Tommy Emmanuel’s latest album is called It’s Never Too Late, and the famed guitarist demonstrated how appropriate that title is, as he welcomed the packed Smothers Theatre into his world of music and worldview.
The opening act, The Wisherkeepers was a duo of Claire Wyndham and Anthony Snape who entranced the crowd with a mix of rich vocal harmonies, folk melodies and clever arrangements. Wyndham’s solo voice melded a rural purity with a rich sonority while Snape’s 70s singer/songwriter tone worked well on fervent tunes that went from Nashville skyline to the Australian outback. The thoughtful moods, rhythms and coalescence of voices created by the duo mixed tradition with the modern into a perfect meal. Can’t wait to hear their album.
Emmanuel, meanwhile, divulged something during his 90 minute concert that explains why he’s one of the most important guitarists standing on God’s green earth, and while, at 60 he’s still forging for new horizons. He still manages to include his patented mix of guitar picking and percussion in a number of tunes, yet he hasn’t turned that into a shtick. At this stage in his musical journey, he continues to explore new sounds, yet letting you into his past to explain his musical world view.
Before delving into his creative 6 stringed attack on his “Country Wide,” Emmanuel told the audience that he grew up with Rodeo Side Shows in his home land of Australia. At that slight revelation, everything about the prodigious picker made sense. Stomping pieces such as “One Mint Julep,” while making the strings beg for mercy, team up with an earthy Doc Watson “Deep River Blues” because they both reflect dirt under his hard working blue collar nails. His urgency during his own “Blood Brothers” reveals his heart for return war vets and his calliope-like strumming on juke joint jumpers along with his singing reflects his inner Carney.
The title track from his new album showed yet another aspect of the Aussie, as he dedicated the tune to his year old baby daughter who gingerly walked on stage in her onesy pajamas (talk about your latest production!). The working class sage was spotlighted as he held a quick workshop on how to play a pair of tunes at once, as on “Yankee Doodle Dandie/Dixie,” and that nothing has yet replaced hard work and practice as he upped the ante doing a Baby Boomer delight with a Beatles Medley which segued into a rollicking “Classical Gas.”
But the fact remained through the show, it didn’t matter if Emmanuel played his song in ragtime, swing time or double time, the ultimate outcome was a good time. And isn’t that why you came to the rodeo in the first place?
Upcoming shows at Pepperdine include The Jones Family Singers 02/05, Little River Band 02/29, Johnny Clegg 04/23 and Take 6 05/14