"One of the best" is how Chet Atkins described Suzy Bogguss when he penned his testimonial for the liner nots on Bogguss' debut album Somewhere Between. Now Atkins, long considered the best friend a guitar ever had, picks, strums and ends a vocal or two on Suzy's latest release, Simpatico. What results is a musical experiment which testifies to the genuine friendship between Atkins and Bogguss.
   A spirited cover of Jimmie Rodgers' "In the Jailhouse Now" allows Atkins free reign with his delightfully gravelly voice as he shadows Bogguss on the chorus and weaves his guitar magic throughout.
   "When She Smiled At Him" continues the Bogguss tradition of remarkable familial love songs, this time examining the love of a father for his daughter in his twilight years.
   Atkins and Bogguss playfully knock through "Forget About It," "This Is The Beginning," and the Johnny and Roy Cash lament "I Still Miss Someone" before laying into some knock down, drag out country with the Randy Van Warmer/Shane Fontayne tune "Wives Don't Like Old Girlfriends."
   Bogguss, along with husband Doug Crider and friend Steve Dorff, contribute their songwriting talents with "You Bring Out The Best In Me," and then with Atkins for a homage to musicians and performers everwhere with "One More For The Road."
   Though every song on this album is a gem, two shine out above the rest. "Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word," a classic Elton John/Bernie Taupin hit, and Debra Allen's "Two Shades Of Blue" will grab your attention, hold it and deliver a wonderful aftertaste as Suzy's golden voice mixes and harmonizes with Chet's intricate and poetic guitar lines.
   As if having Atkins to collaborate with weren't enough, Bogguss once again enlists the help of Nashville's power elite, with the likes of Vince Gill (who has appeared on every Bogguss album), Mark O'Connor, Bela Fleck, and longtime friend Beth Neilson Chapman, creating an album that is a must for any music lover's collection.

-Charlton Wiggins