Tommy Emmanuel - Center Stage

This is acoustic music in your face!" the emcee says by way of introducing the live recording that follows on this double-disc set from Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, the 53-year-old virtuoso who clearly knows how to wring every last bit of dynamic energy and volume out of his battered six-string. While old-time traditionalists will be green with envy at the effortless ease with which he blows through songs like Merle Travis' "Nine Pound Hammer" and Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia on My Mind," they will scoff at the crazy percussive sound effects he wrangles out of the strings and body in a rousing rave-up of "House of the Rising Sun" with harmonica player and stage guest Bob Littell. And when they hit the point in the CD where Emmanuel creates underwater-sounding feedback weirdness on "Initiation," they'll probably throw a conniption, because people just aren't supposed to make whale songs with just an acoustic guitar and a few effects circuits – noises that come darn near blowing one's speakers if the volume has been jacked up so as not to miss Emmanuel's subtle fingerpicking glories earlier in the set.

udp://tracker.openbittorrent.com:80
udp://open.demonii.com:1337
udp://tracker.coppersurfer.tk:6969
udp://exodus.desync.com:6969

burningrabbit (2011-03-16)

Oh, man, thank you for this upload. What a maestro. What technique, style, passion, command of a stage, and more...his heart is so pure.

Erich505 (2011-04-27)

Sheer genious.

Lasaruz (2011-05-30)

Thank you!