Chet Atkins - The Essential Chet Atkins (1996)

Without blinking an eye, Atkins and his unwavering guitar move from bluegrass and country to pop, jazz, gospel, the Beatles, and the movies. Spanning nearly 40 years, these 20 cuts brilliantly display the elegant, quietly astonishing fingerpicking technique that Atkins perfected. Inspired by fingerpicking pioneer Merle Travis, Atkins developed a graceful, effortless style that often leaned toward classical guitar, and he applied it to everything from "Mr. Sandman" to "Black Mountain Rag." Atkins reaches even greater heights when spurred on by other top-flight musicians, as he is on striking duets with fiddler Johnny Gimble and guitarists Doc Watson and Jerry Reed. --Marc Greilsamer

Tracklist:

01. Mr. Sandman (2:22)
02. The Poor People of Paris (Jean's Song) (2:02)
03. Boo Boo Stick Beat (2:14)
04. Alley Cat (2:24)
05. Travelin' (2:21)
06. Yakety Axe (2:06)
07. Yesterday (3:13)
08. Blue Angel (2:28)
09. Theme from "Zorba the Greek" (from the film production "Zorba the Greek") (3:04)
10. Snowbird (2:18)
11. Steeplechase Lane (2:28)
12. Jerry's Breakdown (with Jerry Reed) (2:14)
13. Black Mountain Rag (2:36)
14. Fiddlin' Around (3:11)
15. Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme from the film "Doctor Zhivago") (2:37)
16. The Entertainer (Theme from "The Sting") (2:20)
17. Londonderry Air (2:51)
18. On My Way to Canaan's Land (3:08)
19. Tennessee Rag/Beaumont Rag (with Doc Watson) (2:28)
20. Chet's Medley: Four Walls/I Can't Stop Loving You/Send Me the Pillow You Dream On/Five Hundred Miles/Oh Lonesome Me (4:31)