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Doc Watson - Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues Audio CD

A fair review of the Doc Watson "Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Doc Watson reviews here, or go back to the Doc Watson tabs.

Doc Watson Band: Doc Watson
Title: Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues
Rating:
Release Date: 2004-04-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Freight Train Blues 2: Hobo Bill's Last Ride 3: Mississippi Heavy Water Blues 4: Did You Hear John Hurt? 5: John Henry/Worried Blues 6: I'm a Stranger Here 7: Talking to Casey 8: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues 9: Any Old Time 10: Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues 11: Stormy Weather 12: How Long Blues 13: Honey Babe Blues 14: St. Louis Blues 15: Carroll County Blues 16: California Blues 17: Going to Chicago Blues 18: Jailhouse Blues 19: Windy and Warm 20: Deep River Blues [Live]

Doc & Merle at the Top of Their Game
SITTIN' HERE PICKIN' THE BLUES draws from the three early to mid-Eighties studio albums they recorded for Flying Fish (and one live track from THE TELLURIDE FESTIVAL TAPES). Doc Watson is one of the premier flatpick guitar players ever, and some of his best albums were recorded with his late son Merle. Here's the breakdown on the tracks:

RED ROCKING CHAIR (1981): "California Blues," "Did You Hear John Hurt," "Any Old Time" and "How Long Blues. " T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Tom Scott plays clarinet on "Any Old Time. "

DOC & MERLE WATSON'S GUITAR ALBUM (1983): "Talking to Casey," "Goin' to Chicago Blues" and "John Henry/Worried Blues. " T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Mark O'Connor plays fiddle.

THE TELLURIDE FESTIVAL TAPES (1984): "Deep River Blues"

PICKIN' THE BLUES (1985): All twelve tracks from the original vinyl release are included. T. Michael Coleman plays bass on all tracks and Sam Bush plays mandolin or fiddle on many (except for "St. Louis Blues" which Doc plays solo).

Not only is Doc an accomplished guitar player, but his son Merle more than holds his own on slide guitar on most of these tracks. My only complaint is that the individual albums are currently out of print and more than a dozen tracks from RED ROCKIN' CHAIR and GUITAR ALBUM were left off. This should have been a double CD to enable all three CDs to be included in their entirety. But if you're looking for a solid introduction to the music of Doc & Merle, this is an excellent place to start. [Running Time - 60:05] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.


A Welcome Reissue/Expansion
Rounding out the tracks from that album are four choice cuts from Red Rockin' Chair (1981) and three fine instrumentals from Doc and Merle's Guitar Album (1983). This album is essentially a deluxe reissue of Doc and Merle's Pickin' the Blues (1985). Also included is a nice, but non-definitive, live rendition of "Deep River Blues" from The Festival Tapes / Tellulive (1979). This is a great sampling of the material Doc and Merle recorded for Flying Fish Records before Merle's untimely death on October 23, 1985. For those new to Doc's music, I would suggest exploring Doc's Vanguard recordings (On Stage, Southbound, Home Again, Ballads From Deep Gap) before you venture into this material. For those already familiar with Doc's early work and are looking for a good sampler of Doc and Merle's stint with Flying Fish, this is the best you're going to do. .


You can see a complete list of all Doc Watson discography, or go back to the Doc Watson tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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