I finally saw Doc Watson

Subject: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 04:13 PM

Yes, after all these years, I was fortunate enough to attend a concert with Doc, Granson Richard, and David Holt.

Doc lives in this part of the country,but I never saw or heard him in person until last night. I almost missed it.The show was in Asheville, NC., but when I called for tickets, had been sold out for 2 weeks. Here is where I got very lucky. A friend of mine produced a comp. ticket and left it for me.

The three of them were pure magic. It is hard to grasp the fact that Doc is about 78. I stopped trying to figure out how he does what he does. It just happens.

Needles to say, I acted like a 65 year old groupie. Jim

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Willie-O
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 04:40 PM

Good stuff. I believe Doc is the most essential musician anyone with an interest in acoustic music should go see right away, first chance, if they've never.

An american wise man, to confound the stereotypes about southerners.

And nobody plays or sings better.

willie-o

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 05:57 PM

I concur wholeheartedly. Seeing Doc Watson perform in person was onr of my primary objectives in coming to the States, since I figured out he was never going to make it across to Britain. It is indeed hard to grasp that he is in his late 70's. I only hope I can play as well as that when I am his age ............................

Murray

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 06:31 PM

!!!

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 06:56 PM

If you have an opportunity, GO!! because "we never know when He'll call." It almost unbelievable.

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 06:58 PM

I saw him several times in the 1970s at Winfield (flat pick championships), and was awed...if anyone deserves to be "a legend in his own time" it is Doc...

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:26 AM

One of my heroes, and not just for his music. Has anyone heard or read his views on people and the world in general? Wonderful man. Got to be his chauffeur and flunky for a day many years ago.

Rick

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From:
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 06:10 AM

Quelle Chance ! How lucky you are ! I'm 52 and my dream to see and hear Doc Watson willnever come true. Have a look on the site I made for friends, about Doc. And If you have anything interesting, lyrics or tabs or anything else, I can put it down on the site. Thanks to all of you, merci beaucoup. Yves I'm searching for the complete chords grid of "kinfolks in carolina" Doc's version. Have you got it

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From:
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 06:12 AM

>>Excusez moi the site adress I talkes about is http://perso.clu-internet.fr/ysavari Bye Yves

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: GUEST,Dunkle
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 07:12 AM

Yves - you forgot the 'b'...it's 'club', not 'clu'...

http://perso.club-internet.fr/ysavari

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 09:17 AM

I will see what I can dig up. Jeepman

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 09:39 AM

Hey Jeep, will you e-mail him and ask him to join Mudcat? And let him know the chords will appear here if found?

~S~

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Stonewall
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 09:40 AM

I got to see Doc and Jack Lawrence in Portland, Maine, this past fall (or was it December I can't rembember). Anyway it was incredible. Those two together blew me away. Does anyone know the pickups that they use?

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:20 AM

Will do, Susan. Jim

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: Midchuck
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:21 AM

Ahem! Harumpph! When I bought Jack's Collings a couple of weeks ago (quick, wipe off the smirk!) it came with the McIntyre pickup in it. These are one of the pzieo (sp?) types that stick on to the inside of the guitar with goop, rather than going under the saddle. I understand that Jack was involved in the development of these, and may still have a partnership interest in the business - I'm not certain.

I asked Jack what he suggested to run it into the system, and he said that he and Doc are now using the Fishman "Platinum" preamp/equalizer units. He said he had a rackmount unit that he used to haul around, but found that these little hand-sized boxes do everything it did just as well.

I've tried the guitar, plugged into a Fishman preamp, but not the Platinum, and thence into a little 10-watt keyboard amp that we had around, and it does an amazing job of retaining the acoustic sound - much better than any under-saddle pickup I've ever heard. When I first tried it, my wife was upstairs, and she wasn't aware I had plugged it in - she just thought I was playing really loud, right near the stairs. And she has a much better ear than I do.

Incidentally, Jack also said that he and Doc are now miking the guitars as well as using the pickups. Doc always preferred the pickup to playing into a mic. (Remember, he played electric guitar in a local country band for years before he was "discovered.") So Jack said he set up mics as well, for a few gigs, and just didn't tell Doc. When he found out about it, he decided he liked it ok.

Peter.

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: BobP
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:45 AM

Jeepman,

Could you give us some idea if Doc appeared to be in good health?

I, for one, would like to know whenever a catter reports having seen Doc, or Utah or Rosalie (not that there's anything necessariy ominous in being 70something).

Performers known to catters, for better or worse, are part of a family, and we'd like to know if they're okay.

Regardless of Age.

And does anyone else wish sometimes, when you listen to radio hosts talk with folks like Doc, they'd remember to ask, or mention, wihout prying, if they are looking okay?

Its a long time between visits for the widely scattered folk community, and we do think about the people whose music helps us cope with life.

ITS SOMETIMES A LONG TIME BETWEEN VISITS FOR THE WIDELY SCATTERED FOLK COMMUNITY AND WE DO THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHOSE MUSIC HAS TOUCHED OUR LIVES.

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:35 AM

A friend of mine was going to see Rosalie at a farewell retirement performance this past w/end in the little room under the Crystal Ball room in Portland. I'll ask him how she was and get back to you, BobP.

Sounds like a great time, Jeepman! Thanks for sharing.

kat

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:21 PM

BobP. Doc appeared to be in fine fettle. He and Richard and David played for about 21/2 hours. He told some jokes and his favorite Baptist preacher stories.

My friend who is a good friend of the family says everyone is great. Jim

Subject: RE: I finally saw Doc Watson
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:25 PM

One more word. Doc and David did Crystal Gayles,"Ready for the times to get better". Absolutely Beautiful. You have not heard it until you hear him do it. David backed him up with and Irish drum.(Boron?) Jim