Hometown Live!

The woman who is known as "the Female Chet Atkins" lives up to her billing on this live album. Her precise playing has elements of ragtime, folk, and flamenco, and it's a pleasure to hear her effortless command of melody and tone. Muriel Anderson acknowledges her debt to Atkins on "Andante," a section of a larger piece called "Symphony for a Country Gentleman" that she wrote for him. That piece was scored for full orchestra and guitar, but this solo reading is riveting. Anderson plays her guitar brilliantly throughout and finishes with one of her rare vocal turns on the old spiritual "The Water Is Wide." The album is nothing short of excellent, and it really makes you want to attend one of her concerts to see if she's this good every night.