This man literally exudes music from his core. His combination of rhythm, tempo, melody, and ongoing creativity is unlike any other musician I have witnessed. Every time I see him in concert, I am amazed all over again! He is that good.
I produced a Phil Keaggy concert at my church in ‘99. He is as sweet a guy in person as you can imagine. After playing nonstop for 2 hours, he stayed to visit with folks. He even took the time for a mini session with a very talented kid from the audience who had brought his one guitar. He was just starting to get into looping, right when “Inseparable” had come out.
Thank you WAEC AM radio in Atlanta back in the early 80s for bringing Phil Keegey and his troops to Hotlanta. Second Chapter of Acts at The Fox Theater was a little taste of Heaven. All Glory to The Father and The Son and The Holy Ghost for creating Gifts like these Folks, for our journey Home Viva Cristo Rey
I am 54 on Oct 6, 2014. I have been listening and playing since I was 15. I heard the greats. Stanley Jordan, Van Halen, Vai, SRV, Maher, Clapton, Maumsteen, Page, HENDRIX, you name them...I HAVE NEVER IN MY WHOLE LIFE MET OR SEEN ANY ONE IN MY WHOLE LIFE THAT CAN RIVAL OR MATCH THIS MAN....ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENTLY, AMAZINGLY, BEAUTIFULLY, WRENCHINGLY BEYOND REACH, THE BEST I'VE EVER HEARD OR SEEN....THE SECRETARIAT OF GUITAR PLAYERS
Oh dude! I really appreciate that. I use them all the time and play every day. I've even played with some "greats" but ....WOW this guy....right? Not just open tunings....EVERYTHING with him...Been listening to him since I was 17. I taught all the way through college level before I quit teaching....MAN I appreciate your comment.....no way you can practice too much.. I'd love to hear you sometime...sounds like you have a voice to share!! That's great!!! Post some stuff dude and let me know. I can ALWAYS learn...never too late, right?
Raymond Evans Every guitarist brings his own style and gift to his music. Don Ross was doing similar things long ago too, but I'd hesitate to say who's best because opinion starts in the individual heart. To compare him to Vai or Malmsteen or SRV or Duarte or whoever seems a little absurd. For excellency can't be excelled easily, something that Vai exemplifies, but others might disagree. As for the looper, one has to know what they are doing with it, and it sure cuts out the politics inherent in a band. Haha.
i 2nd that Raymond...and to boot, he still is so easily accessible at $25-$50 avg ticket price...a virtuoso as not only a guitarist but also as a human being!!!
An inspiration to millions. He thanked God he lost only one finger and not his hand ( this happened when he was four) and God did the rest. He is an anointed musician.
All I'm sayin is this. Real musicians can appreciate music from others without making the 'who is best' comparison. There were several masters of the instrument on stage during this video and they were all enjoying the music. They all understand the work that goes into it, beyond just sheer talent. You can tell who actually plays vs who is just a fan by their comments.
What utter joy witnessing this! Thank you, Phil. Fyi, March of the Clouds was our soundtrack as I drove my wife (and daughter) home from the hospital after giving birth to our only child. Even today, nearly thirty one years later, it still reverberates my soul. More music, please.
Just wow... In case you ever need a reminder, you’re not as good as you think you are at playing the guitar. Awesome and incredibly humbling. I’ve played finger style guitar for 49 years, and I’m not even worthy to change this guy’s guitar strings...
God is not invisible...He revealed himself through His Son...and it was god who blessed Phil with these amazing skills at a very young age before his accident
It never has been about upstaging anyone... or comparing ones self with another player. For Keaggy it has always been about grinding things out as Christ has led him. That's why I love and respect him. He would give all the accolades to Tommy Emmanuel... as Emmanuel would do for him. We fall short when comparing this kind of greatness.
@gtrplyer423 The tuning he uses is DADGAD, but for performances he usually tunes down a half step. It is a very beautiful and versatile tuning-I use it myself. You can find instructional vids on this tuning - awesome for guitarists but also for worship leaders, who like to use it for chording, as it sounds so rich.
I love the way his feet just dance around 2:50 to 4:00 (yes, listening to the music too, of course). You don't see people enjoying what they're doing like he does, in any area really.
