While Albert lee's lightening fast but still beautiful and crystal clear playing is thrilling, I find that his slow passages are profoundly moving. Its like someone is singing. Also his reputation for being a real gentleman is what keeps him out of the gossip papers.
This is the Rockabilly Trio of all time! I met Albert in a guitar shop in Henderson Nevada a few yrs ago and watched him play in a small cafe attached to the shop. He is such a humble and friendly man!
Three true masters. Gill is great, Lee is more than great and Gatton was SUPREME. You sure as shit don't see THIS kind of elite picking on today's Viacom-ruined CMT; oh no, it's pretty boys in cowboy hats & sleeveless t-shirts... Miss you, Danny, every day....
Not into contesting these 3 great guys but, Albert has the tone and clarity, Vince has the phrasing and Gatton is just from another fucking planet. This is my 5th time watching this and I cant get enough.
I cannot say that one top guitarist is "better" than another. they are just different. They have different sounds and styles. The one who matches your taste more closely will be perceived as the best.
How hot is this. 3 of the best guitarslingers of all time. I really appreciated Albert's son's comments. How good to see the much missed Danny Gatton in action. It is appropriate that these 3 guys are playing together.To the best of my knowledge, Danny was mentor to Albert & Albert was mentor to Vince.
I have sooo much respect for these country music guitarists. I'm a rock 'n roll guitarist. Even a caveman can play rock 'n roll. The distortion covers up a lot of the mistakes you make. Hammerons and pulloffs make the amp do all the work. These guys play clean, and straight into the amps and flatpick most of their stuff. Every note they play has to be bang on to sound good. Their skill and fretboard agility is amazing. My hat's off to these guys.
Very well put. I play most everything style wise, and Vince has had an extreme impact on my own country style. Him and Chet Atkins, Roy Clark and a few others. They were always my standard to reach for in country.
Wonderful stuff...met Danny Gatton while recording in NYC back in '83...Albert Lee...lord, have mercy!...and wow, Vince Gill...never really a fan of his stuff but what a fine, fine guitarist...like I said, wonderful stuff!
Vince Gill is By far the Greatest out of them he has the Best sound and he continues to get better everytime you hear him No Disrespect to Albert and The Humbler Himself but i Say it's Vince.
I saw Albert Lee play about 25 yrs ago. He played so loud, it hurt my ears. Not a drop of distortion, just a huge clean sound that could rip your head off.
Super...i worked with albert in 2004 on my cd in the hillls...we recorded several tunes...and iy was super to have him there and play together, a great guy and guitarist:)
Clapton has often said that Lee is the best guitarist in the world, himself included. Emmy Lou Harris has said Albert Lee is "a brilliant guitar player. His sound is unmistakable, often emulated never equalled. When St Peter asks me to chronicle the highlights of my time down here on earth, I'll be able to say (with pride if that's allowed) that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee."
Without a doubt Alberts sound and style is unmistakable..having had the privilage to hearing it on a regular basis over a number of years. But not only a guitar great.. a really nice guys as well.
I love how they all serve the song. No stepping on each others toes, just serve the friggin song. A lot of players would do well to take a lesson from these good ol boys.
@pixiemark7 .....I agree man....as killer as we know Danny and Vince are......and as old is Albert is here still....wow....I think his tone is by far the best in this tune...and his solo REALLY was a lot more than just riffs and fast technique.....it really said something:) Man, that cat STILL has it.
Hey, they're all good players but Albert's solo really goes somewhere the others don't quite reach! Amazing.. Albert Lee, probably the best country style guitarist ever! Px :))
That Danny Gatton lived about 7 houses from my dad in Newburg, Md. Banks Odee Rd or something like that. I'll never forget my dad telling me there's a really famous guitar player that passed away down the street. Man I wish I could have seen him.
I did a pickup gig a fews years back in Ocean City MD and Bill Holliman was one of the horn players on the date. What a great guy and a fabulous player. He had lots of history with Danny and stories to share.
