The Rev. Gary Davis

[Mycroft]

Rick Ruskin also studied with the Rev.

[The Bard Rocks]

Andy Cohen is another one who studied with him.

[Mr. Jelly]

When a person would go to have lessons with the Rev. the first thing he'd do was feel their hands. I believe it was so he'd know what he could teach them as far as chords etc. The Rev. had huge hands and could easily pull off five fret chords in a heart beat. Look at the difference of Ernie Hawkins and Roy Book Binder's hands and notice how it impacts their guitar playing style.

[ShinyBeast]

Great thread and I'm also a huge RGD fan. Have spent much time with lessons from Grossman, Hawkins and Woody Mann. Here's my band's take on Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning--it's a cross between RGD's version and Hot Tuna's version:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B4hgmbT0NY

[frank4001]

Fantastic thread, thanks to all.
I was born in '63 so, kind just behind it all...
I could've actually taken lessons from him and/or Brownie McGhee up in Harlem.
I lived in Brooklyn but was too young to know about it !
Glad I got to see Sonny and Brownie in the Village with my sister when I was a kid at least.
So close.....

[fatt-dad]

When that Hot Tuna album came out it was mystified how Jorma got all that detail in his playing.

The bluegrass/folk scene let me to Doc Watson. Again, I was amazed at the fingerpicking.

About 10 years ago, John Cephas taught me how to get started. I sat in his house and took lessons for the better part of a year. He taught me the music of RGD, Blind Boy Fuller and Blind Blake. Example tunes to get me on the learning curve.

I will cherish those lessons for the rest of my life. I mostly play the mandolin, but when I play, I play the best I can in the Piedmont style.

I use thumb and finger pick.

f-d

[srick]

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

When that Hot Tuna album came out it was mystified how Jorma got all that detail in his playing.
d

Funny, now that I think of it, the Hot Tuna albums were a major influence on me too. (Long,long,long ago!) Little did I know where that path would lead some thirty or forty years later.

Rick

[srick]

Coincidentally (?) (or maybe they read this AGF thread), Ernie Hawkins' 4 DVD set., "The Gospel Guitar of Reverend Gary Davis" is on sale until 12/21. http://www.guitarvideos.com/Catalogu...7#.WFMKl3eZP-Z


Hmmm - it is that time of year....

Rick

[Robert1950]

Yes, he does have big powerful hands. To use an analogy from a long long time ago, in galaxy far far away, his hands are Chewbacca and mine are R2D2. I'd have to do a bit of adapting with the fret hand.

[Earl49]

We all have to adapt to what the Creator gave us hand-wise - size, flexibility, range of motion, finger length. That is why it is so hard to play a note-for-note version of our guitar hero's work.

[AX17609]

In 1965, you could get a lesson from RGD for $5. That same $5 equals $39 in today's money, exactly what you need for a video lesson from Ernie Hawkins, Stefan Grossman, or Roy Bookbinder. The tradition lives.

[RP]

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

When that Hot Tuna album came out it was mystified how Jorma got all that detail in his playing.

I'm a long time TunaHead although it took me a while before I could make sounds approximating Jorma's. Looking forward to going to Fur Peace Ranch next year for the Rev. Gary Davis weekend....

[Mark E]

Originally Posted by RP

I'm a long time TunaHead although it took me a while before I could make sounds approximating Jorma's. Looking forward to going to Fur Peace Ranch next year for the Rev. Gary Davis weekend....

That would be fun ! Sure it will be a full house.

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

When a person would go to have lessons with the Rev. the first thing he'd do was feel their hands. I believe it was so he'd know what he could teach them as far as chords etc. The Rev. had huge hands and could easily pull off five fret chords in a heart beat. Look at the difference of Ernie Hawkins and Roy Book Binder's hands and notice how it impacts their guitar playing style.

He never did that when I started learning from him.

[Mark E]

Rick Ruskin,

I sure wish you would do an instruction video of your version of " I Will Do My Last Singing". I truly love your version of this song. Great job.