back in the early ’60s when I was in Australia. It’s like bringing it home. Last year, I was voted into the Hall of Fame in Muhlenberg County, the Thumb Pickers’ Hall of Fame, and that was the same kind of thing. It was like paying my homage to Merle Travis and to his legacy, and also to Chet.
Rick: In 1999, Chet named you a “Certified Guitar Player” along with Jerry Reed and John Knowles. In the world of guitar, this is kind of like being knighted by the king. How did that come about?
Rick: The first track on the The Mystery, “Cantina Senese”, kicks in with a little Django gypsy rhythmic burst, and then it has strange but fun guitar licks. What can you tell us about the cantina that this is based on, and what makes it such a special place for you?
Tommy: The Cantina Senese is in a place called Livorno in Tuscany, Italy. It’s one of those places where you walk through the door and you walk into another dimension. It’s a restaurant, it’s a bar, it’s a place where people meet. It’s just this cocktail of excitement, noise, smells, tastes, and every time we go there, we end up getting our guitars out and playing in the restaurant. So, I wanted to write something that kind of had that feel to it, like a real party. It’s a little Spanish, but that’s what it’s like being in Tuscany. It’s a little bit like being in Spain.
Rick: Living in Nashville, I know that must give you a lot of opportunities to play with some other really great guitarists. Have you ever thought about taking a drive out of town and jamming with some local guys down in the holler, some real roots pickers?
Tommy: Well, let me tell you, I did 340 concerts last year. I don’t get a lot of time to do stuff like that. When I come home to Nashville, I’m usually having a few days of rest and recreation, and then I get to work on whatever project it is that I need to get going, then I’m back on the road again. So, I don’t really get a lot of chances. The only guy I’ve been hanging out with lately is Ricky Skaggs, and I’ve been over to Ricky’s studio a few times and I’ve played some of his guitars and jammed. He’s become a really, really great friend.
Rick: How long have you lived in Nashville?
Tommy: I’ve been living here for two years, but I’ve been coming here since 1980. That’s when I first met Chet. But I bought a place here two years ago, so I’m kind of officially a resident here.
Rick: A Nashville cat, I guess.
Tommy: Well, people think that I moved here for the music scene, and it’s not the case at all. I’m busy as hell out on the road. I moved to Nashville and bought a house because it’s one of the most affordable places I’ve ever been. I’ve got children living and going to school and going to college in England, the most expensive country in the world, so I’m working my ass off trying to make all that work!
Rick: Tell us of the experience and the mental phases that you go through when you hear that you’re nominated for an award like your Golden Guitar or Grammy.
Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy: I think every time I’ve been nominated for some kind of award, I’m excited when I hear the nomination. But I never walk around thinking I’ve got it in the bag because there’s so much talent out there, and a lot of times it’s who votes and what they like. I just try to put it out of my mind and get on with things, although in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, “If I won this, what would I say?” [Laughs]
So, I definitely have time to think about that. But I don’t let it dominate my day-to-day life. The same as any kind of awards or accolades. In general, I appreciate it very much, but I’m busy and I’m working and I’m trying to get better at what I’m doing. So, I definitely don’t take time to stop and smell the roses. I’m busy, you know?
Rick: Lewis and Clark ended their expedition in 1806, and 200 years later you release a really elegant, haunting tribute to them. What visuals and feelings does the tune bring out for you?
Tommy: After I read the journals of Lewis and Clark, I was inspired to write that song. And I knew that the song had to be simple. I knew that it had to be a little bit haunting. It had to be speaking of the great unknown, and, at the same time, have elements of the Indian people – of their music, of their culture. So, that was a wonderful challenge for a white kid from Australia. The song was very inspired. When I hear the introduction, I hear the Indian people sitting around the campfire, maybe talking about what’s coming up the trail, that kind of thing. It’s like a preparation before Lewis and Clark finally get on their way. That’s how I hear it.
