How John Fahey Changed Acoustic Guitar Forever ★ Acoustic Tuesday

Ever heard of John Fahey? Ever wondered why you should be listening to John Fahey? In this episode, I'm covering the life of John Fahey and giving you 10 guitarists that are heavily influenced by John Fahey and preserving a uniquely American art form!
To understand how influential John Fahey is, we need to talk about American primitive guitar, a subgenre of folk/acoustic music. With one foot in blues and the other in country, American primitive guitar - founded by John Fahey himself! - was deeply percussive and focused on fingerpicking.
If you want to understand how Fahey's influence is still being felt today, be sure to check out this list of acoustic artists who borrow heavily from Fahey's style.
#10: Glenn Jones
#9: Jack Rose
#8: Nathan Bowles
#7: Rob Noyes
#6: Marisa Anderson
#5: Daniel Bachman
#4: Nathan Salsburg
#3: Jan Morgenson
#2: Joost Dijkema
#1: Gwenifer Raymond
Each one of these artists is building on John Fahey's legacy.
To get the links to each of the songs featured in this episode of Acoustic Tuesday, be sure to visit acousticlife.tv/at132/
Throughout this week's John Fahey show, I'll also be discussing 10 little known facts about John Fahey's life.
If you're interested in the life of one of the most influential but little known acoustic guitar players of all time, be sure to watch the whole episode of my list of 10 John Fahey Facts!
★ Request your invite to Tony's Acoustic Challenge today: tonypolecastro.com/al-request...
★ All show notes and links: acousticlife.tv/at132
★ Get the show: tonypolecastro.com/get-acoust...

[@BenchmarkLand]

John and I were penpals back in the mid 1970's and though we never spoke on the phone we exchanged a lot of letters and his comments and instruction helped open me up to playing finger style and I've enjoyed it for over 45 years. Somehow over the years I lost those old letters but I'd give anything to have them just for posterity, if nothing else. He was a helluva guy, most interesting and I'm fortunate that he would take his time to help me along. RIP John, you are one of a kind.

[@danbgt]

I am not really into writing extended comments but this is a subject that literally changed my life. I was born in 1950. I grew up listening to my much older brother’s 45 rpm rock n’ roll records. I started playing drums at 12, played in bands and continued to listen to nothing but rock n’ roll. And that continued through most of my life. Never paid any attention to country, blues, jazz or folk. I retired a couple of years ago from a long career in the engineering business. In an effort to keep my brain and body working I decided to learn to play guitar. So I bought and electric guitar and an amp and got started with the intention of learning to play rock n’ roll guitar. I also started to watch a lot of KZbin videos and ran across John Fahey. That changed the whole focus of my life! Being retired I have nothing but time to learn and practice. And I now study nothing but American Primitive. John Fahey is the foundation. There are really several very good players. The 10 you list here are wonderful. William Tyler is a younger guy that I like. Kris Dollimore is a British guy that is a Fahey disciple that I really like. I have read and watched everything I can find on this subject. Maybe before I get to old I will be able to call myself an American Primitive Guitarist. I’m getting there! 😬

[@moodswingy1973]

Why does this happen with Fahey? I never listened to him until I was 36. After that, I bought a guitar and didn't listen to any other music or musicians for THREE YEARS. It was all Fahey, all the time. I thought "Music as Religion" only happened with The Grateful Dead but I keep hearing again and again stories about how the very focus of people's LIVES change after hearing Fahey.

[@danbgt]

Eric Lowber I don’t know what it is. It’s like acoustic crack!😳

[@TheJfjfjfjf7]

I concure with you re. Kris Dollimore. His youtube channel is very inspiring. Sunfower River Blues, East of England-wonderful.

[@EddieWinter]

William Tyler! SO good.

[@BlindArthurBlake]

​@@moodswingy1973 gotta admit that I like the Grateful Dead a lot too...

[@garywhitt98]

I didn’t know ANY of these guitarists nor did I know the genre. Great use of bandwidth! Thank you!

[@kavikwiseman6674]

There's nothing more satisfying than putting the guitar in a new tuning and creating. Standard tuning has become so bland boring after exploring the posibilities of Alt Tuning. John has been an influence for sure. Great Episode!!

