I love folk guitar

Subject: I love folk guitar
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Sep 13 - 05:44 PM

Yeh... its probably been the love of my life.

I saw Wizz Jones and he was still great - saw him twice in the last couple of months.

My favourites were Derek Brimstone and Gerry Lockran. Derek's retired and Gerry 's dead.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 01:09 AM

Saw gerry Lockran a number of times and remeber Aint no Can on this Brazos. Used to play a black Ovatio. Guitar i think. Dont see wizz much these day.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 02:41 AM

I was very much taken with the 60s UK folk guitar heroes, and in particular Davy Graham and Bert Jansch and, in their wake, so many interesting guitar players emerged.
Dave Evans was one of them. Here he is on TOGWT in the early 70s.
The guitar is tuned to DADGAD for all those guitar players out there.

Dave's magic fingers

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 04:24 AM

One of my all time favourite albums is "Bert and John" from Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. Twelve short tracks, ten of them guitar duets. I got it when it first came out on vinyl in mono, replaced that with the stereo version when it was released a few years later and finally after several decades the CD version was issued and is on a loop in the car.

R

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 04:36 AM

By gum, Sir Rog - I still have "Bert and John" on vinyl (stereo version).

The LP I almost wore out when I bought it was Davy Graham's "Folk, Blues and Beyond". Still ground-breaking in many respects. I also liked "Folk Roots, New Routes", with Shirley Collins - and still play his version of "Blue Monk".

I also, at one time, had a passion for "The New Ragtime Guitar" album of guitar ragtime duets by cousins Dave Laibman and Eric Schonberg.

Unlike others I know, when CDs came out, I did not get rid of my vinyl. Some of the stuff - particularly on Topic and Transatlantic - is now worth a bob or two, but I'll never sell them.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 05:02 AM

I like the style of Carthy, Jones, etc. I didn't like Davy Graham at the time although some of Renbourn's and Jansch's songs were nice. I saw Renbourn only a couple or so of years ago and it was sad, an old man going through the motions. I felt no fire.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Tommyrot
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 05:26 AM

Yeah, I love the british folk guitarists.
Bert Jansch's "Rosemary Lane" and Davy Graham's "Folk Blues and Beyond" get pretty regular airplay at home.

I've heard of Wizz Jones but haven't got any of his recordings - what should I listen to first?

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 08:56 AM

I suppose Wizz's lifetime achievement album is probably Dazzling Stranger, but currently my favourite is Holdenburg Blues - a live album. Also a dvd in the Guitar maestros series where he is interviewed and accompanied by Martin Carthy is a good introduction.


As well as all these famous folk though - the supreme volutuous pleasure is just holding a guitar and giving it a strum.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 11:08 AM

I know what you mean, Al. I have a guitar on a stand in my living room, and I like to take it out on the front steps and play it for the neighborhood - weather permitting of course. It can't be raining and I don't want the hot sun shining right on it.

I've been playing since 1972.

When we have a family get-together, it's usual for somebody to pick up a guitar and strum along softly while everybody talks. It's calming.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 12:30 PM

Me too. I've got all the Jansch / Renbourn / Pentangle albums (on both vinyl and CD). I cut my guitar teeth on Dylan and Donovan but once I heard Jansch that was it for me and I've been playing his stuff for as long as I can remember (since 1969?).

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 12:38 PM

Nick Dow who posts on here every now and again is non too shabby either :-)

DtG

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 02:54 PM

I've been lucky. I met five great ennablers in my career.

One was a kid at school.   Just a year above me. But he had figured out all the Dylan stuff and the Rev Gary Davis - his namw was Jon Arden jones - he has just reired as a doctor in Nottingham. I hero worshipped Jon.

The second was Stefan Grossman. His How to Play Blues guitar - broke up the process into bite size pieces. i did start on his Contemporary ragtime Guitar book - but the photographs made me realise that my short stubby fingers were never going in those directions. Big thrill for me was when Stefan recognised me in the audience and invited me up on stage with him at The Running Horse in Nottingham.

Derek Brimstone - he enthused me with the idea of presenting, rehearsing and performing a song. I suppose it was him and Noel murphy who taught me that guitar technique wasn't enough.

Ewan MacColl - the first guy to publish one of my songs.

And finally Ken Nicol who taught me not to be middle aged and frightened of new guitar tunings.

I've got five guitars in my front room Leenia. None of which I gig with. A big cheap J200 copy, an expensive Martin, a yamaha with a lovely sound -but it makes my wrist go numb. Nasty neck. Also theres a couple of dusty guitars that I've fallen out with and languish in a rack.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: severed-head
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 05:37 PM

I have been fortunate to see Steve Hicks several times. Based (I think) in Nottinghamshire but regular appearances throughout UK and beyond. We have Steve and Lynn (Hicks and Goulbourn) as Special Guests at Romford Folk Club on Tuesday 1st October 2013.
An example of Steve's work
Temptation Rag
Lovely playing and a nice, friendly bloke too.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 05:19 AM

Thanks for the heads-up on Steve Hicks - a new name for me - lovely playing. I shall investigate further.

Dave Laibman used to play this (still does, maybe) - but there's a warmth in Steve Hicks's playing which DL doesn't always achieve - great technician though he is.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 05:24 AM

Steve's another beneficiary of Stefan Grossman's missionary work amongst the savage tribes of Europe. I know he studied for years with one of the kicking Mule gang - whose name eludes me.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 05:49 AM

I can back up alll that's been said about Steve Hicks of Nottingham, a superb player.Much influenced by Duck Baker I believe.

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 07:05 AM

Duck Baker...that's the man!

Strangely enough no ducks get baked in his act - just in case the animal rights lobby were worried....

Subject: RE: I love folk guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 08:21 AM

I had the great pleasure to promote a concert in Sussex for Duck about 4 years ago. It was a wonderful evening at a local little theatre venue - sold out - and full of Duck's amazing playing and endless knowledge of American and Scottish & Irish music.