Following his 2020 greatest hits album, The Best of Tommysongs, Tommy Emmanuel has announced a brand-new EP with Grammy-nominated duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, entitled Accomplice Series Volume 1.
The four-track album is set to comprise three covers – Chet Atkins and Doc Watson's Lester Flatt tribute Flatt Did It, Buck Owens' Raz-Ma-Taz Polka and Copper Kettle (made popular by Joan Baez) – as well as a reimagining of the title track from Emmanuel's 2015 album, It's Never Too Late.
Kicking off proceedings, Emmanuel has just dropped the album's first single Flatt Did It. You can listen to the track below:
Says Emmanuel: “The sessions [for this album] were very spontaneous, and in fact, I suggested Flatt Did It and Copper Kettle as pieces on the day we recorded them. That’s how it came about. It was very spontaneous.”
“It’s always great to work with Tommy,” Ickes adds. “He's such a great artist, and such a great person. There are always a lot of sparks flying when we play together, and all three of us are into lots of different musical genres, so that’s always fun to explore different musical territories when we get together.
“I love to hear Tommy and Trey play together. There’s a great respect between the two of them. It’s great to hear them feeding off each other. And [Flatt Did It] is just the perfect vehicle for a Dobro, so I’m enjoying the whole thing!”
“Getting to pick with Tommy and Rob any time is always a blast!” Hensley explains. “Working in the studio with Tommy was so much fun, which I think is evident throughout this EP.
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“The great vibe in the studio that day is prominent in the recordings. It was really just the three of us hanging out and playing tunes…what could be more fun?”
Check out the tracklisting for Accomplice Series Volume 1 below:
- Copper Kettle (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)
- Raz-Ma-Taz Polka (featuring Trey Hensley)
- Flatt Did It (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)
- It’s Never Too Late (featuring Rob Ickes)
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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