[@robertbesen7455]

Hi Tony, Nice episode. I say Fahey i the early 70s at Ebbets Field in downtown Denver. He was playing a brand new Martin D-28 that kept breaking one of the strings. While the his roadie/assistant worked on the tuner to fix the problem he sat and stared at the audience without saying a word. Pretty surreal. Also, Kottke's 6 & 12 Sting guitar came out in 1969, not 1974.

[@hakanabrahamson8257]

Thank you for putting John Fahey in the light again. And presenting a new generation of primitive guitar players. I became a John Fahey fan in 1970 after watching the movie Zabriskie Point, where Fahey plays the Dance of Death. That was something totally different from what I had heard before. I purchased what albums I could get in Sweden, where I live, and practised with my steel string guitar. At the time I was very fond of bluegrass music, last year I read John Faheys book *How bluegrass music destroyed my life, but I still love that kind of music... Still John Faheys way of playing has inspired me all my life, at times I publish guitar music on my KZbin channel, and every time I use some little part of what I heard from the records of the master of American primitive guitar. Kind regards from Sweden

[@mrphil2557]

A huge +1 on Gwen Raymond. She IS a Primitive Beast! (In fact, I have one of her Primitive Beast t-shirts - designed by her also very talented sister, Casey). Her piece, Requiem for John Fahey was actually the result of her trying to learn Fahey's Requiem for John Hurt. She realized she was doing it wrong, and rather than just fix what she was doing, she decided to turn it into her own homage to the man himself. I've thought about cutting off my right thumb and sending it to Gwen for training, but I'm afraid it would be a poor student, and I'm not exactly sure how to re-attach it anyway.

[@carlhencsie7651]

I just saw her in Ann Arbor 9/26/22. She was amazing and I was blown away!!

[@mrphil2557]

@@carlhencsie7651 I am exceptionally envious. I live down south, and all her US shows are up north this go round. Oh well, hope she's well enough received to be back soon.

[@carlhencsie7651]

@@mrphil2557 There was less than 30 people in the audience so disappointing but this is just a limited genre of music. Not the pop music, make money commercial grind out stuff. After the show I told we really appreciated her and hoped she would come back to the states and she said she also wanted to come back. Again her performance was amazing and so original. I saw Jimi Hendrix 1968 in Detroit front row. Gwen's show left me blown away. Funny how the mind puts those two guitar artist together!!

[@mrphil2557]

@@carlhencsie7651 Happy you had a chance to chat with her. She's an exceptionally sweet young lady - always got the impression she's very shy, but brilliant, talented, and sweet-natured. Seeing Jimi must've been something. But this is why I always shy away from discussions of "who's the best guitarist ever". There a so many extraordinary players who each do their own thing. Jimi thing. Gwen thing. Great things, both!

[@Trollificusv2]

Great story about Ms. Raymond. That whole thing about thinking you're learning a song you like and when you realize you've got it wrong, finding that if you follow that "wrong" path, it becomes your own right path. Can't count the number of times i've struggled to learn a phrase or section of Fahey or Kottke and just allow my own taste (and guitar playing limitations) to turn it into something of my own.

[@paulhaskell-cooper676]

I first heard of John Fahey on a john Peel radio show(U.K.) and was mezmerised.He was my no'1 guitar hero for years.Bought all his albums and learned some of his tunes.Saw him live once in London.Thanks for your video.

[@jaygilbert4546]

Thank you so much for this, Tony- John Fahey's music was how I taught myself the basics (and not-so-basics) of fingerpicking on acoustic. One honorable mention that you missed, but I could see why he wouldn't make the list. That is avant garde composer Jim O'Rourke, specifically his solo recording "Bad Timing" on Drag City records. I discovered Jim O'Rourke through his long time collaboration with fellow avant garde artist David Grubbs under the moniker of Gastr Del Sol. It was on their album "Upgrade & Afterlife" that I first discovered that O'Rourke was a Fahey acolyte. His cover of John's "Dry Bones in the Valley (I saw the light go shining round & round)" at the end of the record is SUBLIME. But it was the only track on that (or any of their other albums) that was exclusively acoustic guitar driven- much of their music features keyboards, "found sound" from old recordings, electric bass & guitar, & sometimes full band explorations with a drummer. That was until his release of "Bad Timing". While it is only 4 songs, that is more than made up for in their EPIC nature. O'Rourke creates 4 sound journeys that seamlessly blend American Primitive guitar with keyboards, pedal steel, even marching band brass (yes, you read that right- lol). This record takes me to a different place every time I listen to it- I hope you'll give it a listen so it can do the same for you. Cheers!