Danny was being polite here . He just let Albert and Vince carry on and thats the true sign of a master at work . I could tell the way they looked at Danny on the break and thought dear god please dont !! And Danny thought i will be gracious here 👍😊
@MrGoldtop007 Actually Albert uses his little finger on his right hand in combination with the flat pick, which makes it harder to tell what he's doing altogether.
ty, you know, i'm just an ol zep head tryin to expand his horizons, i came accross albert lee on crossroads festival, then checked out fun ranch boogie, now i'm learning about gatton! i knew about vince gill from cmt, but i'm far from an expert on country, never wanted to give that impression! ty for the pointers, i will check him out! i used to watch mtv n stuff, but bein a guitar lover, i've really grown to like country, as that is where the pickin is now! i especially love slide!
I know it's not a competition they are all great players in their own right ,but you can't help compare ,I thought Albert lee was supreme , his picking is like a razor machine gun , after Danny's solo Albert hit full throttle,. great playing from all three of these legends.
mad 3 different styles and 3 different sounds awesome and vince gill is a gun i love how he does a the albert lee thing in his playing yet still does his own
Hotter than a Tom cat in a wool sock! Lol Albert indeed hit the nitrous button and I agree he's had the music man forever. Would love to see him play some of his old vintages more.
I know Frank Portolese personally and studied with him for a number of years. He is a fabulous jazz player, the complete package - plays, sight-reads like God, knows over a thousand tunes. He's the real deal. The only knock on him is that he tends to rely on technique sometimes instead of taste, but when he's on his game, he's very good indeed. He copes Wes as well as anyone I've ever seen, which isn't easy.
I sometimes think that Vince expresses his admiration so much for the likes of Albert that it detracts from people's appreciation of his ability. He is, of course, a fantastic guitarist and singer. What a shame we won't see this amazing line - up again.
I saw it live many, many years ago when it aired. I think it has deteriorated over the years. It sounded better then. Too bad. Amazing performance by all three. I love the look on Albert's face when Danny takes off. I got an email announcing Abert's 70th birthday celebration a while back. Really embarrassing but all these years I never realized that this great bluegrass player was from England.
Thanks to all for the comments on Johnny Smith. I have that Mosiac boxed set, and it is wonderful. Smith is always underrated even among guitar fans, but among the hardcore jazz crowd, he is very well respected as one of the titans. George Benson has done a ton of mediocre middle of the road stuff, but back in the 1960s and early 1970s, he was at the top of his game, and no one was better. Not to mention he has a fine voice. Kenny Burrell is an all-time talent also.
I'm a Gatton and Lee fan from way back but didn't know until a couple of years ago Vince could play like he does; it's great to see them all on stage together. If you want to see Gatton really in the zone: danny gatton crosscut saw ....trust me
The Hellecasters are a bit like that. You'd think so much talent would be a bit too much, but they are really generous guys and appreciate each other. A band with a trio of lead guitarists in it...awesome!!!
one name ommitted from the gallery of great guitarists-the man who created hot chicken pickin cut time telecaster playing- the legendary Mr. James Burton.
I knew Danny casually, when asked who the was the best guitarist in D.C. he always replied, "Roy Buchanan". Now, whether this was admiration or humility I can't say but one thing is certain; they were good friends and " the presidents of each other's fan clubs."
Without a doubt the best 3 guitar lineup you'll ever see. (2nd place goes to Buddy Miller, T-Bone Burnette and Marc Ribot on the Krauss/Plant tour and 3rd to the Springsteen-Lofgren-Little Steven team). Gatton, Gill, and , in particular, Albert Lee, set the stage for the current crop of Brad Paisleys and Keith Urbans out there. Fast and furious and frickin' phenomenal.