Not the best quality video of Phil's playing.It jumps all over the place,there's gaps and stuff,but still fun to see.To really get the full picture of keaggy's genius,you have to go to one of his concerts
On this edition of County Down, if you watch carefully Phil doesn't touch the looper for the first four minutes. It's all his live playing. Much as Tommy E has speed with a lot of notes missing, he's no Phil Keaggy :)
Brilliant performance as always. That was the first I saw him loop on County Down. Is that Muriel Anderson next to Keaggy? I can't tell who else might be on stage.
I think Phil would agree. There is something, though, that seems to separate icons from the herd. Phil mentioned the book he read (Was it Tipping Point or the other one...?) that mentioned 10.000 hours of work, minimum, necessary to break out ahead of the pack. His work ethic is way up there.
I don't understand the need to compare Phil to other guitarist. Tommy Emmanuel is great, world class, along with Phil Keaggy any many others. I simply enjoy their art. It does not make sense to compare David Gilmore and Allen Holdsworth, for example, because they both bring something to the table which is wonderful and unique.
Tim Prairie I have to say, I found a couple of the performances from the others on stage, and though Keaggy is my man, they kicked ass too and should bow to noone.
Phil was the first I heard use a sampler (all 4 seconds available then) in the early 80's; but to say he needs to use a looper (like some seem to suggest) is simply insulting + there is an art to looping so it is insulting to undermine that as well. I've seen Keaggy several times in the early to late 80's with his electric band so I know better than to say silly things like "yeah sure he is great but he is no Allan Holdsworth" or "sure he is a great acoustic finger stylist but he is no Tommy Emanuel" -- that would be absurd! Phil Keaggy is one thee greatest (uniquely stylistic) musician-singer-songwriters have ever seen/heard -- not to mention he is a very pleasant fellow.
It wasn't god who gave him these incredible skills,it was countless hours of study, practice and technique building. Enjoy the beauty of the music and leave invisible men out of it.
Yes it was God. This gift is purely from God and Phil would and does give Him all the glory for it. God is real and Jesus is Lord. Blessed are those who believe and haven’t seen
@@joaocarlospereiradeamaral9900Haters are just gonna hate. Look at the name he gives himself here and pray for him. God gave Phil life, the interest, the ability, the talent, the mind to create the music, the heart, the ear, the rhythm, etc., etc. Phil is simply very blessed and doing what the Lord gave him to do. The music in heaven✨️ will blow our minds! We may even perceive music better there 👏🙌
Tommy Emmanuel certainly doesn't seem able to play with either the style or care that Phil plays. Tommy has speed... so much speed he doesn't even bother hitting the notes. Watch Phil carefully; he's actually playing the notes, with feeling... vibrato... etc. Tommy doesn't bother with all that; he tends to just go for speed. On this edition of County Down, if you watch carefully Phil doesn't touch the looper for the first four minutes. It's all his live playing.
"Watch Phil carefully; he's actually playing the notes, with feeling... vibrato... etc. Tommy doesn't bother with all that; he tends to just go for speed" .You simply don't know Tommy, ua-cam.com/video/6-9mPWCpNdk/v-deo.html
while Phil is indeed a truly world class guitarist, whom I love and repsect, he is simply NOT in the same class as the unbelieveable Tommy Emmanuel...while Tommy could plat anything Phil could, the same would not be true in reverse...Phil is both humble and honest enough to admit there are players out there whose stuff he can't play.
Fingerstylistforever they've both got entirely approaches, I could listen to Phil for hours, he's on the same level, just has a different approach to Tommy.
Eh, completely disagree, and most would agree with me. Tommy is a great guitarist, no doubt, but Phil is a legend who transcends many different genres. Tommy's style is fast, but it's very messy and he misses a lot of notes when he's playing fast. Stevie's Blues is a cool song, but it's not on par with Phil's playing. Phil very rarely misses a note, even on acoustic, and plays much cleaner. He's among the cleanest acoustic players ever. Sure, Tommy might look flashier because of all the movement and antics, which I do appreciate, but the sound is inferior. Note, that we're discussing two amazing guitarists, but Phil is in a different realm and has been for 40+ years. YOU may personally like Tommy's music/style/flair/energy better, but he is technically not as good as Phil, and I suspect he'd admit that as most any guitarist would. Tommy has clearly impressed you, and that's what matters, but to keep saying that Phil can't play his stuff is just a lack of understanding of this type of music.
They are just different and both are fantastic what is it you have to be a comparison of who is better? They both do what they do best. When is not better than the other just different.I bet if he would ask each of them they personally would shy away from being compared to anyone else because they know is a musician that’s wrong to do. Every musician has their unique gift.
