''Hi-Fi in Focus'' is the eighth studio album recorded by
American guitarist
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...
, released in 1957.
In the same year, "The Rhythm Rockers (featuring Chet Atkins)" released a single of "Tricky"/"Peanut Vendor". It did not chart. An
EP was also released with Myrna Lorre on the flip side.
Reception
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
music critic Richard S. Ginell praised the album and wrote "...suffice it to say that this is another lovingly played collection of a dozen tunes from what is now considered the great guitarist's most prized period on recordings."
Reissues
* In 2007, ''Hi-Fi in Focus'' was reissued on CD with bonus tracks as ''Hi-Fi in Focus Plus'' on the Universe label.
Track listing
Side one
# "El Cumbanchero" (
Rafael Hernández) – 2:01
# "
Ain't Misbehavin''" (
Harry Brooks,
Andy Razaf
Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was the American lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose". He was also a composer, poet and vocalist.
Biograph ...
,
Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...
) – 2:17
# "Shadow Waltz" (
Al Dubin
Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren.
Life
Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that immigrated to the United States from Sw ...
,
Harry Warren
Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...
) – 2:23
# "
Anna (El Negro Zumbón)" (Roman Vatro, Franco Giordano) – 2:02
# "
Yesterdays" (
Otto Harbach
Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading B ...
,
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...
) – 2:18
# "Portuguese Washerwoman" (Roger Lucchesi, André Popp) – 2:05
Side two
# "
Tiger Rag
"Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard that was recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions. In 2003, the 1918 recording of "Tiger Rag" was entered into the U.S. Library of Cong ...
" (Harry DaCosta, Eddie Edwards, Nick LaRocca, Larry Shields, Harry Regas, Tony Sbarbaro) – 1:49
# "
Walk, Don't Run" (
Johnny Smith
Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote " Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
Early life
During the Great ...
) – 2:22
# "Tara's Theme" (David,
Max Steiner
Maximilian Raoul Steiner (10 May 1888 – 28 December 1971) was an Austrian composer and conductor who emigrated to America and became one of cinema of the United States, Hollywood's greatest musical composers.
Steiner was a child prodi ...
) – 2:24
# "Johnson Rag" (Guy Hall, Henry Kleinkauf, Jack Lawrence) – 2:07
# "Lullaby of the Leaves" (
Bernice Petkere,
Joe Young) – 2:37
# "Bouree" (
J.S. Bach) – 1:28
# "Avorada (Little Music Box)" (Traditional) – 1:30
Additional tracks on the 50th Anniversary release ''Hi-Fi in Focus... Plus'':
[ AllMusic entry for reissue./ref>
# "Hidden Charm" (Rich) – 2:30
# "Tricky" (Jenkins) – 2:40
# "Martinique" (DeParis) – 2:37
# "Dig These Blues" (Chatmon, Greene) – 2:24
# "Colonial Ballroom" (Atkins, Thompson) – 2:26
# "August Moon" (Bradley, Cunow) – 2:37
# "The Red Leaves Of Autumn" (O'Connell) – 2:17
# "Its About Time" (Hoff) – 2:27
# "Dont Tease My Heart" (Allan, Stoalting) – 2:27
# "Fascinating Melody" (O'Connell) – 2:49
# "Saw Mill River Road" (O'Connell) – 2:39
# "Delightful Interlude" (O'Connell) – 2:33
# "Head Over Heels" (Stone) – 2:43
# "I Must Be Losing My Heart" (Sterling) – 2:10
# "I Wont Cry Anymore" (Allan, Miller) – 2:00
# "When Its Cherry Blossom Time" (Bradley) – 2:03
]
Personnel
*Chet Atkins – guitar, vocals
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hi-Fi In Focus
1957 albums
Chet Atkins albums
RCA Victor albums