Atkins, Chet
Fingerpickin' Good!
Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924-June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman," was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music style which expanded its appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily a guitarist, but he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele, and occasionally sang. Atkins's signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis, and he became the ultimate master at it. His thumb was perfect at doing bass lines on the low strings while his other fingers picked amazing melodies on the higher strings. Atkins became a go to reference for every guitar learner for years. This selection contains some of his best arrangements on tunes like 'Windy And Warm' or jazz guitarist Johnny Smith's 'Walk Don't Run,' which later would become a world hit in the hands of The Ventures. Also worth of mention is his great arrangement of 'Mr. Sandman,' which you can bet it might have sounded at every guitar store time before 'Stairway To Heaven' became the song for guitarists to try a new guitar!