Also, Phil doesn't always use pedals, there is a suburb video of him playing without pedals, how ever if you really want to be impressed, check out his song 'the reunion' absolutely incredible!
I remember John Farnham once when introducing his band (in particular the guitarist who had just rejoined), say “At this level it doesn’t get better, it just gets different”
listen to Tommy Emmanuel playing "!2 Bar Blues"/ "Stevies Blues" on acoustic WITHOUT a Jam man looping underneath him - his speed and fluidity are unbelieveable....much as I love and repsect Phil as a person and player, he is NO Tommy E
So glad that to the rest of the world, music is not a combat or Competitive sport... and thank God, you are no Jam Handy... there's only room for one of me...
Both are amazing guitarists and I don't believe you can place one over the other. Phil's versatility, creativity and improvisation are unmatched. Tommy's technical prowess, incredible finger picking are amazing. I've heard plenty from each artist and I must say I enjoy Phil more due to his more percussive approach to the acoustic and his constant drive to experiment and coax new sounds out of his instrument. He loves gadgets which some purists may count against him. His earlier live recordings on the acoustic without all the looping are simply a stunning display of guitar playing prowess. To be quite honest I'd place someone such as Roy Clark in his prime at Tommy E's level.
To further this discussion. Take someone such as Paco Delucia. He was perhaps the greatest flamenco guitarist to ever walk the planet. His precision and attack were completely insane. When I watch him play with Al Dimeola, it becomes clear whom has more technical skill. Paco completely smokes Al. He's simply on another level. Also someone such as Michael Hedges who completely redefined the acoustic guitar and was totally original in his approach influencing scores of guitarists including Keaggy. Is he greater than Tommy E? There are so many variables when it comes to ranking guitarists.
I'm sure Phil Keaggy could play anything as good as Tommy Emmanuel! They're both 5 star guitar players who are masters of the guitar! There's no reason to say this or that one is better--they're both great!!!
This man literally exudes music from his core. His combination of rhythm, tempo, melody, and ongoing creativity is unlike any other musician I have witnessed. Every time I see him in concert, I am amazed all over again! He is that good.
I produced a Phil Keaggy concert at my church in ‘99. He is as sweet a guy in person as you can imagine. After playing nonstop for 2 hours, he stayed to visit with folks. He even took the time for a mini session with a very talented kid from the audience who had brought his one guitar. He was just starting to get into looping, right when “Inseparable” had come out.
every guitarist on that stage knew they were in the presence of greatness.
Thank you WAEC AM radio in Atlanta back in the early 80s for bringing Phil Keegey and his troops to Hotlanta.
Second Chapter of Acts at The Fox Theater was a little taste of Heaven.
All Glory to The Father and The Son and The Holy Ghost for creating Gifts like these Folks, for our journey Home Viva Cristo Rey
I'm mesmerized 😮
I am 54 on Oct 6, 2014. I have been listening and playing since I was 15. I heard the greats. Stanley Jordan, Van Halen, Vai, SRV, Maher, Clapton, Maumsteen, Page, HENDRIX, you name them...I HAVE NEVER IN MY WHOLE LIFE MET OR SEEN ANY ONE IN MY WHOLE LIFE THAT CAN RIVAL OR MATCH THIS MAN....ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENTLY, AMAZINGLY, BEAUTIFULLY, WRENCHINGLY BEYOND REACH, THE BEST I'VE EVER HEARD OR SEEN....THE SECRETARIAT OF GUITAR PLAYERS
Ya gotta learn those "open tunings" and practice practice practice
Oh dude! I really appreciate that. I use them all the time and play every day. I've even played with some "greats" but ....WOW this guy....right? Not just open tunings....EVERYTHING with him...Been listening to him since I was 17. I taught all the way through college level before I quit teaching....MAN I appreciate your comment.....no way you can practice too much.. I'd love to hear you sometime...sounds like you have a voice to share!! That's great!!! Post some stuff dude and let me know. I can ALWAYS learn...never too late, right?
Raymond Evans Every guitarist brings his own style and gift to his music. Don Ross was doing similar things long ago too, but I'd hesitate to say who's best because opinion starts in the individual heart. To compare him to Vai or Malmsteen or SRV or Duarte or whoever seems a little absurd. For excellency can't be excelled easily, something that Vai exemplifies, but others might disagree.
As for the looper, one has to know what they are doing with it, and it sure cuts out the politics inherent in a band. Haha.
