Topic: Rev. Davis' Birthday

[Pan]

Thanks for all the great performances in this thread! They would make up a great tribute album, I think! 

Frankie, I don't think that anyone has owned the 12 gates to the city, so much, since the rev., except you! Wonderful!

Laura, that is just an amazing performation, no wonder it was shared on the social media asap. What a great performer you are turning to be, in front of our eyes!

Mr. O'Muck, what a tour de force! You're powerful delivery and touch certainly is keeping up the torch of the Reverend, and only a few can improvise so fluently in this tradition.

I'm not familiar with the original, but Todd's instrumental tune was very enjoyable, with precise and clear melody and rhythms. Well done!

John, what a beauty again, with those lush harmonies of yours! You should consider recording a gospel album, with some original tunes as well!

Roi's energetic Buck Dancing, with some virtuoso licks certainly bring the Reverend in mind! Well done!

Thanks again for everyone who participated, it certainly made a nice evening of listening (and a great remedy for post weenie juke symptoms).

Now I need to really learn some RGD tunes myself! 

Cheers

Pan

[ArthurBlake]

Wow!  Amazing performances, Frankie, Laura, and O'Muck -- I really loved all three.  (And some very fine copying and pasting from you, Prof. Scratchy.)  Please lower your standards dramatically before watching the following.

Todd Brown

I don't think anyone has to lower any standards to have enjoyed that tune and your playing on it JT. I know I did, it was very nice indeed I got a lot of pleasure from it.

[ArthurBlake]

I've so enjoyed all of the Rev. Davis birthday posts so far this year.  Frank, that is such beautifully relaxed time and singing, except where you don't want it relaxed!  Laura, it is so strong and true, playing and singing.  Phil, that is wonderful, and so YOU--I don't reckon another person alive could have done what you did with "God Don't Never Change", even if they might have been able to play it, they couldn't have thought of it.  Todd, you hit some lovely variations on "I Will Do My Last Singing", as well.

Here is a hymn I wrote called "Oh My Lord", waiting on some lyrics.

All best,
Johnm

That was also very nice John and it is good to jam to, plenty of good melodies for vocals or lead instrument to add in there, I played along with it and had a good time doing so.

[Johnm]

Thanks, folks, for good words on the hymn.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

Hi John - got your file to play (not sure what the issue was, on my end I presume, must've corrupted the file the first time or something). Lovely piece, and as always, your chord voicings always catch my ear. And trick my ear. Sometimes when I listen I hear a voicing that says standard, then I hear another that says oh, those open strings, could this be something else? Part of it is unfamiliarity, but part of it is those open strings that ring so nicely.

Frankie, when did a Gibson creep back into your hands? Or maybe I just didn't notice. Also, that verse at the end ("When I get in heaven") is one I don't recall him singing from the 8 versions or so I have. Where's it from? This one just gets better and better with repeated listening, so much in there.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the comments, Andrew.  I think one reason the sonorities on the hymn may be difficult to suss out is because it is played in open Bb, the Peg Leg Howell "Low-Down Rounder Blues/Fairy Blues" tuning.  I've been playing in that tuning a good bit the past couple of years and particularly like it because it makes a lot of really close, pianistic sorts of voicings possible that can not be played in standard tuning or any other commonly utilized tuning that I know of.  The version of "Deep River" I posted in the Rev. Davis birthday thread last year was also played in that tuning.
The tuning also works exceptionally well for thumb lead, and I've used it quite a lot for that style, too.
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

John -  that definitely sheds light on both of those songs...  that tuning ALWAYS sounds like standard on first listen to me, and your use of this and other tunings is a lot more sophisticated than I'm used to...  amazing that you can hear that way inside an open tuning...  the more I hear you play in open tunings, the more I want to compare you to Blind Connie Williams, who also has (to my ear) a very nuanced sense of harmony and never seems 'limited' by the key-bound nature of the open tuning he chooses to work in. That's just incredible to me.

Andrew - the Gibson is an old friend come to visit. It was sold a while back to finance another purchase, but it's certainly a welcome house guest! It's a pretty good guitar... yup.

[frankie]

Also, that verse at the end ("When I get in heaven") is one I don't recall him singing from the 8 versions or so I have. Where's it from?

It's from this site:

http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/oh_what_a_beautiful_city.htm

I think this came up on weenie not too long ago. I guess it should have been obvious that this had a source other than Rev. Davis, but I've never heard a sung version of this other than his...  turns out I just never looked! Duh. Anyway, the last verse just kind of spoke to me, so I added it. All the verses are probably 'floaters,' and could be included into just about any spiritual song...

[Laura]

This is a variation of Buck Dance, of course ---

CAn't believe I missed this one...that's excellent, Roi - thanks for posting!

[ArthurBlake]

Thanks for the comments, Andrew.  I think one reason the sonorities on the hymn may be difficult to suss out is because it is played in open Bb, the Peg Leg Howell "Low-Down Rounder Blues/Fairy Blues" tuning.  I've been playing in that tuning a good bit the past couple of years and particularly like it because it makes a lot of really close, pianistic sorts of voicings possible that can not be played in standard tuning or any other commonly utilized tuning that I know of.  The version of "Deep River" I posted in the Rev. Davis birthday thread last year was also played in that tuning.
The tuning also works exceptionally well for thumb lead, and I've used it quite a lot for that style, too.
All best,
Johnm

Well I was almost certain it was in standard form first two hearings of it, usually a tune in open tunings screams out OPEN tuning but that seemed in standard so I guess that is an art you have there John.

[joe paul]

Just catching up with all these posts, I've been away travelling, and I know I'll be listening to these over and over.
This could be my favourite thread since they invented thread. Thanks and congratulations everyone, Roi and Laura, Frankie and John! 

[Laura]

Just catching up with all these posts, I've been away travelling, and I know I'll be listening to these over and over.
This could be my favourite thread since they invented thread. Thanks and congratulations everyone, Roi and Laura, Frankie and John!

Hey Gordon, Did you listen to O'Mucks "God Don't Never Change"? Can't get over how good that is !!!
I hope you'll post up a full version of " I Cannot Bear My Burden" I love that one, you got a real good thing going on it!

[Zoharbareket]

What a great thread this one is!!!

Thank you all for playing and sharing - such wonderful and inspiring performances, each and every one!

((The way I figure it, I've got roughly 350 days to work on a RGD tune so that I can post something here next year!))

Be well!


Z