Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed: In Concert

There's a guitar summit of sorts happening here, but if you're a devotee of, say, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai or some other high-decibel fret-shredder, you're bound to be disappointed. Not that Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed can't play, you understand; their occasional little bursts of virtuosity are evidence enough that these guys are masters. But most of their pickin' is done on nylon-stringed instruments, for cryin' out loud; while the late legendary guitarist Atkins brings out his electric for a few tunes, he makes it plain that he's no rocker (indeed, he pokes fun at the whole rock thing when he plays a few distorted licks on “There'll Be Some Changes Made”). For the most part, this 1992 show is filled with relaxed, good ol' boy humor (including Reed's “PMS I Guess,” which is hardly PC these days), plenty of fingerstyle pickin' and grinnin', and a few genuinely sublime moments (a jazzy “Summertime” and the lovely, minor key “Sneakin' Around”). Recommended for anyone with an ear for tasteful, down home music. Aud: P. (S. Graham)