TOMMY EMMANUEL Shares Video For “Far Away Places” With Raul Malo Of The Mavericks

Article Contributed by SRO | Published on Monday, August 7, 2023

Grammy-nominated acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, composer and global touring artist TOMMY EMMANUEL has shared the video for “Far Away Places” featuring Raul Malo who today (August 7) is celebrating his birthday. Watch the video HERE.

The acoustically performed song is a tender and aching expression of longing. It appears on EMMANUEL’s current album ACCOMPLICE TWO (the follow-up to 2018’s Accomplice One album) which was released this past April via CGP Sounds. "Far Away Places" is an American standard, written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer, first popularized by Bing Crosby and then Vera Lynn. Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard (for Neighborhoods Apart) directed and edited the video, which captures EMMANUEL and Malo recording the song live together at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, TN. The video was premiered earlier today Glide.

“When you work with Tommy, anything is possible,” says Malo, who turns in a masterfully subtle and emotionally stirring performance. “His command of arrangements and melodies allows you to dig deep into a treasure chest of songs that only a few on the planet dare play. He is that kind of musician.”

“I chose to put this song as the final one on this album because it leaves us with a feeling of comfort and lets us marvel over such a great vocal performance,” says TOMMY. “It was my honor to record with Raul—he's in a league of his own!”

Q&A with TOMMY About “Far Away Places”:

What inspired your collaboration with Raul Malo on “Far Away Places”?

“When I asked Raul to sing a song with me for this album, he sent me three choices of Sam Cooke recordings. We knew it had to be a song that would suit just voice and guitar, not a big production. I chose “Faraway Places” for its beautiful melody, simple structure and Raul’s fabulous style of singing it! As you can see by the video, it was a stunning and perfect vocal performance by Raul—I am so proud to be his accompanist!”

"Far Away Places" is an American standard, written by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer, and first popularized in 1948 by Bing Crosby (peaking at #2 on the Billboard chart). What led you to interpret the song?

“I didn't hear the original Bing Crosby version; I heard Sam Cooke singing it and knew Raul would smash it out of the park! With a tight schedule to keep, I had to choose a song that I could arrange quickly and get a recording / performance in one or two takes. Raul and I did two takes and the second one is the one we thought was the best.”

On this track, you play with nylon string and steel string guitars. Can you talk about the dynamic of playing these two different guitars and what it brings to the song?

“I played my Kirk San Nylon-string guitar for the main accompaniment, then overdubbed the solo on my Maton Steel String. I kept it simple and tried to stay on the melody in my solo, an obvious choice to me.”

Look for TOMMY, coming off his July U.S. tour dates, to return to America September 7 for a major fall tour. See the dates below.

Produced lovingly by EMMANUEL, regarded by guitar great Chet Atkins as “one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen,” the 16-track ACCOMPLICE TWO is a spirited mix of new takes on indelible classics and brand-new originals from TOMMY. His collaborators are some of the most remarkable musicians on the planet—an “A” list of musicians including Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Michael McDonald, Jamey Johnson, Raul Malo, and many more (the full list is HERE). View the album’s critical praise HERE. EMMANUEL has continued to release videos including most recently these, filmed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard for Neighborhoods Apart.

Mombasa” with Yasmin Williams

Sweet Temptation” with The Del McCoury Band

Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)” with Jamey Johnson

ACCOMPLICE TWO is alive with the electric spirit of spontaneous, timeless joy created by inspired virtuosos. The combined artistry contained on these tracks is stunning, as is TOMMY’s cheerful ease at connecting naturally with this vast spectrum of musicians. Like the first volume, he merges the presence of beloved, legendary musicians—such as Jorma Kaukonen, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Sam Bush, the Del McCoury Band and Jerry Douglas—with the bright spirit of acclaimed young artists breaking through with deep artistry and true reverence for the power of song.

EMMANUEL recently shared a freewheeling “10 Questions” Q&A (below) where he talks about his inspirations and an array of subjects including his “Spinal Tap” moment; the JFK assassination; his desire to be on a bill with Carole King and James Taylor; and watching (as a kid) Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Read it HERE.

Here are TOMMY’s U.S. tour dates for 2023. The full international list of dates is HERE.

DATE

LOCATION

VENUE

Sep 07

Richmond, VA

Dominion Energy Center - Carpenter Theatre

Sep 08

New Brunswick, NJ

State Theatre New Jersey

Sep 09

New York, NY

Town Hall

Sep 10

Glenside, PA

Keswick Theatre

Sep 12

Ithaca, NY

State Theater of Ithaca

Sep 13

Northampton, MA

Academy of Music Theatre

Sep 14

Boston, MA

The Wilbur

Sep 15

Peekskill, NY

Paramount Hudson Valley Theater

Sep 16

Alexandria, VA

The Birchmere

Sep 17

Alexandria, VA

The Birchmere

Sep 23

Nashville, TN

Ryman Auditorium

Oct 11

Indianapolis, IN

Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

Oct 12

Cleveland, OH

Playhouse Square

Oct 13

Royal Oak, MI

Royal Oak Music Theatre

Oct 14

Chicago, IL

Park West

Oct 15

Milwaukee, WI

Pabst Theater

Oct 17

New York, NY

Brooklyn Bowl

Oct 18

Iowa City, IA

Englert Civic Theatre

Oct 19

St. Louis, MO

Sheldon Concert Hall

Oct 20

St. Louis, MO

Sheldon Concert Hall

Oct 21

Cincinnati, OH

Taft Theatre

Nov 28

Kansas City, MO

Uptown Theater

Nov 29

New York, NY

Music Hall of Williamsburg

Nov 30

Dallas, TX

Majestic Theatre

Dec 01

Houston, TX

Cullen Performance Hall

Dec 02

Austin, TX

Paramount Theatre

Dec 03

San Antonio, TX

Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

Dec 05

Albuquerque, NM

Kimo Theatre

Dec 06

Tucson, AZ

Fox Tucson Theatre

Dec 07

Mesa, AZ

Mesa Arts Center Ikeda Theater

Dec 08

El Cajon, NM

The Magnolia

Dec 09

Beverly Hills, NM

Saban Theatre

Dec 10

Fresno, CA

Tower Theatre

Dec 12

San Francisco, CA

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

Dec 13

Sacramento, CA

Crest Theatre

LATEST ARTICLES