[@sergios123456]

Hi from Italy...i’d like to suggest a record by an italian guitarist heavily influenced by John Fahey...the guitarist is Maurizio Angeletti and the record is “Go Fly a Kite”...Maurizio also wrote a beautiful book called American Guitar...with a long chapter about John Fahey playing...among other great guitarists...i discovered Robbie Basho tx to this book... Tx for the great content of your channel

[@PatrickBall]

This was my first introduction to John Fahey and all of the other artists you featured today. Great show Tony, thanks. 🙏 😊 👍🏻 When I try to pinpoint who my inspiration for playing guitar was it so hard to say. Probably Roy Clark, Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, and George Harrison. My family was not into music so it was television that allowed me to see and hear these artists. This is exactly why I'm loving the Acoustic Tuesday show! Guitar Geeks Unite . . .

[@aipsong]

John Fahey was my inspiration for the guitar, and I was lucky enough to see him live twice, in Ann Arbor, and in Toronto. Yellow Princess is a grand classic!!!!

[@atoieno]

I saw John a the Basement in Sydney Australia many years ago.

[@nedblack9680]

What venue in Ann Arbor? I saw him at Canterbury House at a sold-out show in , O, 1969 maybe. I couldn't get in, so I stood on a trashcan in the alley and peered through the window. The next day he performed a matinee unannounced. A bunch of us high school kids hung out there and so we got to hear him. We even got to chat with him afterwards. I was breathless. He needed a ride to the airport. I volunteered.

[@aipsong]

If I remember correctly, it was Hill Auditorium. I lived in Ann Arbor from 1968 until about 1980 - fantastic place for fabulous music - most of it for free or at very reasonable prices.

[@JohnDoe-gk7ok]

aipsong that’s awesome that you saw him in his prime. By the late 90s, he had gone off the rails with the avant-garde stuff

[@aipsong]

@@JohnDoe-gk7ok He was fabulous when I saw him, and his early albums made me drop my guitar picks in favor of fingernails - big advantage - hard to lose them. The album Railroad is one of my favorites, along with Yellow Princess.

[@ronnisullivan9794]

Thank you. So excited to have his work noticed. You’re such a pleasant and helpful presence on you tube.I appreciate all your efforts

[@JohnDrewVoice]

The trees on Nathan Bowles's album cover aren't "superimposed." Those are bald cypress trees (taxodium distichum) that can grow in standing freshwater. They proliferate in Southern swamps, lakes, and bayous.

[@MrPeaceandLiberty]

I had the great pleasure of seeing Jack Rose in Portland Maine, not long before he died. Kensington Blues is essential listening for the American Primitive aficionado.

[@jamesmcdonald9443]

I used to see John Fahey at the Ashgrove in Hollywood when I was a student at UCLA in the mid to late ‘60’s. He was so unique-I had never heard guitar played that way!

[@DeltaBlues61]

This episode on American Primitive is so timely. I was just listening to Glen Jones this afternoon. Your descriptions of American Primitive flavours are enlightening. It places words to the range of emotions this style of music draws out. Thanks for this show and all you do. Very awesome!

[@the_glove]

He was my Jimi Hendrix

[@devinpatrickmusic]

Thank you so much for this. I was forever changed by hearing John Fahey as a boy. Learning about other artists carrying the tradition and exploring new realms in the American Primitive vein is a real treat!

[@michaellaverty1844]

Best episode ever hands down. Love this kind of finger style guitar. You turned us on to some awesome players. Thanks.

