Doc Watson

Doc's accompanists as well as his songs here are an eclectic group ranging from his 1950s musical partner pianist Jack Williams to his son Merle (seen playing exquisite slide guitar) to Rocky Skaggs (singing and playing mandolin in a Monroe Brothers style set) to a stellar stringband featuring Mark O'Connor Tony Rice Bela Fleck David Grisman and Jerry Douglas. This collection ends with a solo set from Doc which brings his music full circle to the straightforward simplicity with which it was first presented during the 1960s folk revival.

Doc Watson was a legendary performer who blended his traditional Appalachian musical roots with bluegrass country gospel and blues to create a unique style and an expansive repertoire. His flatpicking style elevated the acoustic guitar to solo status in bluegrass and country music and whose interpretations of traditional American music profoundly influenced generations of folk and rock guitarists.Doc was born in Deep Gap North Carolina on March 3 1923 into a family already rich in musical tradition. His mother Annie Watson sang traditional secular and religious songs and his father General Watson played the banjo which was Doc's first instrument as well.In 1953 Doc met Jack Williams a local piano player and played rockabilly/swing music for seven years a period and a style that he later revisited in the album Docabilly. But he also continued to play acoustic traditional music with his family and with his banjo playing neighbor Clarence Tom Ashley. In 1960 spurred by the growing folk revival folklorists Ralph Rinzler and Eugene Earle came south to record Ashley and heard Doc Watson in the process. These sessions resulted in Doc's first recordings Old-Time Music at Clarence Ashley's.In 1961 the Friends of Old-Time Music invited Doc Ashley Clint Howard and Fred Price to perform at a now-legendary concert in New York City and one year later Doc gave his first solo performance at Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich Village. From then on he was a full-time professional playing a wide range of concerts clubs colleges and festivals including the Newport Folk Festival and Carnegie Hall.In the late 1960s Doc was joined on the road by his son Merle who provided both musical and emotional companionship; with Merle playing guitar and banjo and serving as partner and driver the father-son team expanded their audience nationwide. Sadly Merle died in 1985 from a tractor accident.A series of over 50 remarkable recordings including collaborations with Flatt & Scruggs Chet Atkins and

The Songs of Doc Watson. Over 30 favorite songs as sung and played by this great folk musician of the Smokies. Transcriptions in standard music notation and tablature.

DVD edition of this incredible jam session bringing together five masters or flatpicking guitar: Doc Watson Tony Rice Dan Crary Jack Lawrence and Steve Kaufman. Together they harmonise and improvise in an hour of unbeatable picking.

This collection of rarely seen video performances illustrates the power and range of Doc's talents and the evolution of his performance style. His music ranges from flatpicking guitar instrumentals a harmonica solo a capella gospel singing frailing banjo to fingerstyle guitar and warm vocals. The tapestry of sounds Doc wove during his fisrt two decades performing outside North Carolina - the Big Picture - unfolds in these enduringly and inspiring performances.