Quality is laced throughout It s Never Too Late, the first regular studio album featuring Emmanuel completely solo without guests since 2000. A friend and follower of the late Chet Atkins who christened Emmanuel a Certified Guitar Player, making him one of only five musicians to receive the C.G.P. distinction from the master Emmanuel easily skates between musical styles, playing with blues in One Mint Julep, infusing Spanish tradition in El Vaquero and exploring folk in The Duke. An accomplished fingerstyle player, Emmanuel frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. That expert layering is evident in It s Never Too Late on the quixotic Only Elliott, the calming title track and the gorgeous Hellos And Goodbyes.