category: instrumental country / folk / popular

Album review:
"Hand Picked, the new CD that Michael O'Dorn has out is pure traditional thumb and fingerstyle listening pleasure. Containing tunes of Michael's heroes, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, and Marcel Dadi, that he hand picked to play on this CD, plus a couple of his own compositions are a compilation of tunes that let him demonstrate his great talent. To name a few: "Je Te Veux", a Marcel Dadi number has a very pretty melody and a great bridge. He does Merle's "Saturday Night Shuffle", which is a real fun tune, "Spirit of Brother Marcel", one he wrote and dedicated to Mr. Dadi, is a bouncy sounding number. Chet's "Happy Again", and "Freight Train" which has a great ending. The last number "Elisa Daniel", is a beautiful melody (another one he wrote) that Michael starts and then a mandolin (Buddy McPeters) joins in, (the only tune with an instrument other than Michael's guitar) to embellish the melody. All tunes done in his super clean style of playing and in a variety of tempos, total up to a great CD. I'm sure you will enjoy it." -- The Sound Hole, Oct. 1998

CD Track Listing

  1. DRIVE-IN ** (Rich) (2:36)
  2. HAPPY AGAIN * (Chet Atkins) (2:16)
  3. BLUE BELL *** (Morse / Madden) (2:26)
  4. JE TE VEUX (Marcel Dadi) (2:15)
  5. FREIGHT TRAIN * (Elizabeth Cotton) (2:56)
  6. SATURDAY NIGHT SHUFFLE *** (Merle Travis) (2:26)
  7. JUNK * (Paul McCartney) (2:57)
  8. MAYBELLE * (Chet Atkins) (3:19)
  9. SPIRIT OF BROTHER MARCEL (Michael O'Dorn) (2:36)
10. I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS *** (Kahn / Jones) (3:13)
11. WINDY & WARM * (J.D. Loudermilk) ~ MY TOWN MEDLEY * (Chet Atkins) (2:19)
12. ELISA DANIEL (Michael O'Dorn) (4:14)

  * adapted by Michael O'Dorn from an arr. by Chet Atkins
  ** adapted by Michael O'Dorn from an arr. by Jerry Reed / Chet Atkins
  *** adapted by Michael O'Dorn from an arr. by Merle Travis

Total timing: 33:39

Label/No: Skylar Records 1998

Release date: 1998