Hey it all comes down to personal taste. Whether Luther Perkins is your hero or Howard Roberts. I have been a player/fan since 1955. I saw and met Howard Roberts, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Les Paul, Bucky Pizarelli, with steelers Buddy Emmons (wow), Curly Chalker, Julian Tharp, Marice Anderson in Dallas in 1977 at a club concert. Howard killed it! I'm a big fan of Hank and Albert. As already said, enjoy them all, it's great music-not a fast draw or who can type the fastest contest.
Wow!.Gatton,Lee and Gill all up there.So sad about Gatton..he didn't seem anywhere near stretched there.Well within his comfort zone.We can only speculate as to what he could come up with and be satisfied with what gifts he gave us.Lee seems to have been dropped on this planet from the world Beeblebendergeuse.Are guys like this an inspiration or an excuse to pack away the guitar?Love their sharing of the talent any whichway
I use to see Gatton play every wednesday night down at pennies from Heaven on pennsylvania ave in washington DC back in 86-87 and I would bring my friends there to see Him from LA . All these hot shot guitar players from GIT out in Hollywood and I would tell Danny Hey man I brought the guitar guns from LA and He would just rise to the occassion and literally smoke the axe and my hot shot guitar player friends from La would just be so Humbled by His astonishing chops and He was such a nice guy .
DANNY GATTON could play any style Jazz, Blues, Picking, Surf, Rock 'n' Roll... Check out his song Nit Pickin' and be prepared to be blown away! One of the all time greats!!!
Walsh is able to spell-bound me with very few notes. More expressive than many guitarists I've heard. Very emotive. One of my absolute favorites. Funny, I've never thought of Joe Walsh as diverse.
Shee-ott, thar's some pickin'. Each time a new guitarist took a solo, I thought he surpassed the one before him. Then the next guy stepped in... I was impressed with how quick-fingered and soulful Vince Gill was.
While Albert lee's lightening fast but still beautiful and crystal clear playing is thrilling, I find that his slow passages are profoundly moving. Its like someone is singing. Also his reputation for being a real gentleman is what keeps him out of the gossip papers.
This is the Rockabilly Trio of all time! I met Albert in a guitar shop in Henderson Nevada a few yrs ago and watched him play in a small cafe attached to the shop. He is such a humble and friendly man!
He is.
That is a rare combination. To be that talented and so grounded !
Three true masters. Gill is great, Lee is more than great and Gatton was SUPREME. You sure as shit don't see THIS kind of elite picking on today's Viacom-ruined CMT; oh no, it's pretty boys in cowboy hats & sleeveless t-shirts...
Miss you, Danny, every day....
Not into contesting these 3 great guys but, Albert has the tone and clarity, Vince has the phrasing and Gatton is just from another fucking planet.
This is my 5th time watching this and I cant get enough.
That is pure heaven. Three monster guitarists playing flawlessly all night all long. I wish I'd been there!
it's very precise, these guys know what they are doing.
It's not a contest. They're all great. They've put the time in.
I cannot say that one top guitarist is "better" than another. they are just different. They have different sounds and styles. The one who matches your taste more closely will be perceived as the best.
16 people don't like this video????? What are they, oboe players?
+mwolfenbarger1 maybe, it´s because they also have no sound,like me
+mwolfenbarger1 Phillistines
+linkszwo You have no volume control either?
- lol again.
lolololol - these guys are a pleasure to listen to
How hot is this. 3 of the best guitarslingers of all time. I really appreciated Albert's son's comments.
How good to see the much missed Danny Gatton in action. It is appropriate that these 3 guys are playing together.To the best of my knowledge, Danny was mentor to Albert & Albert was mentor to Vince.
I have sooo much respect for these country music guitarists. I'm a rock 'n roll guitarist. Even a caveman can play rock 'n roll. The distortion covers up a lot of the mistakes you make. Hammerons and pulloffs make the amp do all the work. These guys play clean, and straight into the amps and flatpick most of their stuff. Every note they play has to be bang on to sound good. Their skill and fretboard agility is amazing. My hat's off to these guys.
Very well put. I play most everything style wise, and Vince has had an extreme impact on my own country style. Him and Chet Atkins, Roy Clark and a few others. They were always my standard to reach for in country.