I agree there is none to compare to Phil not a guitar God but a guitarist serving God and a man whose music I could almost say saved my life
i 2nd that Raymond...and to boot, he still is so easily accessible at $25-$50 avg ticket price...a virtuoso as not only a guitarist but also as a human being!!!
We followed Glass Harp everywhere back in the early 70's. I still don't know how they put up with us.
Watching Phil Keaggy is a spiritual experience, his prayer is that God plays thru him...
@davelarsen8156 - His prayers are answered 😁
Tremendous !!!
An inspiration to millions. He thanked God he lost only one finger and not his hand ( this happened when he was four) and God did the rest. He is an anointed musician.
One of the nicest & most humble human beings I've ever met! Love your music Phil. Huge inspiration since '84
I love how his feet are dancing while he plays away ! He's a Sufi dancer - trance musician, what a joy to hear / see him play ! ! !
❤
God sings and the sympathetic vibrations resonate to Phil's vocal chords and guitar strings.
Greg Johnson
All I'm sayin is this. Real musicians can appreciate music from others without making the 'who is best' comparison. There were several masters of the instrument on stage during this video and they were all enjoying the music. They all understand the work that goes into it, beyond just sheer talent.
You can tell who actually plays vs who is just a fan by their comments.
Exquisite !!
A True from the heart musician,live long&share...
Technique, melody, , everything I need to hear, see, satisfies musically, spiritually, coming from a genuine Kingdom guy
What utter joy witnessing this! Thank you, Phil.
Fyi, March of the Clouds was our soundtrack as I drove my wife (and daughter) home from the hospital after giving birth to our only child. Even today, nearly thirty one years later, it still reverberates my soul. More music, please.
Love the sounds you get Phil. So melodic and full of rhythm. I can see why they say that there's music and then there's Keaggy.
every other guitarist on the stage is thinking "no way am i playing after that guy!"
I had my middle finger surgically removed thinking I would be able to play like Phil as a result....... I still suck......I miss my finger😞
Now that is a good line.
Just think you could have sat back and just enjoyed the music and still have felt good with that middle finger.
haha
🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
I was at this show. Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, at a Murial Anderson's All Star night. Probably around early '00s. Awesome performance!
Just wow... In case you ever need a reminder, you’re not as good as you think you are at playing the guitar. Awesome and incredibly humbling. I’ve played finger style guitar for 49 years, and I’m not even worthy to change this guy’s guitar strings...
Takes the phrase "One Man Band" to whole new level.
💯🎯
God is not invisible...He revealed himself through His Son...and it was god who blessed Phil with these amazing skills at a very young age before his accident
Now THAT is a guitarist.
The sound of this amazing Olson guitar...
There is no one better on the instrument than Phil Keaggy
One can actually feel "god" whilst listening to such a good performance.
Brilliant sound and combos.. dreams made notes.
It never has been about upstaging anyone... or comparing ones self with another player. For Keaggy it has always been about grinding things out as Christ has led him. That's why I love and respect him. He would give all the accolades to Tommy Emmanuel... as Emmanuel would do for him. We fall short when comparing this kind of greatness.
The other guitarists are thinking " that's a tough act to follow!"
Don't try this at home.
Beyond awesome, extreme musically!!!
@gtrplyer423 The tuning he uses is DADGAD, but for performances he usually tunes down a half step. It is a very beautiful and versatile tuning-I use it myself. You can find instructional vids on this tuning - awesome for guitarists but also for worship leaders, who like to use it for chording, as it sounds so rich.
You're angel , thank you for listen you
Dieu vous bénisse !!!
❤️❤️❤️
You can tell how amazing he is by the fact I was quiet for nearly ten minutes.
Very beautiful song!! You're the best!
Incredible!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Breath taking!
I love the way his feet just dance around 2:50 to 4:00 (yes, listening to the music too, of course). You don't see people enjoying what they're doing like he does, in any area really.
Magic~
Genius, musically speaking.
@Beshimi I felt that too, amazing how they increasely became part of an amazed audience
Love it !! I have the greatest hits disc in my truck right now,playing at a moterate high volume
Phil is a musical genius! But most important he is a humble servant of God!
The one part of this I didn't like was here: 9:34
Not the best quality video of Phil's playing.It jumps all over the place,there's gaps and stuff,but still fun to see.To really get the full picture of keaggy's genius,you have to go to one of his concerts
very enjoyable, and the technical aspect of looping, capo ing and tuning in the song also takes a lot of practice....
