The Essential Chet Atkins
The Essential Chet Atkins is a two-disc compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 2007 on the Legacy label. History. The 40 tracks span Atkins' career from "Chet Atkins and the All-Star Hillbillies" ("Guitar Blues") released on Bullet Records to his last solo album "Almost Alone" ("Big Foot"). The selections include not only Chet's solo recordings and his duets with other guitar players, but also include songs he contributed to as a sideman. Songs with Maybelle Carter and The Carter Sisters, Eddy Arnold, The Everly Brothers, Don Gibson are represented in  this collection. Duets include Jerry Reed, Merle Travis, Lenny Breau, Les Paul and Mark Knopfler. This marked the first licensed US release of "Guitar Blues." Reception. Allmusic stated: "It might not be the ultimate Atkins compilation, given the sheer quantity of material the guitarist recorded. But it's a good — and, more crucially, very listenable — starting point for surveying his work as a solo artist."