Two of the three remaining Certified Guitar Players (an honor bestowed by Chet Atkins)--TOMMY EMMANUEL and JOHN KNOWLES--will release their collaborative instrumental album HEART SONGS on Friday, January 11 via CGP Sounds/Thirty Tigers. The twosome also just launched their tour this past Tuesday night (January 8) in San Francisco, a coast-to-coast swing with multiple two-night engagements set for New York, Boston, Alexandria (VA), Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Franklin (TN). The tour wraps February 26 in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry. Tickets for all shows are on sale now. Click here for more details.
HEART SONGS spotlights the players' proficient ability to capture and radiate emotion through their instruments with special arrangements of "Cold, Cold Heart," the album's lead-off single written by Hank Williams; "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" written by Billy Joel; and "I Can Let Go Now" written by Michael McDonald, among other songs. Elmore Magazine just weighed in with a rave review, noting:
"The combination of these artists' sensibilities, their careful listening to each other, along with the complimentary tonalities of a steel string and classical guitar carry this set through a variety of affairs of not just the heart, but the mysteries that move it."
--Ken Spooner, Elmore Magazine, Rating: 98 out of 100
Click here to watch their rendition of The Bee Gees hit "How Deep Is Your Love," initially premiered at Parade Magazine (12/13/18).
EMMANUEL, twice voted Best Acoustic Guitarist by readers of Guitar Player magazine and who's been honored as a Member of the Order of Australia and KNOWLES, a Grammy winner and member of the National Thumb Picker's Hall of Fame, know how to get to the core of a song and accentuate its finest qualities.
The 14-track HEART SONGS, recorded at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, intertwines thoughtful arrangements of songs from other artists, a classic Broadway musical like West Side Story, their own compositions and live performances. In November, Guitar Player premiered the album's lead single, "Cold, Cold Heart" while Acoustic Guitar magazine premiered "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" and noted that "...it's no surprise that both guitarists are on the top of their games throughout Heart Songs." (11/29/18)
In other news, KNOWLES has also been added to TOMMY EMMANUEL's June Guitar Camp in Vail, CO. More information on the camp can be found here.
HEART SONGS Track Listing:
"Cold, Cold Heart" (written by Hank Williams)
"How Deep Is Your Love" (written by The Bee Gees)
"I Can't Stop Loving You" (written by Don Gibson)
"Somewhere" (written by Leonard Bernstein from West Side Story)
"I Can Let Go Now" (written by Michael McDonald)
"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" (written by Billy Joel)
"After Paris" (written by John Knowles)
"Walkin' My Baby Back Home" (written by Roy Turk and Fred Ahlert)
"I Can't Make You Love Me" (written by Allen Shamblin and Michael Reid)
"Where Is Love" (written by Lionel Bart for Oliver!)
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (written by Bobby Russell and Bobby Scott)
"Eva Waits" (written by Tommy Emmanuel)
"Turning Home (Live)"
"How Deep Is Your Love (Live)"
Catch Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles on tour:
DATE |
CITY/STATE |
VENUE |
|
Tue |
1/8 |
San Francisco, CA |
Herbst Theatre |
Wed |
1/9 |
Bakersfield, CA |
Buck Owens' Crystal Palace |
Fri |
1/11 |
San Juan Capistrano, CA |
The Coach House |
Tue |
1/15 |
New York, NY |
City Winery |
Wed |
1/16 |
New York, NY |
City Winery |
Fri |
1/18 |
Boston, MA |
City Winery |
Sat |
1/19 |
Boston, MA |
City Winery |
Sun |
1/20 |
Homer, NY |
Center for The Arts |
Mon |
1/21 |
Sellersville, PA |
Sellersville Theater |
Tue |
1/22 |
Alexandria, VA |
The Birchmere |
Wed |
1/23 |
Alexandria, VA |
The Birchmere |
Fri |
1/25 |
Minneapolis, MN |
Dakota Jazz Club |
Sat |
1/26 |
Minneapolis, MN |
Dakota Jazz Club |
Sun |
1/27 |
St. Louis, MO |
The Sheldon Concert Hall |
Tue |
2/19 |
Atlanta, GA |
City Winery |
Wed |
2/20 |
Atlanta, GA |
City Winery |
Fri |
2/22 |
Franklin, TN |
The Franklin Theater |
Sat |
2/23 |
Franklin, TN |
The Franklin Theater |
Tue |
2/26 |
Nashville, TN |
Grand Ole Opry |