Danny Gatton - 88 Elmira St. (1991)

Danny Gatton ranks with rock & roll's all-time tragic guitar heros. One of the 1980s' greatest guitarists--and unquestionably one of the most eclectic and versatile axe-men ever--he committed suicide in 1994 without achieving the kind of fame his talent should have provided. Though initially considered a rockabilly guitarist, due to his associations with Roger Miller and Robert Gordon, this all- instrumental debut solo album (later LPs feature occasional guest vocalists) reveals that the man could, and did, play everything--jazz, country, blues, folk, swing...you name it. Most of the tracks here are originals, the exceptions being a John Martyn cover, Charlie Patton's "Funky Mama," "The Simpsons Theme," and a heart-wrenching cover of the Beach Boys' "In My Room" that could make Brian Wilson weep. --Bill Holdship