He was a guitarist, mandolinist, banjo and lute players who worked in all genres of music ranging from pop to classical as a very much sought after studio musician.
Much of his work was carried out in New York City where he worked for the RCA label, often for Chet Atkins who worked for the label at the time. He was often called on to perform on country music recordings for artists such as Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold, Hawkshaw Hawkins and many others until RCA changed it’s look on how to modernise things and he and many other musicians, including Chet Atkins had to go.
He didn’t stay out of work long though as he was soon performing at the time when the beginnings of rock was coming on the scene and also Latin and rockabilly music. He performed on recordings for Buddy Holly and Perez Predo and was later finding himself working on the soul music scene and playing for Sam Cooke and Esther Phillips.
Turning his hand to the banjo he was given a position on Broadway in the production of The Boyfriend in 1954,, where he played in a 1920’s style. He was then called on to perform on recordings as a banjo player.
Still sought after as a studio guitarist as well as banjo he went on another tangent and turned his hand, yet again, to the lute. As a lutist he was called on to work on Christmas recordings with the choral conductor and arranger Robert Shaw.
The recordings he appeared on during the course of his career are many but a select few include his own “Guitar the Easy Way!” along with Full Time Job by Eddy Arnold, Galloping Guitar: The Early Years by Chet Atkins, Banjo Party by Banjo Barons, The Complete US & UK A & B Sides 1956-1962 by Bobby Darin, The Man Who Invented Soul by Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly by Buddy Holly, “Turn to Me/I’m Gonna Knock on Your Door” by The Isley Brothers, Heartaches by the Number by Guy Mitchell, “Tell Laura I Love Her” by Ray Peterson, The Best Of… by Esther Philips, Mambo Mania/Havana 3 A.M. by Perez Prado, A Festival of Carols by the Robert Shaw Chorale, The Many Moods of Christmas by Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, The Complete U.S. Country Hit 1949-1962 by Hank Snow, The Complete Roulette Sarah Vaughan Studio Sessions by Sarah Vaughan along with various compilations and numerous others.
Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra recordings
Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French/James Chadwick/Edward Barnes )
RCA 6429 (CD: A Festival of Carols)
Conductor – Robert Shaw
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)(Alternate Version: Nicolas Saboly)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley/George Whitefield/Martin Madan/Felix Mendelssohn/William Hayman Cummings)
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
He is the guitarist here…
Sources:
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-chernet-mn0000062148
- https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/al_chernet/credits/
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1322486/otherworks/
- https://poshmark.com/listing/Guitar-The-Easy-Way-Vinyl-45-Al-Chernet-Record-Instructional-Booklet-1201-61f25dffe2c432e75bca3a7a
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/935882-Al-Chernet
- https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?artist_id=935882&ev=ab
- https://www.discogs.com/release/12435607-Robert-Shaw-Chorale-Orchestra-A-Festival-Of-Carols
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-chernet-mn0000062148/credits