CMT Blog: Chet Atkins

Here's hoping that Steve Wariner's Grammy victory on Sunday (Jan. 31) will entice curious country fans to check out his winning tune, "Producer's Medley." Claiming the Grammy in the country instrumental category, the track features a bunch of snippets from Nashville Sound-era classics that were originally produced by Chet Atkins. The full album is worth a listen, but if you like to dabble in a few tracks before committing, "Producer's Medley" is a pleasant way to get reacquainted with one of the most important figures in Nashville history -- and Steve Wariner, c.g. p., is not a half-bad guitar picker, either.

Here are some other Grammy winners and an appealing track from each one:
Americana Album: Levon Helm's Electric Dirt -- "When I Go Away"
Bluegrass Album: Steve Martin's The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo -- "Words Unspoken"
Contemporary Folk Album: Steve Earle's Townes -- "Colorado Girl"
Traditional Folk Album: Loudon Wainwright III's High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project -- "High Wide and Handsome"

Photo Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Many of my top albums from 2009 are by some of my longtime favorite artists. So as we prepare to enter a new decade, I'd like to acknowledge the musicians who have been creating notable music since long before some contemporary country artists were even born. For example, Reba McEntire notched her first Top 10 hit in 1980. George Strait wasn't far behind when "Unwound" arrived a year later. In an astonishing feat of longevity, McEntire's Keep on Loving You and Strait's Twang both debuted atop the Billboard 200 this year, tracking sales among all genres of music. I can't even tell you how eager I am to see these two on tour together in 2010.

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Some of my earliest memories of really connecting with music come from a Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits CD that my mother owned, and usually it started with a guitar lick. The riffs that John Fogerty wrote with Creedence were so iconic and natural that I never gave any thought to his skill with his instrument. But according to this interview in The Tennessean, even after all of his success he felt guilty about his guitar playing and how he never reached the level of his inspiration, Chet Atkins. Disproving the old-dogs-can't-learn-new-tricks theory, he spent almost two decades practicing and now feels like he can jam with Buddy Miller -- who contributed to Fogerty's The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again album -- without having to apologize first. That's pretty amazing, if you ask me, and shows what determination can do. Needless to say, I am pumped to see what he's got this Sunday at the Ryman. Maybe it will be something like this trailer from his concert DVD, Comin' Down the Road.

If you know anything about Dolly Parton, you've heard a Dolly-ism. Like, "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap" or when a fan shouts that he loves her, her reply is always, "I thought I told you to stay in the truck." Take for instance yesterday afternoon's (Nov. 9) private screening of a new CD/DVD combo, Live From London, or as she jokes, her "Double D, Double Disc set." As I anxiously waited in a Nashville studio with other reporters, I could see the anticipation rising in each person's face as she walked to the podium. And in her regular fashion, she quickly turned the press conference into an intimate gathering of friends. And you guessed it, with more Dolly-isms. Here are a few favorites from last night's event. Because if you're anything like me, you just can't get enough of her words of wisdom:

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Famed songwriter Jerry Chesnut shared a fascinating story over the weekend about writing George Jones' enduring hit, "A Good Year for the Roses." During an interview at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 26), Chesnut said he had eliminated the landscaping budget on a new property and decided to do the work himself. But the roses he bought didn't grow. When he called the garden shop, he was told that the soil was too damp from all the rain -- specifically, "It's just not a good year for the roses." Chesnut thought to himself, "Now, what if it was a good year for the roses but everything else was falling to pieces?" Ta-da! A country classic was born.

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Here's a nifty, low-budget video from Jer Coons, a young singer-songwriter from Vermont. I like the tune and I have a feeling that Taylor Swift's legion of fans will embrace it, too. Coons says his favorite country artists are Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Chet Atkins and Nickel Creek -- which makes for a fun mix. He's about to launch a tour behind his brand new album, Speak, with many of the shows open to all ages. With a smile like that, I have a feeling he'll be especially popular with the college coeds.

Patty Loveless is making sure that songwriter Harlan Howard is not forgotten. She graciously serenaded an industry crowd with "Blame It on Your Heart" at the ACM Honors last night (Sept. 22) in Nashville, where Howard was posthumously honored with the ACM's Poet's Award. Although he died in 2002, he's still considered country music's most legendary songwriter. In addition to "Blame It on Your Heart," his credits include "Heartaches by the Number," "I Fall to Pieces," "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down," "Tiger by the Tail" and "Why Not Me?" as well as "Busted," which Loveless includes on her new album, Mountain Soul II.

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Steve Wariner has a new album coming that salutes his mentor and friend Chet Atkins, and he shared some of it during a Saturday afternoon (Aug. 29) performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Wariner led his set with "Leaving Luttrell," followed by "Sails," with its beautiful melody brought to life by Wariner's tender touch. Along with the exceptional picking, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Wariner and fellow c.g.p. (certified guitar picker) John Knowles swap stories about Atkins' wry sense of humor, his humble nature and his desire to keep learning. It made me wish I had met him. Fortunately his legacy is evident in My Tribute to Chet Atkins (due Nov. 10), which balances Atkins' songs with Wariner's new compositions.

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When Jerry Reed died this week, country music lost one of its most colorful characters. Yeah, he wrote some memorable songs, made some great records and developed a guitar style that was truly his own, but his image as a redneck good ol' boy from Georgia permeated his music and ultimately led to his success as an actor. Through the years, other country music artists have been in feature films, but how many of those movies have been as successful as his work with Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit or with Adam Sandler in The Waterboy?

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I've been in Nashville for just about a year now. I guess that puts me somewhere between assimilated local, and wide eyed visitor. I'm still finding new and interesting things almost every week, but I've also had time to key in on a few of my favorite Nashville attractions. With vacation season just around the corner, why not share some of these "can't miss" spots.

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