In the 46 years because the Lovin’ Spoonful made history for themselves and for Music Town with that tune, that number offers obviously grown. Many guitarists have come and gone, dreamed and died, making the task of determining a consensus “greatest ever” picker to play Country Music a tough one. Still, it’s worth trying to accomplish, particularly with the aid and counsel of some of those heralded Nashville Cats themselves. Everyone interviewed put Hank Garland at the top. The youthful South Carolinian hit it big when he debuted at the Grand Ole Opry at the age of 15, back in 1945. For the next 16 years, he was an A-Team session guitarist and an inventive and influential musician, unafraid of blowing right history musical boundaries. Unfortunately, a poor car wreck in 1961 robbed him of much of his service. “He’s the guy who all the Nashville guys thought was the very best guitarist besides Chet (Atkins), who was Mr. Elegant,” John Sebastian mentioned. “He was the guy you could hang a whole session on. “There’s no query it’s Hank Garland,” said Kenny Vaughan of The Fabulous Superlatives when asked who is No. 1 in Country guitar.
“His technique was generally unsurpassed and his harmonic knowledge was considerably advanced beyond what you’d hear today. He previously a significant loose, playful feel that appeared to be spot-on. Never sloppy, he played some wild licks. “Hank was rare in the actual fact that he was equally comfy playing jazz or Nation,” added Steve Wariner. “He was so popular by producers in Nashville for the united states periods, but he could play any style and lightning fast. He would play just the right thing on any session. We’ve all heard hundreds of the hits he played on and yet may not really know it had been him. So goes the life of a session musician! “Because of his jazz playing, Hank Garland was revered by everyone on earth,” agreed Harold Bradley, a member of CMA’s Country Music Hall of Fame. “Although the famous guitar player was short, it was incredible work he did in a short period of time.
Some say Garland would have to wrestle Grady Martin for the No. 1 place. Coming from rural poverty near Lewisburg and Chapel Hill, Tenn., he played with an encyclopedia of greats, from Buddy Holly to Roy Orbison to Willie Nelson to Nation Joe and the Seafood. “I first became alert to him as a kid through Ray Price and Marty Robbins recordings,” said Wariner. “He developed a style that's much imitated. His usage of tape echo in the studio was amazing. He was equally outstanding on acoustic guitar. Martin “was a consummate guitar player and studio hero,” said Richard Bennett, person in the Notorious Cherry Bombs, sideman for Neil Gemstone and Mark Knopfler, producer for Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Marty Stuart, and first-level studio ace. “The man could play anything. “He described the styles on Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty recordings,” Bradley noticed. “He also defined the Tex-Mex sound with ‘El Paso’ and performed the fuzz on ‘Don’t Worry’ by Marty Robbins. “Hank Garland and Grady Martin are the two top guys,” Vaughan insisted.
“At that point in music, individuals were generally even more educated about more advanced harmonic structures. These were incorporating components of bebop into their playing. Both of these guys weren't hillbillies. They were able to ‘hillbilly it up’ when called for, and they were able to play rock ‘n’ roll and tear it up. But I pay attention to them and say, ‘Wait one minute. “You have to consist of Chet Atkins,” stated Bradley. “He did therefore much internationally, not merely for the guitar but for Nashville. While we were the A-Teamers, the 12 guys who have been digging the coal each day, Chet was like my buddy Owen: They turned out to be on to larger and better points. Chet went on to become concert player. He wasn’t a guitar-for-hire after he became an executive. But he kept getting better and better. There was a progression to the items that he was performing in those last a decade.
“Along with Owen Bradley, he offers been called the architect of the Nashville Sound,” Wariner added. “It was partly because of his generating, but a big component, in my estimation, was his guitar wizardry. He may be the most imitated guitarist ever. He was a brilliant innovator, rightfully called ‘Mr. “Chet Atkins was an iconic original from the 1940s until his loss of life,” said Bennett. “You generally knew who it had been when Chet was playing the device. His conception, tone, humor, dignity and elegance all came bursting from his fingers. “There was something about Chet that humility was included with the act,” reflected John Knowles, who nurtured his fingerstyle chops and spent some time working with Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed and countless others. “I think Chet understood he had worked hard, gained surface and achieved something. Chet was just like the biggest iceberg guy: There was a lot more heading on than he’d ever reveal. I utilized to kid him that when you look at images of great Country performers, Chet was constantly in the picture, playing guitar.