best acoustic fingerpicking records?
loudwizard
358 Posts
I know this is more of a waxidermy-esque post,but my work filter keeps me from that board. Just wondering if anyone wouldn't mind hipping meto some good fingerpicking records?I'm up on the obvious stuff - everything on Takoma - and have heard some good newer stuff too - the Imaginational Anthems comps-but I've never dug for these records before, really.suggestions?streaming version of last Imaginational Anthem comp here-http://www.imaginationalanthem.com/
Comments
John Fahey
Donovan
Mississippi John Hurt
Elizabeth Cotton
ha, yep, while I've been hunting this kind of stuff for a minute,
it was this thread that made me think Soulstrut might be willing to weigh in on this topic.
Defniitely up on everything you mentioned except Elizabeth Cotton,
I'll be on the lookout. Thanks!
There are a couple of nice Smithsonian reissue CDs of her work. Her voice takes some getting used to but her guitar style is wonderful.
Also check out Piedmont-style players like Blind Willie McTell and Blind Blake...
Those are the two I came in this thread to post.
I've always said to my wife that if I could learn to play like Mississippi John Hurt, I'd go find a tree, sit under it and just play for the rest of my life. The sound is good for the soul.
Bert Jansch "Bert Jansch",
Davy Graham "Folk, Blues & Beyond..."
and Bert Jansch & John Renbourn "Bert & John"
Leo Kottke - s/t
Daniel Hecht (2 albums on Dragons Egg)
Jim Olschmidt
Harry Taussig on Talisman (rare but there's a reish)
Tom Smith "Still Lifes"
Dave Fritz "City & Tree"
George Cromarty "Grassroots Guitar"
Richard Crandall (2 albums on cutthroat)
William Eaton
Michael Gulezian "Snow"
There's more but I can't think right now.
You also might check out Sandy Bull and Peter Walker who both have records on Vanguard if you haven't already (though not totally solo guitar).
Joseph Spence
Merle Watson (to be heard on Doc Watson records.)
One of the absolute best:
Larry Johnson Fast & Funky on Blue Goose records.
Mary Rose
I learned to play like John Hurt.
One day I was singing and playing Spike Driver Blues.
I knew something was not right.
So I played and sang along with the record.
But while the melody is played on the beat, the vocals are off beat.
There was no way I could sing off beat to the melody I was playing on the guitar.
It is somewhere in there, between the singing and guitar that the music happens.