[@wiggokarlsen2976]

Jan Mörgenson is born in Denmark, but lives in France. As an acoustic guitar geek, I love his Music. Thanks, Tony, for introducing him to our great society.

[@merylbanister3506]

Thank you SO MUCH for this episode; I've been a Fahey fanatic for years but I hadn't heard about all these guitarists until recently; Long live primitive !

[@toddinrancho290]

thank you for gwenifer raymond at number one...i love that i have played guitar for 50 years and i still get to discover new artists. there is always something new on the paths ahead. so beautiful, powerful.

[@Trollificusv2]

Yeah, she was excellent, and how unusual is it to play this style back behind the sound hole?? I always play towards the front, i.e.: closer to the middle of the string. She's getting a more brittle attack playing back by the bridge, and it's way cool, but I really don't know how unusual it is. Seems like it would be cool to play with tuned-down, "looser" strings.

[@miketayse]

Thanks for puting the show together! I was really spellbound by Fahey's guitar playing in the early 70's and learned a few of his techniques and tunes.

[@FCain-mf4tf]

You just introduced me to a new genre and 5 new artists I have never heard of before! Good job Tony! 👍👍

[@johnfirth6541]

Thank you for talking about John Fahey! I started learning guitar from friends in college in ‘79. By 81 or 82 I found my first John Fahey record and began to learn American primitive guitar, alternate tunings, etc. Followed closely by discovering Leo Kottke, a Fahey protege, then William Ackerman… i knew Michael Hedges was taking this style to a ‘less primitive’ level, but still he has to be listed as a ‘Faheyite’. I just recently played ‘In Christ There Is No East Or West’ in church as an offertory piece, with my singing added to the playing, and soon I’ll be playing his “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” before Easter. His music led me to pick up an Open Tunings chord book, from which I learned people like Keith Richards used them, and country music used them as well. Probably one of the major influences on my guitar playing and even some composing. Thanks again!

[@marilynsinclair8877]

Thanks, Tony! Great episode. Loved the artists you featured

[@kbone1961]

Excellent video. I’m looking forward to delving in to the catalogs of all these players you have brought to my attention. Thanks!

[@Squidward_Tikiland]

Thank you so much, I just discovered John Fahey through an internet search and YEARS of not knowing that such music existed, desperately trying to invent it myself, and you reccomended those new similar artists which is SO IMPORTANT, because the music is alive! And “American Primitive Guitar” is not a thing I was familiar with until now, but I am literally overjoyed and relieved that it exists.

[@scaredypicker]

Thank you so much for doing this episode, and for your great suggestions of other American Primitive artists to listen to. John Fahey is definitely a guitar hero of mine. I remember when I first heard The Red Pony and Poor Boy Long Way From Home… It was a profoundly moving experience for me that made me want to dedicate myself to learning that style of guitar playing myself. Several years later, and I’m still trying, and I still love it more than ever

[@edcurtis246]

I know about John Fahey and have several of his albums and played his version of 'In Christ There Is No East Nor West' at my own church. However, I had never heard of the 'primitive guitar" genre, and I did not know any of the 10 people you covered. So thanks, Tony.

[@russkolisnyk8909]

