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"Still, even the most devoted fan must
wonder what makes Legacy the Watson album to own
- if a law were ever passed that allowed only
one Doc Watson per household."
Ultimate Doc
Three-CD set shows why Watson's king
A timely, and somewhat unusual, CD set recently
arrived in the mail. It was a three-disc compilation
of performances by the great Doc Watson - the
catalyst behind the annual Merle-Fest festival
and one of North Carolina's greatest living musical
treasures.
For the uninitiated, MerleFest is one of the top
roots-music festivals in the world. It is a four-day
celebration of the memory of Merle Watson, Doc's
late son and musical partner - and it is running
this weekend at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.
That's why the release of the Legacy CDs proved
particularly timely.
Funny how that worked out.
There is no shortage of previously released recordings
by Watson, who has been making music for more
than 50 years. No one of his discs was any better
than the rest - until now.
Such is the quality of the man's talent as a singer,
guitarist and interpreter of song.
There probably isn't a mountain tune, a folk song
or an old-school country song that he doesn't
know. Remarkably, Doc, though in his 70s, has
not lost a lick; his singing and playing remain
sure and strong.
Making music, for Watson, is as natural as breathing.
He doesn't think about it; it just flows out of
him.
That a performance or disc by Doc Watson will
be filled with exquisitely performed, personable
and honest music is one of the few things a person
can count on in this otherwise unpredictable world.
Still, even the most devoted fan must wonder what
makes Legacy the Watson album to own - if a law
were ever passed that allowed only one Doc Watson
per household.
The first thing that makes Legacy so righteous
is the quality of the performances by Watson and
David Holt, a fine singer, songwriter, banjo player
and guitarist in his own right - and a transplanted
Tarheel, to boot.
Holt takes a mean solo from time to time, and
scoots up to the microphone for a tune on occasion,
but the focus remains firmly on the performances
that Watson pulls from his vast repertoire.
Doc picks up a storm and hypnotizes with a lyric,
making Legacy less a musical performance than
a force of nature.
The onstage relationship between Holt, a down-home
musicologist, and Watson, a living, breathing
repository of American song, is almost familial.
Their friendship is clear, and listening to them
play, sing and tell stories is a joy.
Good though the music is, the real meat of this
package is the two discs of Watson interviews,
done by Holt, that are given added oomph by the
inclusion of the odd song.
Including an in-depth interview along with a performer's
music is an intriguing use of the CD format, and
one that, when used to its fullest extent, sheds
light on the music made by the performers.
Legacy is a grand investment that boasts a combination
of information, mountain wisdom and down-home
humor, truth and revelations that will never wear
thin.
And the format, well, it's good enough to make
a print journalist nervous. |
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