Rick: Did you read the book, Undaunted Courage?
Tommy: I’ve got it. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I finally got it.
Rick: It’s a great read.
Tommy: I believe so. It’s an amazing story.
Rick: I saw you at the Les Paul 90th birthday tribute at Carnegie Hall, and you gave a stunning performance. I think you played “Mombasa”, right?
Tommy: Yes, I did.
Rick: In fact, I think you were the only guest guitarist to receive a standing ovation that night.
Tommy: I believe so.
Rick: Did you realize that your performance was as thrilling to the audience as it appeared to be to you?
Tommy: I was just so honored to be there and to be in such great company. Les has always been special to me, not just as the great man he is from an inventor’s and a musician’s point of view. He’s a great, great person and an inspiring man to be around. I’ve always felt like I loved him like a father. I wanted to get out there and give him my best.
The audience was just so on fire that night, and to actually be there on that stage. When I walked out there in the afternoon to do my sound check, I walked out on that stage and just felt the room and thought, “Oh, my God, the people who have been in this place and how the hell did I ever get here.” It was just the most incredible experience.
Rick: And there were so many great guitarists playing that night.
Tommy: Oh, yeah. But, we were all having a great time backstage, with Jose Feliciano and Bucky Pizzarelli and I, and Luke [Steve Lukather] was there, and we were all jamming away backstage. We had a great time. We really did.
Rick: I know that you play Australia’s Maton guitars, but I see on your album that there’s a guitar called the Travis Williams Dreadnought.
Tommy: Travis is a friend of mine, and he lives somewhere between Oklahoma City and Dallas, Texas. He lives down that way. I don’t know exactly where it is that he lives. He just calls me from time to time. I’ve got two of his guitars. He builds acoustic guitars specifically with that big bottom end that Merle Travis got out of his Martin. And I just like the sound of it, you know? I just mic’ed it up on that track, too. There were just two mics on the guitar, and I just played straight down.
Rick: Both Merle Travis and Chet Atkins popularized thumb picking back in the ’40s. Would you explain how that technique actually works and some examples of where you use that on The Mystery?
Tommy: Well, Chet had so many variations on the one kind of technique, and Travis wrote in such a clever way. They were very different, those two guys, but it was all about melody and tone and the groove of what they were doing, and I guess the importance of the song. I think I used, and still do use, a lot of Chet and Merle’s kind of rhythmic ideas to get this rhythmic pattern going underneath and then put the melody over the top of it.
I think the melody is really the most important thing. Everything else you can create around it, but you get that melody out there, and if you can get that melody out there while playing a finger-style arrangement, it’s very exciting, and very self-contained.
Rick: I understand that you first learned to play guitar when you were around four. What advice would you give to up and coming four-year-old guitarists?
Tommy: [Laughs] Go to school! Learn some good songs. Learn some songs that inspire you to play the instrument. Because most young people, if they get a teacher that’s kind of a bit … I don’t know what phrase I would use, but if you get a teacher that’s a bit too much by the book and not enough good songs. Students tend to lose interest. If you can, find a teacher who will not only teach you the good basic knowledge that you need to know, but will challenge you with good songs to learn and keep you interested.
Rick: Frank Vignola once told me the same thing, that you really need to learn songs and be inspired by the music. You know him?
Tommy: Yeah, wow. What a musician that guy is!
Rick: When you were younger, what was the typical gig like when you were playing in the outback of Australia?
Tommy: Well, let’s see. The show happened with my father introducing us, the Emmanuel Quartet, and we came out and played about 20 minutes of instrumentals. My brother played lead guitar and I played rhythm and I supplied the bass part with my thumb. My eldest brother played drums. My sister played lap steel guitar, so she just kind of played fills and things and moved the chords around in the songs where my brother was playing lead, and then she would take the lead and we would back her. Then I would play the banjo, and I would play the Hawaiian steel, and then I’d do a drum solo and stuff like that. Then we’d all sing a little bit. It was a bit of everything.
