Few musicians compare to Chet Atkins, the legendary Tennessee-born guitarist and record producer who practically reinvented the finger-picking style of playing.
His astonishing, distinctive sound has spanned a broad range of genres, including country, classical, folk, jazz, pop, blues, rockabilly and even surf-rock. He has influenced countless other pickers, including John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges and Jorma Kaukonen.
Saturday night, the Southern California-based Assn. of Fingerstyle Guitarists honored its hero with "A Tribute to Chet Atkins," a get-together that took place before a small gathering at Kirk Sand's Guitar Shoppe in Laguna Beach. (The group will host a two-day convention opening Friday in Anaheim.)
If Saturday's event was relatively small-scale, the atmosphere was cozy and celebratory. For 2 1/2 hours, guitarist Richard Alcoy and friends played faithful--frequently dazzling--versions of some of their favorite tunes associated with Atkins, 74, who couldn't attend.
The Philippines-born, Cerritos-based Alcoy began the concert with a 40-minute solo acoustic set that emphasized Atkins' classical and folk-based material. After a tepid opening in which he appeared overly reverential to the night's honoree, Alcoy eventually loosened up and finished strong with a spicy "Las Malagenas" and a unadorned, captivating performance of "Batucade," the Brazilian standard that Atkins recorded with a full orchestra.
Alcoy and La Mesa guitarist Mike Nelson then joined forces for a few selections that Nelson introduced by saying, "We've been working on these four songs for two years."
Their hard work paid off.
First, they performed "Tears," a much-covered Django Reinhardt song that soared with passionate soloing and intricate interplay. Then, introducing a breezier side of Atkins, they performed a freewheeling version of the Atkins/Jerry Reed pop-country chestnut, "Twichy."
Among the evening's other highlights were "Yesterday," a gentle, pretty duet played by Alcoy and guitarist E.B. Jensen; a rollicking rendering of Tommy Jones' "Chet's Place," which was powered by the electrified licks of Pastor Darrell Owens; and a concert-ending "Hellacious," an adrenaline-pumping Grateful Dead-like instrumental that happily incorporated jazz, folk and country strains.
It's hard to go wrong focusing on the tremendously rich catalog of Chet Atkins, and musically, "A Tribute to Chet Atkins" delivered the goods. Still, a bit more of a personal touch would have been welcome.