Wonderful stuff...met Danny Gatton while recording in NYC back in '83...Albert Lee...lord, have mercy!...and wow, Vince Gill...never really a fan of his stuff but what a fine, fine guitarist...like I said, wonderful stuff!
Lost in all Albert's playing talent is that I kind of like his singing too
Vince Gill is By far the Greatest out of them he has the Best sound and he continues to get better everytime you hear him No Disrespect to Albert and The Humbler Himself but i Say it's Vince.
I saw Albert Lee play about 25 yrs ago. He played so loud, it hurt my ears. Not a drop of distortion, just a huge clean sound that could rip your head off.
They weren't competing with each other. Just having fun jamming. Wow, Albert Lee really tore it up with some nice tasteful licks.
Super...i worked with albert in 2004 on my cd in the hillls...we recorded several tunes...and iy was super to have him there and play together, a great guy and guitarist:)
Clapton has often said that Lee is the best guitarist in the world, himself included. Emmy Lou Harris has said Albert Lee is "a brilliant guitar player. His sound is unmistakable, often emulated never equalled. When St Peter asks me to chronicle the highlights of my time down here on earth, I'll be able to say (with pride if that's allowed) that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee."
During the 5 years Albert played with Clapton's group Eric fired 2 complete bands. The only one he didn't fire was Albert!
Mister Albert -You are magic musician!!! Thank You!❤
vince gill (the sweetest voice in country and 2 guitar gods...All in one youtube vid ?? Now thats quality :) excellent post sir :)
Check out Vince and Albert at Crossroads Music Festival......with James Burton....will not disappoint!!!
Without a doubt Alberts sound and style is unmistakable..having had the privilage to hearing it on a regular basis over a number of years.
But not only a guitar great.. a really nice guys as well.
What a great respect each other on the stage. Top guitar players because top men inside.
Maybe Albert Lee is not from the same planet as Danny Gatton but he's still from a planet other than earth and one where he is as equally gifted.
I love how they all serve the song. No stepping on each others toes, just serve the friggin song. A lot of players would do well to take a lesson from these good ol boys.
All three brilliant guitarist. Superb stuff
Albert is the best in here
@pixiemark7 .....I agree man....as killer as we know Danny and Vince are......and as old is Albert is here still....wow....I think his tone is by far the best in this tune...and his solo REALLY was a lot more than just riffs and fast technique.....it really said something:) Man, that cat STILL has it.
Hey, they're all good players but Albert's solo really goes somewhere the others don't quite reach! Amazing.. Albert Lee, probably the best country style guitarist ever! Px :))
no this wasn't a PBS Show...it was American Music Shop on TNN.
That Danny Gatton lived about 7 houses from my dad in Newburg, Md. Banks Odee Rd or something like that. I'll never forget my dad telling me there's a really famous guitar player that passed away down the street. Man I wish I could have seen him.
saw Vince and Albert tear it up at the Crossroads fest,great stuff..
Gatton...effortlessly...plays circles around most any guitar player.
"THat's what i'm talkin' about!"
3 masters each with his own distinctive voice.
Oooh that really does it for me. Yeah. thnx for posting.
Three Of The Best Guitaris tAll Together!! I Remember Watching Them A Few Times On Tnn.I Loved To Watch Them Picking Together.Thanks For Posting
What a treat. This is better than a milkshake on a hot day in August. Thanks for a wonderful post.
I'm a bass player. I would have loved to lay it down for these three guys! This is REAL COUNTRY!
Guitarists don't usually give me goose bumps, but these guys did!
man this is just some of the best guitar picking ever recorded live.
Exactly the point.
One better than the other? No way! Three great pickers playing off each other having a good time doing it.
Jaw-dropping. This video features three great guitarists, two great voices and one great songwriter.
Who cares? It is beautiful music played by the cream of country guitarists.
