Finger Wagger meets Finger Picker

This morning, while in the bus to work, I caught a glimpse of Primetime Morning - the breakfast show om Channel NewsAsia. Tommy Emmanuel CGP was expected to be in our News Studios for an interview later in the breakfast show.

Tommy Emmanuel is probably Australia's greatest musical export. He is 52 years old and has been playing guitar since he was 6. His primary influences were country and rock - but life changed the day he heard Chet Atkins play.

The finger picking style pioneered by Chet Atkins allowed the player to use all fingers of the hand (and treat the guitar like a piano). As the years went by Tommy, mastered the art till one day, he even cut a record with Chet Atkins himself - The Day the Finger Pickers took over the World. This was one of many albums I bought when I was in Sony BMG. Like Tommy Emmanuel - I too was inspired by Chet Atkins' style of playing. (unfortunately - thats were the similarities ended). I took up guitar lessons - but it stopped when the MBA began.

I went over to the studio and saw him sitting there in the waiting lounge. I walked up to him, introduced myself and we had a 15-minute discussion. I told him how I loved the 'Finger Pickers' album, when he asked me what my favorite song from the album was. I told him it was 'Saltwater'. This, by the way, is a track written and composed by Julian Lennon. He quickly pulled his guitar out of the case and started playing 'Salt Water'. For me.

The way his fingers moved - was magical. It was amazing - just an hour earlier, I was negotiating rain, traffic and ants to get to office - and here I was listening to probably the best guitar player in the world (atleast Eric Clapton thinks so!!)

He's performing at the Esplanade Concert Hall at 7.30pm on 21st July. You know where I'll be!!