Rick: What kind of music were you playing?
Tommy: We played music by the Ventures and the Shadows, Duane Eddy and people like that.
Rick: Oh, yeah with a lot of reverb.
Tommy: Absolutely!
Rick: What were the places like?
Tommy: They were just small little towns with little halls. Sometimes we played out in the street. Sometimes we’d play in the local hall. Sometimes we’d play on the back of a truck at a truck stop or something like that.
Rick: I heard that you’ve been producing recently. Can you tell us about that?
Tommy: I just produced a band from Australia that I’ve signed to my label. They’re called, Bluehouse, and they’re wonderful. It’s two young ladies who are singer-songwriters. They’ve opened for me several times over here in the United States, and they’re really, really wonderful. I’m going to work to get them going and try to get them a deal with a major label in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, and market them here in the United States. They’re great!
Rick: Your upcoming tour schedule’s intense. Do you thrive on this like some kind of modern gypsy?
Tommy: [Laughs] I’m trying to get to a lot of places, and I’m building areas, like Sweden for instance. This will be my third visit to Sweden. You’ve got to keep coming back to build an audience.
The same thing with Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and places like that. I’ve had a pretty quick rise in places like Croatia and Serbia, where I’m playing to, like, 1,500 people a night now. I went there for the first time last year, so it builds quickly. I’ve been on TV and stuff like that. You’ve just got to get off your ass and go and do it.
Rick: Will the tour be a solo act, or will you be traveling with a group?
Tommy: I’ll be solo.
Rick: Some people consider music to be an escape. Where does your music take you?
Tommy: All over the world, into every corner of the world. It never ceases to amaze me. Many times, during a show or after a show, I’ll look at my little guitar and I’ll think, “Wow. How did this little box made of wood with some wires on it, how did it get me here?”
Rick: Where does it take you emotionally when you’re playing?
Tommy: It takes me to so many, many places. Sometimes I remember my childhood and I remember my mother. Sometimes when I’m playing, I’ll really feel the presence of Chet and Merle. A lot of times, I concentrate on the audience and just try to put it out there, close my eyes and envision it just kind of washing over people.
Rick: Does it help when your audience is really into it?
A young Tommy Emmanuel in his native Australia.
Tommy: Absolutely! If the audience is on fire, then they’re going to fire me up to no end. That’s for sure!
Rick: With all that you’ve accomplished as a musician, is there anything that you’ve always wanted to do but you still haven’t had time or the opportunity hasn’t presented itself to make it happen?
Tommy: Well, there are so many things that I feel I want to do. I think a person can’t be everything that they want to be before their time. I think everything that’s happening to me is happening at a time when it’s meant to happen. I’m not going to stand here and complain about the timing of everything in my life. I’m going to say that I’m going to do my best every time I get out there, and I believe that I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing what I’m called to do.
Rick: There’s a Billy Joel song called “So It Goes” on the new CD. You’re a Billy Joel fan?
Tommy: I’ve been a Billy Joel fan since the ’70s. That guy is an incredible songwriter. I really admire him greatly. I was just messing around with that song one day, and I thought, “Wow, this could work on the guitar!”
So, I just started coming up with that arrangement. I actually took a bit of liberty with it and changed it around from the original, because it works better as an instrumental if you don’t repeat the sections where he does in the song. But he’s telling a story. When he sings it, he’s telling a story. When I play it, I guess I’m telling a different story or something. But I just think it’s a gorgeous melody. There’s something kind of Elizabethan about it. It’s very unusual.
Rick: Is there anything that I haven’t asked that you’d like to talk about?
Tommy: Oh, man. You’ve covered so much. It was a pleasant surprise.
Rick: Hope you have a great tour.
Tommy: Well, thank you very much! I really appreciate it. Well, thank you for your time, brother, and for all your support. It sure does make me feel good.
