Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist

Subject: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: skarpi
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 05:53 PM

Hallo , as some of you know I am learning fingerpicking style
on my guitar , and my teacher Chris Foster , told me about a blind
man who played on a guitar , this fingerstyle .

So have anyone heard this man or know something about him ?
what is his story ?

All the best Skarpi Iceland

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: s&r
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 05:59 PM

Fairly well known

Stu

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Emma B
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:02 PM

I was priviledged enough to share a small session with the Reverend Gary Davis back in the 60's at a Folk Festival

Try you tube there is some archive film of him there.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: PoppaGator
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:05 PM

Oh, Skarpi, I don't have the time to get into it. I'm sure several others have much to tell you, and hopefully provide web links and other references.

The Rev. Gary Davis was a legendary player who recorded way back in the pre-Depression heyday of the blues and who also lived in New York City many years later during the 1960s "folk revival," when many student musicians (including people who would become folk-music legends in their own right) came to him for lessons and for stories of his experiences.

Among his best-known compositions are the fingerpicking standard "Cocaine Blues" (not exactly what you'd expect from a "Reverend"!) and the spiritual "Samson & Delilah (Tear This Buiding Down."

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: skarpi
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:06 PM

Well that was fast :>))

thanks both :>)

All the best Skarpi Iceland

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:07 PM

Skarpi wants to see the good Reverend playing, not just listen.

Reverend Gary Davis video

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: van lingle
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 06:57 PM

Be prepared for a pretty intense experience, Skarpi. Davis made his first recordings in 1935 for ARC and you can hear these on the Yazoo LP Rev. Gary Davis 1935-1949. It's probably on CD. It's my favorite recording of his but some of his later ones like Harlem Street Singer are also great.
You can pick up lots of information at Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop on the net where they've got DVD lessons by Grossman and Ernie Hawkins of Davis' music and lesson books and performance videos as well. In their discussion area there are lots of Davis oriented threads as well.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 07:33 PM

He's an amazing guitarist and his versions of wellknown songs are legendary. More than one superalitive blues guitarist whom I have met and admired has said that they still can't get his work down to their satisfaction.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Mark Ross
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 10:40 PM

I had the privilege of changing the good Reverend's guitar strings once, backstage at the Gaslight Cafe in the Village.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 04:01 PM

I only saw him once , at the Troubadour in Brompton Road - When Long John Baldry was Roadying for him ! A CRACKING Night

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: open mike
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 03:34 PM

Another guitar player who played in the Rev. Gary Davis style was
Dave Van Ronk.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Amos
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 03:54 PM

Here's a fine example of the Rev. playing with Pete Seeger and Donovan, too!


A

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Betsy
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 09:53 PM

I saw the Rev Gary Davis at Cambridge Folk Festival and we all held him at at a reverential level , because finger style wasn't really a feature of your average floor singer in a UK Folk Club.
Seemed like a nice guy with much stage presence but loads of duff notes and repetitive riffs.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: skarpi
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 10:40 AM

Dave van Ronk I like alot ,

All the best Skarpi ICeland

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Elmore
Date: 26 May 21 - 08:30 PM

If you wish to know who Gary Davis was, I suggest you read his biography, "Say No To the Devil" by Ian Zack. You'll get an accurate description of Rev. Davis' life, and the context of his life.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 May 21 - 01:22 AM

There is a wealth of material and recordings by Rev. Gary Davis. I heard him many times in Greenwich Village in the early sixties. I leared finger picking guitar from Dave Van Ronk, back then. There was even a short documentary done of him in the early sixties. Check out youtube.

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 21 - 09:22 AM

If you're excited by black print on a white background describing the music of Rev. Gary Davis, next time try typing his name into Youtube. The music and visuals are even better!

Subject: RE: Who was Gary Davis ? guitarist
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 May 21 - 09:38 AM

Davis encounters a Sitar in this wonderful clip from rainbow questhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiBdT59AgJs