Idiot's Guide to Fingerstyle

[boombox]

Hi guys, been a bit quiet here of late, but for those still checking in, thougtht I'd throw up a post here. Hope all your Avalons are behaving themselves and you are not too affected by humidity if you are in the old UK.

I'm looking for some assistance from the fingerstyle fans here. I am trying to put together a sort of Idiot's Guide to Fingerstyle, featuring all the usual suspects along with their "signature" or best tunes, and yes, I know this tends to be subjective. As much as for myself, it's also to play to my family and work colleagues to give them some idea of what it is I listen to and hopefully persuade them there are some fine artists out there whose gigs they might enjoy. Some have been easy, but many really difficult as I am torn between what I think are the "signature" tunes and the individual tracks I prefer. I'm trying to limit it to one tune per artist, but in some cases, I think that will be almost impossible. Also, I'm trying to keep it, where I can, to original tunes (a fingerstyle covers album is a different story!), but I've had to make one or two exceptions.

So here goes with what I have so far. Please feel free to chime in with ideas of tunes and guitarists I've missed out.

ANDY McKEE - Drifting: easiest one to identify as a guitarist trademark song, though I daresay I will have to sneak on Rylynn, For My Father, Ouray...
DON ROSS - Klimbim: First Ride, Catherine, Lucy Watusi and Dracula & Friends were also strong contenders
ANTOINE DUFOUR - can't decide between Catching The Light, No Hiding Place For The Moon, Spiritual Groove and a number of others - Help!!
PIERRE BENSUSAN - Merrily Kissed The Quaker/Cunla - another tough one, but this is a typical DADGAD piece. Nearly went with Wu Wei too.
JIMMY WAHLSTEEN - It's Your Favorite: Halixfaxation was the runner up
LAURENCE JUBER - So many to choose from, but I plumped for Every Breath You Take, because I love playing it (badly)
STEPHEN BENNETT - The Court of the Crimson King - this is just awe-inspiring.
PETE HUTTLINGER - Still don't have Santa Rita Connection, so I can't have Superstition, which would have been my first choice, so it's going to have to be Sir Duke or Over The Rainbow off Naked Pop, unless I can source Superstition (don't really want to buy one mp3 when I intend to get the album when I can buy it for a reasonable price.) I also have McGuire's Landing on the accompanying CD for Pierre Bensusuan Presents DADGAD, which I believe is Pete H, rather than a cover, so it may be that.
PRESTON REED - Torn between Blasting Cap and Ladies Night
MICHAEL HEDGES - Another tough one: Aerial Boundaries, Rutual Dance, Ragamuffin, Layover or something else??
JOHN RENBOURN - The Hermit - again lots to choose from, but much of his work also has vocals, which I was keen to avoid. Bourre and Lady Nothyynge's Toye Puffe are also on my short list
BERT JANSCH - Angie (Yes, it's a cover, but it's the version I first heard) or The Wheel. Any better tracks I ought to include off the best of collection? I don't want this just to be my views
DAVEY GRAHAM - Lashtal's Room. So many to choose from, but I love this one.
TOMMY EMMANUEL - Mombasa. Day Tripper/Lady Madonna came close too.
CLIVE CARROLL - Eliza's Eyes. No competition - I love all three albums, but that is "the" song.
ADAM PALMA - Memories Of The Past. Other possibles include Rocky Mountains, For Randy and for sheer silliness, the Inspecor Gadget Theme.
AL PETTEWAY - Sligo Creek - based on what I've heard from the few tracks by him I have on compilations.
GARETH PEARSON - Paranoid Android. Don't have much of his stuff, but this one is so off the wall
MARTIN SIMPSON - Torn between Banks Of The Bann, Garry Owen and Keel Row
GORDON GILTRAP - Heartsong (original live solo demo version)

I know I'm missing many others eg I don't have anything by Randal Bays, Doyle Dykes etc. I have quite a few tunes on compilations, but wouldn't know what was particularly illustrative of all those different guitarists. I am expecting Doug Smith's Order of Magnitude in the post shortly too, so will have to include something off that.

So what can you offer to the discussion? Glaring omissions? Differences of opinion? I will post up the final tracklist when I sort it.

[JimmyBob]

Excellent post and list of players, a number of whom I haver never heard of....off to check them out. Suspect my CD collection is about to grow.

As a relative newcomer to finger style I only have a few comments.

My favourite Andy McKee Track is Rylynn also like Africa....
Tommy Emmanuelle favourite is Finger Lakes
Don't see anything by Eric Roach or Tomas Leeb.....don't have sufficient material to identify a favourite.

I would be interested in seeing your completed list for additional music to listen to and playing suggestions......


Surprised not to see a myriad of responses to this post...

Jimmybob

[riverdog]

1. RICK JONES! - Eden CD & everything else you can get your hands on

2. PHIL KEAGGY - Acoustic Sketches

3. EARLY ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY especially the late Nick Webb early stuff.

4. LAURENCE JUBER - best version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

These are just a few of my personal favs...

riverdog

[boombox]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Didn't know whether anyone was still around.

