Noted Guitarist Performs At Utah State

Mike Christiansen, head of the guitar studies program in the department of music at Utah State University, only brings in a handful of performers each year. His philosophy is simple — limit quantity and highlight quality, and the year’s first guitar guest, jazz guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, continues the trend.

 

“Tommy Emmanuel is probably the most magnificent finger style guitar player in the world,” Christiansen said.

 

Emmanuel performs at Utah State University Tuesday, Oct. 12, in the intimate Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan (28 W. Center). Concert time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and at the Utah State Ticket Office in the Smith Spectrum. Admission is $15. Utah State students with current ID are admitted free.

 

Tickets are going fast, Christiansen said, and he encouraged those interested to pick up tickets early. His appearance at Utah State is supported by a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation.

 

“Since this concert has been posted on Tommy’s Web site, the word is out,” Christiansen said. “We are getting calls from the entire western part of the country. People want to come and hear him play.”

 

Emmanuel’s career spans three decades and continues to intersect with some of the finest musicians in the world. A household name in Australia, he has fans on five continents and is known as a “musician’s musician.”

 

Christiansen reinforced that appraisal. “Not only is he a great player, he’s a great entertainer,” he said.

 

In promotional materials, Emmanuel describes his unique style simply as “finger style.” It is akin to playing a guitar the way a pianist plays a piano. Recognized as a master of the finger style, he has his own guitar festivals, “Tommy Fest” — held in Newport News, Vir., Louisville, Ky., and Dortmund, Germany.

 

Emmanuel was inspired to pick up a guitar by jazz legend Chet Atkins. Decades later, Atkins became one of Emmanuel’s biggest fans and is responsible for declaring Emmanuel a “Certified Guitar Player” — an honor shared by only two other people in the world, Jerry Reed and John Knowles.

 

“I think he’s probably the greatest finger-picker in the world today,” Atkins said a few months prior to his death in 2001. “He’s inventive, fearless and has a flawless sense of rhythm. You can’t watch Tommy perform and not feel happy.”

 

“I’ve spent my whole life from the age of 4 playing music and entertaining people,” Emmanuel said. “I never wanted to do anything else. Playing the guitar is much more than a career for me. It’s a passion ... my life. The best thing in the world is to make people happy and bring them together through my music. Because I’m touring so much these days, the whole world has become my home.”

 

Emmanuel has performed with hundreds of musical legends, including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Sir George Martin, Hank Marvin and Joe Walsh. Olivia Newton-John, Al Jarreau and Sheena Easton have recorded songs written by Emmanuel.