It’s hard to come up with enough superlatives for Doc Watson, one of the holy trinity of innovative and influential country guitar players, along with Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. But Watson is more than a guitar picker. He’s a living encyclopedia of old-time American music, a musician and singer of great depth and honesty, and an ambassador of American roots music to several generations of fans and fellow-musicians worldwide.
Everybody has to start somewhere, and this brand new CD catches Doc in his first series of public appearances as a solo musician. It’s part of the First Time North Project, which is presenting archival recordings of the earliest urban performances of blues, bluegrass and folk musicians. It was recorded in late 1962 and early ’63 at the eponymous club in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Blind since childhood, Watson had played electric guitar in a rockabilly band in his home state of North Carolina, and had appeared in New York with his father-in-law Gaither Carlton, and as one of two guitarists playing in old-time musician Clarence Ashley’s band. Ralph Rinzler, a booking agent and champion of folk music, arranged for Doc to play at Gerdes for two weeks in December 1962, a few months shy of his 40th birthday. Watson didn’t own an acoustic guitar, and debuted with a borrowed Gibson.
This CD captures performances from that two-week gig in December and another two weeks in January ’63. The accompanying booklet is full of interesting text and photos. My only complaint is that the dates of individual tracks aren’t identified.
Everything else here is an absolute gem. This is an essential Doc Watson recording, and not only for its historical value. The sound quality is excellent and the performances superb. Watson, who has confessed that he was extremely nervous to be on stage alone, seems warm and relaxed. His smooth, slightly nasal baritone perfectly presents seven traditional songs and several other classics of the old-time, blues and hillbilly repertoire, including W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” and Kokomo Arnold’s mildly bawdy “Milk Cow Blues.”
The three instrumentals — Travis’s “Blue Smoke” and “Cannonball Rag” and the traditional bluegrass “Liberty” with the Greenbriar Boys, leave the crowd begging for more. Surprisingly for those who know Watson only for his lightning-fast and trend-setting flat picking prowess, both the Travis numbers are fingerpicked. It shows off yet another facet of Doc’s multi-faceted musical personality. If he had any jitters, it certainly doesn’t show, as he tosses in casual asides — “somebody fan ’em, they’re gettin’ hot!” and “I useta couldn’t reach that (note) there” — without missing a beat.
Doc also accompanies himself on harmonica on several numbers, including “The Dream Of The Miner’s Child” and “The Roving Gambler,” plays claw-hammer style banjo on “The Wagoner’s Lad,” mandolin on “Liberty” and sings unaccompanied the shape-note hymn, “The Lone Pilgrim.” But not to worry, Doc also shows his flat picking style on several songs, including the standard “House Carpenter” and the opening track, “Little Sadie.” A real highlight is the children’s novelty song “Sing Song Kitty,” accompanied by the Greenbriars’ John Herald on guitar and backing vocals. Watson is spellbinding and funny, clearly having the time of his life on this tongue-twister, and he gets the type of applause usually reserved for encore calls.
Doc Watson is a treasure, and so is Doc Watson at Gerdes Folk City.
(Sugar Hill Records, 2001)