Hope everyone's Avi is behaving herself - took mine to Eltham Jones, a rather good tech based in Bristol & Bridgend, this week. He's tweaked the action down for me and fixed a couple of slightly high frets he identified - plays like a dream now - so much easier. Just wish I'd been to see him earlier. Top bloke too and I highly recommend him if you are anywhere in the South west of the UK.

Anyway, back to my Idiot's guide.

JimmyBob: I have said McKee and Emmanuel tracks, but it's just so hard to trim down my shortlist. I know Eric Roche through his work on guitar mags, but don't have any CDs. For Thomas Leeb, I've got Sled Dog Racing lined up.

Eric: Good call on Rick, but I am trying to concentrate on instrumental stuff, so he won't make it onto this set of discs (at present, I have two volumes, but am expanding to 3CDs of original/traditional tunes, with an extra one of covers). Making it instrumental has meant I have had to miss off much of my favourite Martin Simpson and Dougie MacLean stuff, as well as everything by one of my favourite guitarists and songwriters of all time, Huw Williams. I've got some Keaggy on one disc, but for LJ, I didn't choose WMGGW, sorry - Maybe I'm Amazed and Little Wing got the nod as well as some of his own stuff. Don't have anything by AA.

So here's what I have so far - lots of new names to some, maybe and a few where folks will say "Why that one and not "...", but hey.

FINGERSTYLE VOLUME 1:

Andy McKee - Drifting
Jimmy Wahlsteen - It's Your Favorite
John Renbourn - Judy
Pierre Bensusan - Merrily Kissed the Quaker/Cunla
Phil Keaggy - In The Light Of Common Day
Preston Reed - Overture (For Lily)
Clive Carroll - Eliza's Eyes
Davey Graham - Lashtal's Room
Simon Fox - Night Fishing
Tommy Emmanuel - Mambasa
Don Ross - Klimbim
Antoine Dufour - Spiritual Groove (Live,Solo)
Bert Jansch - Angie
Martin Simpson - Banks of the Bann
Laurence Juber - Cobalt Blue
Adam Palma - Positively Mad
Doug Smith - Beyond the Clouds
Michael Hedges - Ritual Dance
Stephen Bennett - Burnside
Pete Huttlinger - McGuire's Landing
Ewan Dobson - Time 2
Ed Gerhard - Crow
Bill Mize - The Silverplume Waltz

FINGERSTYLE VOLUME 2:

Don Ross - The First Ride
Alex De Grassi - 36
Jorma Kaukonen - Embryonic Journey
Clive Carroll - Shiny Wooden Toy
Jacques Stotzem - Two Bridges
Ed Gerhard - Si Bhig, Si Mhor
Jimmy Wahlsteen - Halifaxation
Gordon Giltrap - Downsteps
Steve Hackett - Horizons
Simon Fox - Smithy's Porridge
Antoine Dufour - Song for Stephen
Adam Palma - Rocky Mountains
Al Petteway - Sligo Creek
Erik Mongrain - Equilibrium
Andy McKee - All Laid Back and Stuff
Ewan Dobson - Paganini's Hip
Leo Kottke - Red & White
Kaki King - Solipsist
Michael Hedges - Ragamuffin
Steve Howe - The Clap
Pierre Bensusan - Voyage For Ireland
Preston Reed - Ladies Night
Pete Huttlinger - Monaghan Jig
Simon Nicol - End Of A Holiday

COVERS (Provisional)

Andy McKee - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Antoine Dufour - South Side of the Sky
Ed Gerhard - If I Fell - In My Life
Gareth Pearson - Paranoid Android
Adam Palma - Inspector Gadget
Gordon Giltrap - Here Comes the Sun
Laurence Juber - Every Breath You Take
Pete Huttlinger - Sir Duke
Preston Reed - I Got You (I Feel Good)
Stephen Bennett - The Court of the Crimson King
Sungha Jung - Beat It
Tommy Emmanuel - Day Tripper-Lady Madonna
Antoine Dufour - Spirits in the Material World
Laurence Juber - Little Wing
Pete Huttlinger - Over The Rainbow
Ed Gerhard - Moon River
Andy McKee - Africa
Adam Palma - Pick Up The Pieces
Stephen Bennett - Born To Be Wild
Tommy Emmanuel - Blue Moon
Gordon Giltrap - Summer Holiday
Laurence Juber - Pink Panther Theme
Pete Huttlinger - I Want You Back
Laurence Juber - Maybe I'm Amazed

[boombox]

I'd love to include Pete Huttlinger's version of Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' too if anyone's got it and could get it to me - can't afford to but The Santa Rita Connection at crazy import prices!

[Lentin]

I'm missing:
Dave Evans: Sad Pig Dance or Whistling Milkman
John James: Any from his album John James in Concert

Sorry. I needed them in my list

[boombox]

I'm missing:
Dave Evans: Sad Pig Dance or Whistling Milkman
John James: Any from his album John James in Concert

Sorry. I needed them in my list

Don't really know either, but googling about the Dave Evans CD sounds very good and it comes with a pdf Tab book too.