dcoleman@vlnvax.DEC (02/07/85)
<if you get confused, listen to the music play> For those of you who are interested in acoustic fingerpicking guitar a la John Fahey, Leo Kotke, etc. you should check out Preston Reed. He plays six and twelve string solo guitar, much of the twelve string material played with a slide. Most of his material is original, but he also plays covers, many which are borrowed from Jorma Kaukonen, who himself covered many old blues tunes. Some of Preston's original material sounds like Larry Coryell, but he says this is coincidental; he claims Jorma was his big influence. Preston Reed lives in Connecticut, but he tours all around the U.S. and occassionally in Europe. He isn't very well known, but don't blame it on his music. (Last time I saw him, the performance was sponsored by a local folk club who didn't advertise the show much, and he played in a barn with an audience of ~12 people.) He has received excellent reviews from his live performances as well as from his 3 albums. I'll post a schedule of his upcoming performances as soon as I hear about any. Has anyone out there ever heard or heard about Michael Gulazian? I bought an album of his at a used record sale, but I've never heard of him anywhere else. He's another fingerstyle instrumental guitarist. Can anybody recommend other guitarists that have styles similar to Preston Reed, Michael Gulazian, John Fahey, Leo Kotke, Jorma Kaukonen,...? Dave Coleman " D C B Bb A B C# D D-A-C-F# "
steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny) (02/07/85)
> > Can anybody recommend other guitarists that have styles > similar to Preston Reed, Michael Gulazian, John Fahey, Leo Kotke, > Jorma Kaukonen,...? > Ah, ha - my favorite subject. The style of playing that they use is called "Travis Pickin" after Merle Travis. Travis learned the style from two coal miners, Ike Everly and Mose Rager. The characteristic of the style is a base line with a melody playing over that. Travis died in 1983, but he has released alblums as late as 1980, and one called "Travis Pickin'" has songs in that style that have proved much harder for me to pick up off the record than anyone else I have tried to learn that played that style. Travis changes key uses impossible chord progressions and was a super musician. One of Travis' most devoted followers is Chet Atkins. Chet plays that style, though he usually play electric gutiar, there is an alblum called "Alone" that has picking that sounds like Fahey and Kottke. Chet Atkins is one of the finest gutiarists alive. The song "Stars and Stripes Forever" on "On the road live .." has counterpoint that is exceptionally beautiful. He has dozens of alblums, I have 32 different Chet Atkins records. Stephan Grossman also plays this style. He has many records. One I had and lost had beautiful ragtime duets. He played in a band with David Grissman many years ago. Merle Watson of Doc and Merle Watson plays the Travis style, as he should, I guess, because Doc named him after Travis. Though he rarely does solos all instrumental songs, Doc usually sings. -- scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 ihnp4!pesnta -\ 109 Torrey Pine Terr. fortune!idsvax -> scc!steiny Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 ucbvax!twg -/