The Merle Travis Guitar

Infobox Album |
Name = The Merle Travis Guitar
Type = studio
Artist = Merle Travis

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Released = 1956 (Capitol LP T-650)
Recorded = 1955
Producers = Cliffie Stone, Ken Nelson
CD Reissue = none
Genre = Traditional, Country, Blues, Americana
Label = Capitol Records
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,176946,00.html]

"The Merle Travis Guitar" was the first solo guitar album by Merle Travis, recorded in 1955 when Travis was at the peak of his performing abilities and released on January 1, 1956. Together with another Capitol release of the previous year, "Back Home", it introduced the style of guitar playing that came to be known as Travis picking to a wide public of guitarists and roots music enthusiasts. The album contains a selection of traditional guitar pickers' tunes from Travis' native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and includes old standards, blues and rags.

Track listing

#"Blue Smoke"
#"Black Diamond Blues"
#"On a Bicycle Built for Two"
#"Saturday Night Shuffle"
#"Bugle Call Rag"
#"Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old 'Tucky Home"
#"Walkin' the Strings"
#"The Memphis Blues"
#"The Sheik of Araby"
#"Blue Bell"
#"The Waltz You Saved for Me"
#"Rockabye Rag"

Personnel

*Merle Travis - electric guitar