Topic: Rev Gary Davis

[kinsuk]

Hi ,
I have  a Question Folks
I  am wondering how did Gary Davis Learn to create and play music despite being blind.

[wreid75]

I believe there is a book called red river blues that should answer this for ya.  It is one of the five best blues books I have ever read.   

[PDGRANT]

Who needs eyes to hear music? Musicians, particularly guitarists, play in positions and we don't need to look at our guitars to play them. The recently released Gary Davis bio is really worth a read. Red River Blues is also great to get an overview of the South East traditions.


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[kinsuk]

thanks for the reply guys 

[RogueBrit]

I think we 'sighted folk' tend to make assumptions based on what is limited experience in this context. And what about the world renowned deaf classical percussionist, Evelyn Glennie? In one of his quotes the Rev. seems to throw some light on all this when he says '..sometimes, y'know, when God takes a man's sight, He gives him something greater'.

Quite apart from the fact they needed to find a way to earn a living, surely it's not coincidence that many of the most creative and accomplished blues musicians shared this attribute - Lemon Jefferson, Willie McTell, Blake, Willie Johnson - the list is a long and wholly inspiring one.

Best, Roger

[oddenda]

Don't forget Willie Walker (Greenville, SC). "The Art Tatum of blues guitar!' [Josh White to Max Jones]. "He played in all the keys with all his fingers [Baby Tate to me].

pbl

[Kokomo O]

The book about the Rev referred to above is Say No to the Devil by Ian Zacks, http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo19609757.html. Highly recommended.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The skills needed to play music don't require vision.  Blind musicians have been encountered in societies around the world for centuries.  Even if we choose to confine ourselves to the U.S. in the Country Blues era, many of the blind musicians were operating in a world without any governmental safeguards, Supplemental Security Income, Disability, or financial assistance of any type.  In many or most instances, their families could not afford to carry the blind family members financially for their entire lives.  Developing the ability to make music was the best opportunity to be able to support oneself out in the world and function independently as an adult.  And there was plenty of time to work on developing the skills to become an ace player.  The players were gifted, of course--you'd have to be nuts not to accept people like Lemon Jefferson and Rev. Davis as "once-in-a-century" types of talents, but the additional key was their spending a huge amount of their time singing and playing their instruments.  You don't develop the kind of mechanisms they had on the guitar simply on the basis of talent.  Talent is a starting point--only work will get you there.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

And there was plenty of time to work on developing the skills to become an ace player.  The players were gifted, of course--you'd have to be nuts not to accept people like Lemon Jefferson and Rev. Davis as "once-in-a-century" types of talents, but the additional key was their spending a huge amount of their time singing and playing their instruments.  You don't develop the kind of mechanisms they had on the guitar simply on the basis of talent.

I agree, Johnm, work is a major component, and I would augment your point about having "plenty of time" by pointing out that they had time at an important learning stage. When other youngsters were already being conscripted into the cotton fields and tobacco farms, or those lucky enough, getting some years of schooling, blind youths who already had taken to the guitar were spending most of those prime learning years with their instruments. There is no comparison in terms of speed and depth of learning between those years and even the late 20s and 30s. Those of us who pick up the guitar later in life sure have to put in a lot more work. The brain literally grows, creates networks, and then prunes unneeded pathways in response to what is being learned during childhood and the teens. With the kind of focus that Jefferson and Davis and others supposedly put into those years, they literally created a musician's brain.

Wax

[kinsuk]

wow!! that's so inspiring i have a family who support me with my want to learn (i am 26years old)  makes me realize how i should not make any excuses thanks for the words will get back to the basics