Talking Story With Tommy Emmanuel
Australian-born Grammy award-winning Tommy Emmanuel is coming to the Honu’ula People’s Theatre on Sunday, August 26, 2018. At the end of this interview, you’ll find ticket info for his upcoming Big Island concert on August 26.
Emmanuel performs hundreds of sold-out shows annually across Nashville, Sydney, and London. Throughout his career, Emmanuel has been craving what’s next. Recognized globally as the master of the solo acoustic guitar, his next move is to release an album featuring collaborations with some of the best singers, songwriters, and guitarists.
His new album, Accomplice One, does exactly that. It features 16 tracks of duets with a diverse group of musician friends who joined Emmanuel in the studio. The impressive list includes some of today’s most respected performers from various musical backgrounds.
I caught up with Emmanuel while he was preparing for four nights at the Blue Note in Honolulu. We discussed his new record and some questions our readers sent in.
Have you been to the Big Island before, or do you have any connection to the islands?
No, I haven't. I have heard a lot about it. Last summer, I was here, and I played [Oahu], where I'm playing this weekend on Friday and Saturday at the Blue Note. I also played on Maui, stayed there, and had a holiday.
My connection to Hawaii is that it was one of the first places where I heard music. There was Sol Hoʻopiʻi, a Native Hawaiian guitarist, who played on a show called Hawaii Calls that I listened to on Radio Australia. From the time I was about two to six years old, we would all gather around the radio on Saturday mornings. My dad would tune in, and we’d listen to live Hawaiian music. It was also a time when there was no TV, just the record player, jukebox, or radio. We often listened to drama programs on the radio, like superhero or Superman stories. That was our entertainment, and it was a lot of fun! Our family would always come together for it. We listened to radio shows every day, and the radio kept us close.
Tell me about your 2018 release Accomplice One. It looks like you're joined by everyone from Jorma Kaukonen to Jake Shimabukuro, and you even cover Jimi Hendrix.
[Laughs] Exactly. And the funny thing was, the newspaper The Tennessean tracked "Purple Haze," which Jerry Douglas and I totally improvised and only played once. That track was voted the best recording to come out in Nashville in 2008. Can you believe that?!
It was just an afterthought. I booked Jerry to come and play on another track, which was a ballad that I'd written, and we spent most of our time on that. When we finished, I told him, ‘Look, I’ve got a little time left; do you want to try something else?’ and he said, ‘What do you know?’ I then said, ‘How about “Purple Haze,” just joking around.’ He responded, ‘Oh, let's not rehearse it, let's just play it.’ So, we did.
The album was pretty much finished that way. The track with Mark Knopfler was recorded in one take. The only part I really focused on was Jake's [Shimabukuro] track because he had to learn the whole thing and then come in. By the time he'd figured it out, I'd actually changed my mind and done it in a different key. He had to relearn everything. It was just good luck that he was in Nashville playing the Ryman Auditorium, opening for me. I told him that night, ‘Hey Jake, do you want to come to the studio in the morning?’ and he said, ‘Sure.’ He changed his flight so we could do it.
Everything on that album was recorded live in the studio, and I believe that's why people enjoy it because it's so fresh, unique, and very unpretentious. I didn't want anyone to send their part via email. I wanted it to be recorded live in the studio, and that's how we did it.
I understand you never use a set list. How do you plan the format of your shows?
I plan as I go. My biggest decision is really what to start with, and after that, things just seem to flow. I'm so used to it being that way that if I had a set list, it would kind of cramp my style. I like to keep it open and see what the crowd really responds to, using that as my guide. Sometimes people request songs, and I write them down and try to remember to play them. Other times, I get so into what I'm doing that I forget what I promised to play for someone, and then they send me a nasty letter afterward saying, ‘You didn't play what you said you would.' That's totally because I get caught up in it. This is the moment, and I'm completely in it, and that's how I want it to always be.
I have a few questions from our readers. What gauge and brand of strings do you use, and how high or low do you prefer the action to be set on the guitar's neck?
I have three guitars I use on the road. For two of them, I use medium gauge strings, 13 to 56, and the one I have in standard tuning has 12 to 54 strings, and they’re Martin strings. My action is somewhat medium to low. I like a little bit of height, but mostly I want it to be very comfortable. So, I set it so it's just a little higher than I want, then I tweak the neck and pull it down a little until it’s perfectly straight, and then the action is just right.
What is your average daily play or practice time?
It depends. I can't stick to a routine because I'm always traveling, so I play as often as I can. When I'm on tour, I usually wake up in the morning and play for a little while, maybe half an hour, then have breakfast, head to the airport, get on a plane, go to the next city, return to my hotel, play a bit more, rest, do a soundcheck, and then perform. I don't have a set routine. I just play as much as I can, focusing on practicing what I need and playing what I love. That's the way to do it.
We have many emerging guitar players here on the island. What advice would you give regarding their playing and music careers?
The best thing you can do is always learn new songs and make sure that the songs you're learning are good ones. Always look for good melodies and find the best keys to play in where the melody feels right. If you want to be inspired and feel that you're improving, then keep learning new songs. That's the best way. Good advice. And don't forget, you need to practice those songs you know for the next 10 years of your life.
What does the rest of 2018 hold for you?
Oh my goodness! It's been a busy year. This has already been the busiest year of my life. I've done eight tours since Christmas [2017], and the rest of the year is planned like this. When I finish here in Hawaii, I have a tour of Canada. I come back to America for Americana Week, then I go to England for a break with my two daughters, who live there. After that, I head to Italy with Jerry Douglas, and we're doing our Tom & Jerry show over there in Italy. Then I go to France in November. In December, I’ll be back in America with Jerry Douglas again. So, I’ll be busy right before Christmas. I'll finish around the 18th of December, then I'm going to have Christmas in California with my wife and our baby daughter. She's three and a half— that’s right, Rachel, of ‘Rachel's Lullaby.’ After Christmas, I’ll go to England to be with my other daughters. I have two daughters in England.
Well, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
Oh, man, you made it simple. Thanks a lot, brother! We’re really excited for the show on Sunday.
Ticket Info
To purchase tickets for Tommy Emmanuel’s August 26th concert at the Honokaa People’s Theatre, please visit Blues Hawaii: https://bluesbearhawaii.com/t/tommy-emmanuel.
Honoka’a People's Theatre
45-3574 Mamane St., Honoka’a, HI
Information: 808-896-4845 General Admission $45. ($75. Gold Circle Sold Out)
Doors: 6:00 pm Show: 7:00 pm.
Tickets are also available at the following locations: Kona Music Exchange, Sound Wave Music - Kailua-Kona; Kiernan’s Music - Old Town Kainaliu; Waimea General Store - Parker Square, Kamuela; Top Stitch, Waipio Cook House - Honoka'a; CD Wizard, Hilo Ukuleles & Guitars, and Hilo Music Exchange.
Photos: Steve Roby
