Seasoned Nashville guitarist Tom Bukovac—a go-to live hired gun for Joe Walsh and Vince Gill—boasts a versatile style rooted in heavy country twang and gritty rock ’n’ roll, which makes him uniquely suited to elevate Carrie Underwood’s sweeping power ballad “Cry Pretty.” However, Bukovac’s ability to tease out the emotional nuances of his guitar parts (as on Rascal Flatts’ wistful “Fast Cars and Freedom”) makes him an ace session player.