DESCRIPTION:
Buddy Emmons - Pedal Steel Guitar
Danny Gatton - Guitar
Steve Wolf - Bass
Scott Taylor - Drums

CD Liner Notes by: Brawner Smoot:
Tonight the Cellar Door club, sold out weeks in advance, is owned by Danny Gatton's instrumental aggregate, the Redneck Jazz Explosion. The crowd has come to see not only the guitarist presenting his virtuosic wares in all instrumental jazz setting but his pairing with pedal steel maestro Buddy Emmons. To quote Ralph Heibutzki from his 2003 biography, "Unfinished Business-The Life Times of Danny Gatton," the December 31, l978, Cellar Door gig has assumed legendary proportions for its place in Gatton history. Swearing you were there is akin to saying you saw the Beatles at the Cavern Club or caught the Yardbird's hot, sweaty nights at the Marquee." It's a great tribute to Danny that Buddy Emmons, who had not been on the road for years, did hit the highways with the Explosion.

Let's set the stage. It's D.C.'s six string's finest as the Tom Principato-Pete Kennedy duo, propelled by the Explosion's electric Fender bassist Steve Wolf, open the show. They lead you through a mini-history of guitar instrumentals like Les Paul's "The Kangeroo", Merle Travis', "I'll See You in My Dreams" and Roy Nichols' "Stealin' Corn" (for an audio sampling of eight tunes from this era check out their CD "Fingers on Fire" on Powerhouse records recorded December 30, l978).

But the real magic starts after intermission as Danny, Buddy, with trademark derby in town and rhythm section (the aforementioned Steve Wolf and drummer Scott Taylor) uniformly clad in red T-shirts with their names on the front and the words Redneck Jazz Explosion around a cloud and lightning bolt emblazoned on the back assume the stage. The Voice of the Cellar Door, David "Dude" Sless announces, "The Cellar Door is once again proud to present the Redneck Jazz Explosion."