The Merle Travis Guitar was the first solo guitar album by Merle Travis

Merle Travis

Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"...

, recorded in 1955 when Travis was at the peak of his performing abilities and released on January 1, 1956. Together with another Capitol release of the previous year, Back Home

Back Home (Merle Travis album)

Back Home is the original LP reissue of Merle Travis's first album, Folk Songs of the Hills , with four previously unreleased tracks and a new cover...

, it introduced the style of guitar playing that came to be known as Travis picking to a wide public of finger-style guitarists and folk music enthusiasts. The album contains a selection of traditional guitar pickers' tunes from Travis' native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and includes old standards, blues and rags.

Track listing

1. "Blue Smoke"
2. "Black Diamond Blues"
3. "On a Bicycle Built for Two"
4. "Saturday Night Shuffle"
5. "Bugle Call Rag
   Bugle Call Rag
   "Bugle Call Rag" is a jazz standard written by Jack Pettis, Billy Meyers and Elmer Schoebel. It was first recorded by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1922 as "Bugle Call Blues", although later renditions as well as the published sheet music and the song's copyright all used the title "Bugle Call Rag"...
   
   "
6. "Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old 'Tucky Home"
7. "Walkin' the Strings"
8. "The Memphis Blues
   The Memphis Blues
   "The Memphis Blues" is a song described by its composer, W.C. Handy, as a "Southern Rag." It was self-published by Handy in September, 1912 and has been recorded by many artists over the years.-"Mr. Crump":...
   
   "
9. "The Sheik of Araby"
10. "Blue Bell"
11. "The Waltz You Saved for Me"
12. "Rockabye Rag"