By"jumping" I'm talking about the music not smooth. Anyone else notice that or is it my laptop not streaming right?
this is my favorite song off of 'beyond nature'
well, i know they've always told you
selfishness was wrong
yet it was for me, not you, i
came to write this song.-neil peart "anthem"
1:39 Did the video just jump forward or did I stroke out there for a second?
Where can I find the full event that this was taken from?
Trying to find it myself.
On this edition of County Down, if you watch carefully Phil doesn't touch the looper for the first four minutes. It's all his live playing.
Much as Tommy E has speed with a lot of notes missing, he's no Phil Keaggy :)
Yes,that is Muriel Anderson next to him
Brilliant performance as always. That was the first I saw him loop on County Down.
Is that Muriel Anderson next to Keaggy? I can't tell who else might be on stage.
what is the tunning used
Is he quoting "Music for a found harmonium" towards the end?
awesome!
County down/shades of green? Idk I'm just guessing
What is this video part of with all the other guitarists?
Hey Phil, What type of pickup system are you using, that guitar sounds great. BTW only just found your music. Great Stuff!!!!
God bless
Except for the jumping (or whatever the technical term is for it), this is a great intro to anyone who's unfamiliar with Phil's acoustical abilities.
I think Phil would agree. There is something, though, that seems to separate icons from the herd. Phil mentioned the book he read (Was it
Tipping Point or the other one...?) that mentioned 10.000 hours of work, minimum, necessary to break out ahead of the pack. His work ethic is way up there.
I don't understand the need to compare Phil to other guitarist. Tommy Emmanuel is great, world class, along with Phil Keaggy any many others. I simply enjoy their art. It does not make sense to compare David Gilmore and Allen Holdsworth, for example, because they both bring something to the table which is wonderful and unique.
Who are the other guitarists in this video?
John Molokach I recognize Alex de grassi
Gotta wonder what all those other guitarists sitting on the stage are thinking..... I could take a guess.....
Tim Prairie I have to say, I found a couple of the performances from the others on stage, and though Keaggy is my man, they kicked ass too and should bow to noone.
HE's a loopin!!
musescore.com/user/213191/scores/2085761 sheet music
Good grief...
@deuce01983 His sheer humility is one reason why God has blessed him so much in his musicianship. I swear the pop market really annoys me!
Jesus is Coming Back ☝️🙏
Phil was the first I heard use a sampler (all 4 seconds available then) in the early 80's; but to say he needs to use a looper (like some seem to suggest) is simply insulting + there is an art to looping so it is insulting to undermine that as well. I've seen Keaggy several times in the early to late 80's with his electric band so I know better than to say silly things like "yeah sure he is great but he is no Allan Holdsworth" or "sure he is a great acoustic finger stylist but he is no Tommy Emanuel" -- that would be absurd! Phil Keaggy is one thee greatest (uniquely stylistic) musician-singer-songwriters have ever seen/heard -- not to mention he is a very pleasant fellow.
Oh yeah', he's got it.
@Beshimi I would have gotten off the stage just because i'm not worthy!
AAAAAHHHHHHHH....:-[)
3:29-3:39... 😁
Not "by far the best" but he's amazing.
Not sure who would be better. But there are many players who are equally as good.
K-Klaus Meine?
I mean Phil would agree about the work involved.
It wasn't god who gave him these incredible skills,it was countless hours of study, practice and technique building. Enjoy the beauty of the music and leave invisible men out of it.
Yes it was God. This gift is purely from God and Phil would and does give Him all the glory for it. God is real and Jesus is Lord. Blessed are those who believe and haven’t seen
@@joaocarlospereiradeamaral9900Haters are just gonna hate. Look at the name he gives himself here and pray for him. God gave Phil life, the interest, the ability, the talent, the mind to create the music, the heart, the ear, the rhythm, etc., etc. Phil is simply very blessed and doing what the Lord gave him to do. The music in heaven✨️ will blow our minds! We may even perceive music better there 👏🙌
Tommy Emmanuel certainly doesn't seem able to play with either the style or care that Phil plays. Tommy has speed... so much speed he doesn't even bother hitting the notes. Watch Phil carefully; he's actually playing the notes, with feeling... vibrato... etc. Tommy doesn't bother with all that; he tends to just go for speed.
On this edition of County Down, if you watch carefully Phil doesn't touch the looper for the first four minutes. It's all his live playing.
