Blue Notes: Earl Klugh

There can't be many musicians who would be equally comfortable playing a duet with either Kenny G or Bill Frisell, but Earl Klugh is one of them.

He is one of the few nylon string fingerstyle guitarists to have successfully found a niche in jazz - Charlie Byrd and Laurindo Almeida are perhaps the most notable other examples - but Klugh's main inspiration was Chet Atkins.

The Detroit-born guitarist made his recorded debut in 1970 with Yusef Lateef, going on to join George Benson's band, before embarking on a solo career which to date has produced more than 30 albums and numerous guest appearances on other artists' recordings.

The interesting thing about Klugh is that at the same time as appealing to a large audience which thinks of his music as easy listening, he still commands the respect of players with heavyweight jazz credentials, such as Frisell and Martin Taylor, who recognise the intelligent economy and emotional integrity of his playing.

Clips of Taylor and Klugh playing and in conversation can be found on YouTube, and Frisell is a guest on Klugh's latest album, Handpicked, performing a duet on Blue Moon.

Klugh's distinctively funky acoustic finger picking and Frisell's spacier electric guitar complement each other perfectly, and there are two other interesting duets.

Virtuoso ukelelist Jake Shimabukuro, who appeared in Hong Kong recently and is expected to be back next year, guests on a version of The Eagles' standard Hotel California, and country guitarist and singer Vince Gill appears with him on a version of the Everly Brothers' All I Have to Do is Dream.