Tommy @The Ryman

In this episode – Tommy at The Ryman . . .

"Shit happens! This is real life; just give me a minute to retune this guitar."

Tommy Emmanuel pounds the driving cord to his live performance during a pulse-pounding rendering of "Fuel" from his album Tommy Songs.

Red strobe lights flash, a loud pop, darkness, then silence reverberated throughout the auditorium, and a little laughter from the stage - one of his guitar pickup amplifiers has blown completely out.

It was Saturday-evening, September 25^th, 2021, seated in the balcony 4^th, row center stage left, in the Pews at Nashville's most famous concert venue, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. You may know it as the original Grand Ole' Opry.

There was no doubt; this is what we came to experience! It was clear that Tommy Emmanuel was keyed-up for tonight's show. Was it the historic venue, the fact that live stage performances had not been played since the start of this COVID pandemic, or was it the pure joy of having a live audience? This was Tommy Emmanuel at his best!

My dear listeners, you say you've never seen Tommy in concert. I promise - you will never look at a guitar the same way again! And believe what you are seeing and hearing is possible. Every square inch of his guitar gets plucked or pounded to propel the beat, scratched to imitate symbols, driven with a rhythmic thump, thump, thump, to lead with the bass and magic fingers that tickle the strings to drive pure harmonic tones.

Lori, James, Merrill, and I marvel at the masterful way his fingers dance (flew really) over the fretboard. The pure melodies from the acoustics – we were there enjoying every minute of his commanding performance.

Tonight's set included classic Tommy renditions of The Beatles Medley ending with an unapologetic version of Classical Gas! Wow!

He highlighted new music from his latest album, Tommy Songs, to name a few: A Rainy Morning, Timberlake Road, Lewis, and Clark, (The Man with the) Green Thumb, and one of my favorites, Fuel. It was a night to remember! Close your eyes, listen . . . and you feel the power of the music.

As a bonus, he performed Chet Atkins and Jerry Reeds' tunes with virtuoso Richard Smith. They played one of Chet and Jerrys' most famous tunes, Twitchy.

If you are a guitar player who appreciates the sound of a fine acoustic-electric guitar? You must see, or should I say, hear Tommy Emmanuel live. He is unquestionably one of the finest guitar players of this generation. I've read the comments on YouTube and, after seeing Tommy Emmanuel live, "I'm giving my guitar away; there is no way I'll ever play like that!"

But folks - you will be inspired . . . you will realize just what's possible or, should I say, impossible for budding or seasoned guitar players.

Go to YouTube, look up Tommy Emmanuel, take a listen, then check your schedule against Tommy's performance schedule and go!

Oh, one more thing, "I'd better return this shirt to Walmart before it changes color."

So, won't you be my virtual neighbor? If you enjoy our weekly visits, please share them with a friend.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

The Compass of Cuba: Mom

🎄 Preview of this week's On the Fly blog: A Holiday Tribute to Mom. As the holidays hustle with pixels and beeps, the world scrolls along in a smartphone-y sleep. I log off for a moment—just one little minute— To breathe in the past and to sit myself in it. My mind doesn’t wander to faraway places, Or trips full of tickets and new airport faces. Instead, it drifts backward, as memories do, to Cuba, Illinois, where the best moments grew. To a home full of warmth, in the wintry Midwest, Where my mother—dear “Marcie”—put love to the test. With a smile that could melt the most frigid of dawns, and hugs that hung on you like shivering fawns. She came from La Rochelle in France, brave and bright, Across oceans and war shadows, into new light. A town full of strangers soon felt like her own, And her courage built up the foundation of home. “Oh yes, we know Marcie!” the locals would say— “It's Doc Ball’s French lady! She brightens the day!” She cleaned, and she cooked, and sh...

Feeling Human Again

In this episode, The Unexpected Thankfulness of Feeling Human Again I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France was not the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. No graceful glide back into routine. No cinematic jet-setter moment where I lift my suitcase off the carousel and wink at life like we’re old pals. Instead? I came home and immediately launched into a two-week performance piece titled The Great American Couch Collapse. My days blurred together in a haze of soup, hot tea, tissues, and desperate negotiations with the universe for just one nostril—one!—to function properly. The living room sofa became my emotional support furniture. And any creative idea that dared tiptoe into my congested brain was gently shown the exit with a firm but courteous, “Not today, friend. Try again later.” When life hits the pause button like that—when you’re exhausted, sick, and mentally unplugged—how do you find your spark again? Somehow, today, I felt it. A tiny shift. A clearing of th...

A Holiday Reflection–Mother's Love

In this episode, How a Mother’s Love Built My Memories– A Holiday Reflection As this holiday season approaches and the world buzzes with shopping, planning, and busy schedules, I find myself embracing something wonderfully simple: taking a moment to pause. Not to check off a list or recharge devices, but to breathe deeply, remember fondly, and honor the person and place that have shaped my sense of home long before I had the words for it. This year, after regaining my strength from a lingering post-travel fog, my mind didn’t wander to exotic destinations or future adventures. It drifted backward—across oceans and time—to Cuba, Illinois, in the early 1960s, and to the woman whose love built the foundation of my world: Mauricette Elaine (Bontemps) Ball. My Mom . We came to Cuba after leaving La Rochelle, France, in 1959—a transition so dramatic I only appreciate its enormity now. My mother, barely in her mid-twenties, stepped off that plane and into the Midwest with a courage that s...

Believing Is Seeing

🎄 In this episode, Believing Is Seeing . . . It's December, we bustle, we wrap, and we dash. We sort life into boxes— myths here, to-dos in a stash. We whisper of Santa (adult code: “Not Real”), but hold on one minute—let’s rethink this whole deal. For the stories we cherish, the movies we stream, hold more truth in their sparkle than we grown-ups may deem. So hop in this sleigh and hold on real tight— We’re chasing down Santa by the glow of his light! Scott Calvin once landed in the North Pole’s cold air, with elves, cocoa, and snow everywhere. He squinted and frowned—“This just cannot be so!” (Like thinking tangled lights will detangle if we blow .) Then Judy the Elf gave a cocoa so steaming, and said something simple . . . yet surprisingly gleaming: Seeing’s not believing—no, that’s not the key. "Believing is seeing!" Just trust, and you’ll see!” Kids don’t need a map or a satellite screen to know Santa’s workshop is her...

On The Fly

Search This Blog