Guitar master names those that inspire him

Tommy Emmanuel - the Australian guitarist's guitarist - is back touring on this side of the Tasman. We know he's a respected whiz on the frets, but we thought we'd ask who he looks up to as masters of the instrument. Here's his top five.

Chet Atkins (1924-2001)
Mister Guitar

"Never has any guitar player given us such a legacy of songs, arrangements, ideas to inspire us. He gave us a quality control to aspire to in choice of melody and level of artistic performance. Working with him on our album The Day Fingerpickers Took Over The World was an insight to the depth, experience and knowledge that he was tapped into. He taught me to recognise the difference between labouring and trying for perfection, and capturing the essence of an inspired performance."

Best heard on: Yankee Doodle Dixie and Waiting for Suzie B.

Jerry Reed (1937- )
The Alabama Wildman

"This man showed us all how important it was to be yourself at all times. He has a great gift for melody and improvisation. Jerry's humility and humble approach to fellow artists is a good lesson for us all to observe."

Best heard on: The Claw and his arrangement of Georgia on My Mind.

Django Reinhardt (1910-1953)
Le Hot Jazz Gypsy

"Never has a guitar player come along and absolutely blown our minds. Django truly gave us a high-spirited, clever, boundless freedom in improvisation. He opened up a whole world of ideas and melodic offerings that on first hearing, would knock you back in your seat. He truly was the greatest improviser of our time."

Best heard on: Honeysuckle Rose, Minor Swing.

Merle Travis (1917-1983)
The Kentucky plucker


"Merle approached the guitar from a totally different way to everybody else. He seemed to have no rules, just groove and feel. He was so clever in his songwriting. He was poetic, he was a cartoonist, and he could fix your watch if it broke down. But more than anything, he had the ability to get a message across to the human heart. I still love to tell people about Merle and play his music to this day."

Best heard on: Nine Pound Hammer, Long Lost John.

Larry Carlton (1948- )
The Smooth Operator

"Larry is the quintessential professional who has played on countless hit records. He's been a part of a lot of musical collaborations that literally changed the world. But I know him as a man still in love with playing the blues and pouring his heart out every time he goes on stage. Not many musicians reach the level that Larry does. I think that a lot of young people should go back and listen to some of his solos, examine them, and learn from them because what he plays is very deep."

Best heard on: Strikes Twice and the guitar solo on Steely Dan's New Frontier.

Performance

* Who: Tommy Emmanuel

* Where: Sky City

* When: Sunday, 8pm