Complete Guitarist

Davy Graham | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kicking Mule
• ASIN: B00000JHBO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,925 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Medley: Lord Mayo/Lord Inchiquin

2. Lashtal's Room

3. Ein Feste Burg (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)

4. The Road To Lisdoonvana (Jig And Reel)

5. Renaissance Piece

6. Hardiman The Fiddler

7. Sarah

8. Frieze Britches

9. Blues For Gino

10. The Hunter's Purse

11. Prelude From The Suite In D Minor

12. Fairies' Hornpipe

13. Forty-Ton Parachute

14. The Gold Ring

15. Down Ampney

16. Banish Misfortune

17. Dance For Two People

18. Bloody Fields Of Flanders

19. Happy Meeting In Glory

20. Farewell To The Creeks

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest musicians that Britain has ever produced, February 3, 2002

By 

Penguin Egg (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Guitarist (Audio CD)

Davey Graham is a British guitarist from the early 60s who pioneered a style of acoustic guitar playing called Folk Baroque. What Davey did was to combine blues, folk and jazz and create something new. The music of Pentangle, Bert Jansch and John Renbourne would have been unthinkable without him. The eclecticism that informs his music is on display on this 1979 album, 'The Complete Guitarist,' which also has tracks from 'Dance For Two People' and his three contributions to 'Blues Workshop.'

Davey plays without accompaniment throughout this album and he is all the better for it. A brilliant guitarist, he tackles his material with authority and aplomb. Traditional songs such as 'Hardiman the Fiddler' and 'The Road to Lisdoonvana' mingle with classical pieces by Robert De Visee and Vaughan Williams. Jazz mingles with Blues. This eclectic mix works maybe because Davey was born in England to a Scottish father and an African mother. This has given him an open mind and a broad perspective and he is an accomplished enough musician to carry this through into his music. Davey was into World Music (African, Moorish, Indian) long before the term was invented, and on some of his earlier albums recorded in the 60s, (That's right! Right back in the 60s!) Davey even plays some African and Indian songs on their original instruments. However, this side of him is not represented here. What is here: Blues, folk, jazz, classical, - is excellent. He is a master of the instrument: The best guitarist that Britain has produced - only John Renbourn can match him. Most of his albums have been patchy, but this one is a delight throughout. There is not one duff track here. If you like acoustic guitar music, then I heartily recommend this album.

Davey was a friend of Alexis Korner, the founding father of British rock. He said of Davey that he is "a genuinely gifted guitarist who rightly, refuses to let himself be fenced into one field of music. The great traditional folk banjo and guitar pickers have influenced his playing. Josh White...has also exerted considerable influence. But then, so have the great modern jazz players. The fierce belief of good Gospel groups, the great blues singers, all have influenced him as have the Baroque composers."

Davey Graham is an inspiration and a joy to listen to, and this is his very best album. There are informative sleeve notes by Duck Baker. I even like the leather jacket Davey wears on the cover.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful variety of guitar instrumentals, October 5, 2004

By 

Zordano - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Guitarist (Audio CD)

`The Complete Guitarist' was always a very strong set from Graham - here it is re-mastered and brilliantly boosted by the addition of 8 bonus tracks.

Davey Graham's joyful, earnest, eclectic guitar playing encompasses countless influences: blues, jazz, English, Scottish and Irish folk, classical and world music. It may sound unlikely that he brings these together - but he does, and with deep affection and care.

His own compositions here are superb - the jazzy, punchy, totally addictive, `Lashtal's Room' and `Blues for Gino' where he really gets under the skin of the blues - leaning into the bluesy chords with perfect judgement. No British player reaches into the heart of the blues with a feel quite like Graham's. In his blues-folk composition `Forty-Ton Parachute', he moves nimbly over the fret board.

Other pieces are sourced widely from: traditional sources, works for lute, classical, British and Irish folk, hymns, and the American blues.

Some other stand-out tracks are a tremendous self-accompanied blues vocal (one of only two on this otherwise solo instrumental CD) - `When I Been Drinking', and `Renaissance Piece', `Sarah', `Prelude From The Suite in D Minor', `The Gold Ring' and `Panic Room Blues'.

Graham utilises a variety of steel strung acoustic guitars, nylon strung guitars and employs standard and non-standard tunings all to great effect.

If you want a superb collection of eclectic guitar music and to start, or improve, your Davey Graham collection - you can't go much wrong here.

[Note: the original album (1977) of 16 pieces is supplemented here with 5 tracks from its follow up `Dance for Two People' (1979) plus 3 contributions taken from the `Blues Guitar Workshop' album (1980)].

2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars complete guitarist, March 14, 2006

By 

B. Roberts "le bassa" (uk) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Guitarist (Audio CD)

only for die hard guitar freeks,or the love for a new form blossoming
jansh+renbourn[who i adore]would not be with us without this man,
man!!!!!!