Essential Flatpicking Guitar Recordings
Jeff Griffy
It seems today that there are plenty of great new flatpickers
to listen to. However all of them have one thing in common,
they all listened to and learned from what has become known
as the quintessential guitarist of flatpicking guitar. The
roots of this small group of players can be traced all the
way back to the earliest days of recording with people like
Jimmy Rodgers, Maybell Carter, and Rabon
Delmore laying the groundwork for what has become flatpicking
as we know it today. Below are some brief bios and recommended
CDs for listening to these influential players. Hal Leonard
has also released a new book titled Bluegrass Guitar: Know
the player, Play the music (HL331347) this book will give
you much more depth into these players and their lives.
In the late 1950's and early 1960's a young kid by the name
of Clarence White came on the scene and changed the
role of the guitar in a bluegrass band from the rhythm section
to playing some lead breaks and fiddle tunes. Clarence and
his brother Roland were the backbone of the bluegrass group
The Kentucky Colonels, and later he moved to playing electric
guitar for the Byrds. Before his untimely death in 1973 he
had developed some unique right hand techniques that are commonly
used today in rock and country style electric guitar playing.
Recommended Listening: 33 Instrumentals (Rural Rhythm 1019),
Appalachian Swing (SPR-717)
The folk boom of the 1960's saw the emergence of Doc Watson's
solo career. Steeped in old-time and the country music of
his childhood Doc started out playing electric guitar in a
country/swing band until a suggestion from Ralph Rinzler convinced
him to go out on his own and play acoustic. Doc's long career
has teamed him with countless musicians from Bill Monroe to
Chet Atkins. Doc has been sited by more flatpickers as a primary
influence than any other guitarist in the world. Recommended
Listening: Essential Doc Watson (Vanguard-45/46), Doc Watson:
Live on Stage (Vanguard-9), Southbound (Vanguard79213)
Norman Blake's music has been described as old-timey,
American folk, and sometimes bluegrass. Whatever label you
try to give it seems to come up short. Norman is of course
a gifted flatpicker, but add to that mandolin, resophonic
guitar, fiddle, banjo, and let's not forget he's written a
number of songs that have become bluegrass standards. Norman
hit the ground running with his first solo recording Back
Home in Sulphur Springs, and has been a backing musician for
many top billed acts such as Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, John
Hartford, and was featured on the multi-platinum O Brother
Where Art Thou soundtrack. Recommended Listening: Back home
in Sulphur Springs (Rounder-0012) Whiskey before Breakfast
(Rounder-0063) Blake and Rice (Rounder-0233) Blake and Rice
2 (Rounder-0266)
Tony Rice's Career has taken him from playing Bluegrass
to Dawg music to recording more folk ballads and everything
in between. Tony's playing brought more music theory and jazz
base to flatpicking guitar as well as adding a blues influence.
Up until the loss of his voice in the early 90's Tony and
his band the Rice Unit blazed new trails in the music with
flashy instrumentals and tight vocal trios. In more recent
years Tony has added a new dimension to his playing with the
adaptation of almost chord melody versions of classic ballads
such as Danny Boy and Shenandoah. Recommended Listening: JD
Crowe & the New South (Rounder-0044), Manzanita (Rounder-0092),
58957: The Bluegrass Guitar Collection (Rounder-11622), The
Bluegrass Compact Disc (Rounder-11502)
As stated earlier there are a great number of new flatpickers
that have hit the scene in recent years. Below is a list of
other required listing for any aspiring flatpicker. Many of
these musicians also have instructional DVDs and books available.
David Grier- Lone Soldier (Rounder-0309), I've Got
the House to Myself (Dread-0201)
Tim Stafford- Endless Line (FGM-114)
Bryan Sutton- Bluegrass Guitar (SUGA-3975), Not Too
Far from the Tree: with Heroes & Friends
Jeff Autry- Bluegrass 2000 (PINEC-1097), Bluegrass
2001 (PINEC-1112)
Scott Nygaard- Dreamer's Waltz (Rounder-0397), No Hurry
(Rounder-0267)
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