| The Guitar Genius | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Chet Atkins |
| Cover: | TheGuitarGeniusChetAtkins.jpg |
| Caption: | Cover of the original 1963 LP |
| Released: | 1963 |
| Studio: | RCA 'Nashville Sound' Studios, Nashville, TN |
| Genre: | Country, pop, rock |
| Length: | 24:42 |
| Label: | RCA Camden |
| Producer: | Chet Atkins |
| Chronology: | Chet Atkins |
| Prev Title: | Teen Scene |
| Prev Year: | 1963 |
| Next Title: | Travelin' |
| Next Year: | 1963 |
The Guitar Genius is the twenty-second studio album by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1963. It was reissued on CD in 1999. It was also reissued on CD along with And His Guitar in 2004.[1] Five vocal tracks by Atkins' brother Jim were from an unreleased 1958 album to be titled My Brother Sings. That album was later released by Sundazed Records with the original RCA Victor cover art and label in 2015.
In 1958, Atkins decided to record an album with his brother Jim, once a vocalist in the Les Paul Trio and for Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. The album was recorded July 24 and August 29, 1958 in Nashville and was to be called My Brother Sings. It was completed, printed and pressed before being pulled from distribution for unknown reasons. All copies of the album were to be destroyed. Four of the instrumentals that were recorded appeared on the Atkins' 1959 album Mister Guitar. Five of Jim Atkins' vocal tracks were released on The Guitar Genius on the budget label Camden in 1963. Rare copies of the original album were discovered in the hands of collectors. The backing band was credited as The Rhythm Rockers, which consisted of session musicians Bob Moore, Floyd Cramer and Buddy Harman. In 1963, five of the Jim Atkins vocal tracks were issued along with five instrumentals by Chet. In 2015, My Brother Sings was released by Sundazed Records after the location of the original tapes and remastering.[2]
Writing for Allmusic, music critic Bruce Eder wrote of the album "The Guitar Genius is one strange album—good, but strange—beginning with its title. Of course there's plenty of guitar here, but there's also a surprising number of pieces that rely on vocals... this album is somewhat of a very mixed stylistic bag..."
Production