The legendary Chet Atkins was much more than the emblematic country music guitar player. A guitar master and celebrity with a unique, subtle, sharp and clean sound, with a compelling fingerpicking style, he embodied the American guitar myth. A giant nicknamed Mister Guitar, he became a session man for Elvis Presley and hundreds more; an influential Producer who created the Nashville Sound and a precursor of surf rock, the hard-working Atkins involved himself in a number of genres with finesse and style: rock, pop, as well as blues, jazz, gypsy music, classical and, of course, country. The classic Gretsch Country Gentleman electric guitar was named after one of his tunes and several guitars were soon labeled the Chet Atkins models. Indispensable to any guitar lover, the cream of his dazzling solo recordings is packed into this definitive anthology of his golden age, concocted and annotated by Bruno Blum.
Patrick FRÉMEAUX

DISC 1 - 1946 -1952 : GUITAR BLUES • CANNED HEAT • STANDING ROOM ONLY • BUG DANCE • THE NASHVILLE JUMP • MY GUITAR IS MY SWEETHEART • I’M PICKING THE BLUES • BARNYARD SHUFFLE • DIZZY STRINGS • GALLOPING ON THE GUITAR • BARBER SHOP RAG • CENTIPEDE BOOGIE • MAIN STREET BREAKDOWN • BOOGIE MAN BOOGIE • INDIAN LOVE CALL • BIRTH OF THE BLUES • MOUNTAIN MELODY • HYBRID CORN • JITTERBUG WALTZ • ONE MAN BOOGIE • CRAZY RHYTHM • RAINBOW • IN THE MOOD • BLUE GYPSY • THE THIRD MAN THEME • SAINT LOUIS BLUES.

DISC 2 - 1952-1956 : NOBODY’S SWEETHEART • LOVER, COME BACK TO ME! • BLACK MOUNTAIN RAG • IMAGINATION • PIG LEAF RAG • OH BY JINGO! • HELLO! MA BABY • COUNTRY GENTLEMAN • MEMPHIS BLUES • ALICE BLUE GOWN • TWELFTH STREET RAG • GEORGIA CAMP MEETING • DILL PICKLES RAG • BEAUTIFUL OHIO • FRANKIE AND JOHNNY • CARAVAN • MISTER SANDMAN • DANCE WITH ME HENRY • DARLING, JE VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP • TWEEDLE DEE • UNCHAINED MELODY • INTERMEZZO • TENDERLY • MINUTE WALTZ • MINUET • INDIAN LOVE CALL.

DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : BRUNO BLUM