"Watch Phil carefully; he's actually playing the notes, with feeling... vibrato... etc. Tommy doesn't bother with all that; he tends to just go for speed" .You simply don't know Tommy, ua-cam.com/video/6-9mPWCpNdk/v-deo.html
you really shouldn't eat corn flakes near a urinal. they taste better with milk.
you know nothing about me.
reason within your knowledge, friend.
with that logic any one can play just like that ..... serious!! There is talent, and you undermined this guys ability by saying stupid things like...
Wonderful and seemless.
Love your playing but not a guitar slapper myself, the strings (yes) but not the wood of the guitar, just my opinion only
while Phil is indeed a truly world class guitarist, whom I love and repsect, he is simply NOT in the same class as the unbelieveable Tommy Emmanuel...while Tommy could plat anything Phil could, the same would not be true in reverse...Phil is both humble and honest enough to admit there are players out there whose stuff he can't play.
Fingerstylistforever they've both got entirely approaches, I could listen to Phil for hours, he's on the same level, just has a different approach to Tommy.
Eh, completely disagree, and most would agree with me. Tommy is a great guitarist, no doubt, but Phil is a legend who transcends many different genres. Tommy's style is fast, but it's very messy and he misses a lot of notes when he's playing fast. Stevie's Blues is a cool song, but it's not on par with Phil's playing. Phil very rarely misses a note, even on acoustic, and plays much cleaner. He's among the cleanest acoustic players ever. Sure, Tommy might look flashier because of all the movement and antics, which I do appreciate, but the sound is inferior. Note, that we're discussing two amazing guitarists, but Phil is in a different realm and has been for 40+ years. YOU may personally like Tommy's music/style/flair/energy better, but he is technically not as good as Phil, and I suspect he'd admit that as most any guitarist would. Tommy has clearly impressed you, and that's what matters, but to keep saying that Phil can't play his stuff is just a lack of understanding of this type of music.
They are just different and both are fantastic what is it you have to be a comparison of who is better? They both do what they do best. When is not better than the other just different.I bet if he would ask each of them they personally would shy away from being compared to anyone else because they know is a musician that’s wrong to do. Every musician has their unique gift.
Also, Phil doesn't always use pedals, there is a suburb video of him playing without pedals, how ever if you really want to be impressed, check out his song 'the reunion' absolutely incredible!
I remember John Farnham once when introducing his band (in particular the guitarist who had just rejoined), say “At this level it doesn’t get better, it just gets different”
It's too bad God has slammed on the boop and beep buttons on the US and we are now on the receiving end.
Cause he's making everyone else look bad. they keep him on the down low.
wow, 5wd, thanks for ruining the moment.
listen to Tommy Emmanuel playing "!2 Bar Blues"/ "Stevies Blues" on acoustic WITHOUT a Jam man looping underneath him - his speed and fluidity are unbelieveable....much as I love and repsect Phil as a person and player, he is NO Tommy E
So glad that to the rest of the world, music is not a combat or Competitive sport... and thank God, you are no Jam Handy... there's only room for one of me...
True , and Tommy is no Phil Keaggy.
Both are amazing guitarists and I don't believe you can place one over the other. Phil's versatility, creativity and improvisation are unmatched. Tommy's technical prowess, incredible finger picking are amazing. I've heard plenty from each artist and I must say I enjoy Phil more due to his more percussive approach to the acoustic and his constant drive to experiment and coax new sounds out of his instrument. He loves gadgets which some purists may count against him. His earlier live recordings on the acoustic without all the looping are simply a stunning display of guitar playing prowess. To be quite honest I'd place someone such as Roy Clark in his prime at Tommy E's level.
To further this discussion. Take someone such as Paco Delucia. He was perhaps the greatest flamenco guitarist to ever walk the planet. His precision and attack were completely insane. When I watch him play with Al Dimeola, it becomes clear whom has more technical skill. Paco completely smokes Al. He's simply on another level. Also someone such as Michael Hedges who completely redefined the acoustic guitar and was totally original in his approach influencing scores of guitarists including Keaggy. Is he greater than Tommy E? There are so many variables when it comes to ranking guitarists.
I'm sure Phil Keaggy could play anything as good as Tommy Emmanuel! They're both 5 star guitar players who are masters of the guitar! There's no reason to say this or that one is better--they're both great!!!
Just because this guy practices 5 hours a day doesn't make him not totally lame and gratuitous. Phil is a passionless tactician.