Big Brian
I did a pickup gig a fews years back in Ocean City MD and Bill Holliman was one of the horn players on the date. What a great guy and a fabulous player. He had lots of history with Danny and stories to share.
That's Mark O'Connor, one of the greatest fiddlers who's ever lived. The Kwizatz Haderach of violin, if you will.
Brent is a machine. There is a great vid called "don't try this at home".
Vince and Brent. Scary.
vince can hold his own with these boys can't he! rock on!
i feel proud to own a telecaster
all 3 of their tones are great.
Great stuff! Great players!
Danny was being polite here . He just let Albert and Vince carry on and thats the true sign of a master at work . I could tell the way they looked at Danny on the break and thought dear god please dont !! And Danny thought i will be gracious here 👍😊
@MrGoldtop007 Actually Albert uses his little finger on his right hand in combination with the flat pick, which makes it harder to tell what he's doing altogether.
ty, you know, i'm just an ol zep head tryin to expand his horizons, i came accross albert lee on crossroads festival, then checked out fun ranch boogie, now i'm learning about gatton! i knew about vince gill from cmt, but i'm far from an expert on country, never wanted to give that impression! ty for the pointers, i will check him out! i used to watch mtv n stuff, but bein a guitar lover, i've really grown to like country, as that is where the pickin is now! i especially love slide!
Going to see Albert play at THE BAKED POTATO tomorrow nite (12-5-15) in North Hollywood.
Lucky you !!!
I know it's not a competition they are all great players in their own right ,but you can't help compare ,I thought Albert lee was supreme , his picking is like a razor machine gun , after Danny's solo Albert hit full throttle,. great playing from all three of these legends.
mad 3 different styles and 3 different sounds awesome and vince gill is a gun i love how he does a the albert lee thing in his playing yet still does his own
Hotter than a Tom cat in a wool sock! Lol Albert indeed hit the nitrous button and I agree he's had the music man forever. Would love to see him play some of his old vintages more.
I know Frank Portolese personally and studied with him for a number of years. He is a fabulous jazz player, the complete package - plays, sight-reads like God, knows over a thousand tunes. He's the real deal. The only knock on him is that he tends to rely on technique sometimes instead of taste, but when he's on his game, he's very good indeed. He copes Wes as well as anyone I've ever seen, which isn't easy.
Terrific trio, all three. But if I had to pick, Mr.Gatton for me. Thank you so much for posting this!
I sometimes think that Vince expresses his admiration so much for the likes of Albert that it detracts from people's appreciation of his ability.
He is, of course, a fantastic guitarist and singer.
What a shame we won't see this amazing line - up again.
I saw it live many, many years ago when it aired. I think it has deteriorated over the years. It sounded better then. Too bad. Amazing performance by all three. I love the look on Albert's face when Danny takes off. I got an email announcing Abert's 70th birthday celebration a while back. Really embarrassing but all these years I never realized that this great bluegrass player was from England.
. . . outstanding ! ! !
These guys make it look SO easy.....
So so SO dang good!!!
Vince Gill is seriously underrated, he is a ripper, as are Albert and Danny(rip).
Redd Volkaert rocks. Bill Kirchen too. And there are a bunch of great Tele players in the DC area who worship at the altar of Danny G and Roy B.
They are guitar magicians! All my love and respect to them!..and thanks for posting!:)
You may not know.. but albert used to be Eric Claptons sidesman so he plays pretty mean rock as well.
"More impressive and more awesome."
the last time I heard statements like that was in high school!
Thanks to all for the comments on Johnny Smith. I have that Mosiac boxed set, and it is wonderful. Smith is always underrated even among guitar fans, but among the hardcore jazz crowd, he is very well respected as one of the titans.
George Benson has done a ton of mediocre middle of the road stuff, but back in the 1960s and early 1970s, he was at the top of his game, and no one was better. Not to mention he has a fine voice.
Kenny Burrell is an all-time talent also.
I'm a Gatton and Lee fan from way back but didn't know until a couple of years ago Vince could play like he does; it's great to see them all on stage together.
