Search - Chet Atkins, Les Paul :: Chester & Lester

Robert S. (stoner2) from LOS ANGELES, CA
Reviewed on 10/7/2009...

Star rating four out of five as the ad lib between track becomes tiersome. The duo its self goes five +.

Genius guitar innovators duet on pop standards

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 08/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in 1975, this LP (augmented here by four bonus tracks) found two innovators of electric guitar playing in easy-going sessions filled with friendly instrumental interplay. The elder of the two, Les Paul, had been effectively retired for a decade when Atkins lured him into the studio. The seeds had been planted a few months earlier when the guitarists met up in a New York hotel room for an informal jam session; the music flowed so smoothly that it suggested a recording date was in order.



The connection between Paul and Atkins happened many years before they met. Paul's jazz trio featured Atkins' half brother Jimmy as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist at the end of the 1930s, and as the younger Atkins followed his brother's work, he picked up the band leader's fingerings. Atkins' love of Merle Travis led him more towards country, but like Paul, he always kept a love of pop and jazz in his playing. Aktins even acquired one of Les Paul's guitars, and used it on his very first session for RCA.



By the mid-70s Les Paul was retired and Chet Atkins was increasingly absorbed by executive work at RCA Nashville. In 1974 Atkins paired himself with Merle Travis for an album, The Atkins-Travis Travelling Show, which prompted a friend to suggest he try a pairing with Les Paul. The two guitarists worked out a song list that collected pop and jazz standards, with arrangements that merged details from each of their lengthy recording and performing careers.



With Atkins' guitar stage left, and Paul's stage right, the disc plays like a conversation, with each taking turns at lead between some coordinated unison playing. The difference in their styles is subtle but immediate, with Atkins' staccato inflections often more country and blue than the cool of Paul's jazz fingerings. The use of head (non-written) arrangements gave these sessions a very organic feel, with the Nashville rhythm section (piano, drums, bass, guitar) integrated seamlessly with the guitarists. There's some friendly competition, with each showing off their remarkable chops and goading the other to greater heights, and there's plenty of friendly verbal jousting before, after and during the takes. Paul used his renowned overdubbing on only a pair of tracks ("Caravan" and "Lover Come back to Me"), so the sessions remained quite spontaneous.



The four bonus tracks include an alternate version of "Caravan," as well as a rehearsal of "Moonglow / Picnic" that picks up slowly as the duo finds their way through the medley, and eventually dissolves into their own instant review of the performance. Superstar pairings have become such common "events" that they've lost a great deal of their magic, but this one - two genius innovators getting together just to play - is still as musically rich as the day it was originally recorded. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]"

There's A Whole Lot To Learn From Chester & Lester

Marley | Long Island, NY | 07/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suberb picking by two masters of the electric guitar. Among my favorite guitar players I would rank Jackie King, James Burton, Mark Knofler, Bierelli Legrande, Earl Klugh, Charlie Byrd, Philip Cathrine and Tony Rice. Ask any of these greats and I'm confident each would site both Chet Atkins and Les Paul as their most signifacant influences. You really can't argue with that. Afterall Les Paul virtually invented the solid body electric guitar. And it doesn't stop there. His electronic wizardry made multi-tracking possible, along with a host of technical innovations. And who had more impact as a virtuoso instumentalist among these guitar giants than Chet Atkins? The list of artist he accompanied is almost endless. Yes, seemingly everyone from Elvis to Dolly Parton were backed by Chet. His beautiful understated style of picking set the standard for a whole generation of players and is still evident today.



Chester & Lester re-released after more than twenty years, brings together these two titans of the electric guitar. And boy oh boy does it work. These guys sound as if they were born to play together. There simply is not a bad track on this session. The remastered sound, the insightful liner notes and the bonus material all make this an absolutely essential recording. If you can't get into the toe-tapping groove of these two masters, then perhaps you ought to pick up on some Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Black Sabath or Vanilla Fudge. Turn the volume way up and drown your ears in a wash of psychadellic noise. I'm not knocking any of those artists, but in my opinion they've got a whole lot to learn from the likes of Chester and Lester."