If you want to see Gatton really in the zone:
danny gatton crosscut saw
....trust me
that gave me chills!
I'm generally a blues guy myself, but damn I respect these guys. Just great playing.
The Hellecasters are a bit like that. You'd think so much talent would be a bit too much, but they are really generous guys and appreciate each other. A band with a trio of lead guitarists in it...awesome!!!
I wish I could play like that. Time to go practice some more...
one name ommitted from the gallery of great guitarists-the man who created hot chicken pickin cut time telecaster playing- the legendary Mr. James Burton.
this is what Shredding SHOULD be called.
Great - I dig this video
Freakin' humbling. Great video!
@ValiRossi Gotta agree with you. Listening to Gatton's stuff on 88 Elmira Street. F#*king AMAZING!
That's some picking and grining going on here!
Danny the winner. Makes it look so easy.
I knew Danny casually, when asked who the was the best guitarist in D.C. he always replied, "Roy Buchanan". Now, whether this was admiration or humility I can't say but one thing is certain; they were good friends and " the presidents of each other's fan clubs."
Albert Lee played on John 5's second solo album. I have his first solo album and its really good.
@gtrefghuk Hey, Man, that's very cool of you to acknowledge! I feel the same way.
WOW! Does it get any better?
wow! awwsome! plus i think that 3rd guitarist is the late Danny Gatton!
Without a doubt the best 3 guitar lineup you'll ever see. (2nd place goes to Buddy Miller, T-Bone Burnette and Marc Ribot on the Krauss/Plant tour and 3rd to the Springsteen-Lofgren-Little Steven team).
Gatton, Gill, and , in particular, Albert Lee, set the stage for the current crop of Brad Paisleys and Keith Urbans out there. Fast and furious and frickin' phenomenal.
Just great!
Man, did those guys blow the roof off of the joint!
so good
Hey it all comes down to personal taste. Whether Luther Perkins is your hero or Howard Roberts. I have been a player/fan since 1955. I saw and met Howard Roberts, Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Les Paul, Bucky Pizarelli, with steelers Buddy Emmons (wow), Curly Chalker, Julian Tharp, Marice Anderson in Dallas in 1977 at a club concert. Howard killed it! I'm a big fan of Hank and Albert. As already said, enjoy them all, it's great music-not a fast draw or who can type the fastest contest.
great players this is a smokin guitar part
Wow!.Gatton,Lee and Gill all up there.So sad about Gatton..he didn't seem anywhere near stretched there.Well within his comfort zone.We can only speculate as to what he could come up with and be satisfied with what gifts he gave us.Lee seems to have been dropped on this planet from the world Beeblebendergeuse.Are guys like this an inspiration or an excuse to pack away the guitar?Love their sharing of the talent any whichway
I use to see Gatton play every wednesday night down at pennies from Heaven on pennsylvania ave in washington DC back in 86-87 and I would bring my friends there to see Him from LA . All these hot shot guitar players from GIT out in Hollywood and I would tell Danny Hey man I brought the guitar guns from LA and He would just rise to the occassion and literally smoke the axe and my hot shot guitar player friends from La would just be so Humbled by His astonishing chops and He was such a nice guy .
Superb! 5 stars
Albert is a fan of Danny he can’t stop smiling! Whose best ? 🎸🤷♂️
The boy had chops, no question about THAT!
DANNY GATTON could play any style Jazz, Blues, Picking, Surf, Rock 'n' Roll...
Check out his song Nit Pickin' and be prepared to be blown away!
One of the all time greats!!!
Walsh is able to spell-bound me with very few notes. More expressive than many guitarists I've heard. Very emotive. One of my absolute favorites.
Funny, I've never thought of Joe Walsh as diverse.
Shee-ott, thar's some pickin'. Each time a new guitarist took a solo, I thought he surpassed the one before him. Then the next guy stepped in... I was impressed with how quick-fingered and soulful Vince Gill was.