Thanks Tony for the awesome retrospective on John Fahey and the other artists (many I've recently become familiar with and others I didn't know until today) that have carried on the tradition of American Privative Guitar. Back in 1987 I was a young rhythm guitarist playing with my friends in our parent's basements covering various tunes from the 60's to 80's. Just having fun playing some music - nothing serious. Then one evening we went to a local club to hear Ellen McIlwaine promote her new album Looking for Trouble and I was blown away. How she created all that sound with her fingers and a piece of glass astounded me. Sure, slide guitar was not something new, but she took things, I felt, to the next level. I was hooked and quite frankly, needed a change. It was not long after that I found myself at the local music shop looking to buy a slide and some instructional material on how to make it work. That's when I grabbed a copy of "Slide Guitar - An Instruction Manual" written by Arvid Burman Smith, Jr. & Barbara McClintock Koehler. Being young and impatient, I ignored all the extra writing that Arvid opened the book with and dove directly into the first lesson on finger picking. I picked, and picked, and picked some more, and after about six months of getting no further than the introductory lesson I packed it and the slide away because I just didn't feel like I was making any progress (and I had yet to even try out the slide). Much to my wife's chagrin, I'm glad I don't throw things away. Fast forward to 2020 and the world of COVID. I created a new home office and hung my guitars (my 1975 Granada Les Paul Custom Blond Electric copy (my first guitar), my Epiphone FT-150BL (that I picked up used from a friend in 1987 to learn to play slide), and my 2010 Seagull Maritime SWS (that my wife bought me because I would noodle around on it in the music store while waiting for our daughter's singing lessons to complete) on the wall to give my work office a more musical vibe. Might as well display them. Then she asked me to start emptying boxes stored for a long time in the garage. Then I rediscovered Arvid's book. Then I found a copy of the accompanying album he made (that I didn't have) that someone put up on KZbin. Then I finally understood how the music he wrote was supposed to sound Then I started to play and read all of the book. Then I discovered John Fahey and the term American Privative Guitar. Mind Blown. Being able to listen to what Arvid had written was the game changer and soon I was chewing through all the songs in the book, learning them Arvid's way at first, then putting my own interpretation on them as Arvid, like Leo, likes to play things really fast. Investing in a Peterson Strobe Clip made swapping between tunings a breeze and also allowed me to tune the guitar a quarter or half step up/down to better match how Arvid and John tuned theirs (by ear). I found a copy of "The Best of John Fahey - 1959 to 1977 (long out of print) and coupled with all the music and videos now available on KZbin have now directed my focus and playing to learning more about John and the other artists he influenced like Peter Lang and Leo Kottke. Other artists I've come across are Kris Dollimore (as mentioned by danbgt below), Casper Esmann, Jack Rose (as you had mentioned), Michael Chapman (love The Last Polish Breakfast). The list continues to grow daily and all are becoming further inspiration to my own creations. And my new Matte Orange Carbon Fiber Travel Guitar from Journey Instruments just arrived the other week. Was able to tune it to match Jack Rose's drop C (tuned a half step down) to play along on his rendition of John's Sunflower River Blues and the guitar didn't miss a beat. Man can that body shape ever make the low E string resonate. Thanks again Tony for sharing your insights and inspiration to guitar geeks everywhere!

[@race4711]

Holy Souls of John Fahey & Jack Rose RIP, Gwenifer Raymond is a great revelation of our times...

[@AbeHouck]

Wow, definitely my favorite episode yet! Awesome stuff.

[@wherenextcolumbus666]

Excellent list! I can't think of anybody you missed because you covered all the ones I know of and introduced me to some new names. Thanks!

[@johnrobinson7036]

Tony, really enjoyed this episode and your tutorials. Started the guitar less than a month ago at age 64. For a guy who’s been listening to music for as long as I can remember, it’s a blast to be introduced to new artists almost daily. John Fahey being one and Dick Curless another. Thanks for the great content and the hockey flavor. Peace. P.s. Subscribed.

[@gregmoss8253]

Thank you for including Rob Noyes in your video, he is great. The cover artwork for Noyes' recording was done by Raymond Pettibone who gained notoriety for the album covers and flyers he did for the 80's LA punk scene - Black Flag, The Minutemen and others.

[@babbarr77]

I went on stage in Boston where John gave a concert for his guru. I shook his hand, he was calm about it. He would take breaks from playing and talk to the audience for minutes. The concert was three hours long. At one point he said: “Maybe I should have chosen the guru for the drunks….Trungpa” (who, it happens, was my teacher.). Three days earlier, I had seen him at a good bar venue. He came in, sat down, played for 45 minutes, got up and left, not even glancing at the audience.

[@Staromil]

Great show Tony! When you announced last week you are going to do John Fahey special episode I thought "oh my, I will be overwhelmed and possibly embarrased by all the knowledge.." But I wasn't, it was entertaining and very inspirational! Thanks!

[@JDBoelter]

Thank you so much for curating this list. Amazing people I've never heard of.

[@Mira-vg6de]

I have been inspired by John Fahey for years! It is so nice to see someone acknowledge his talent and influence.

[@TomHenry57]

Thank you Tony for another stellar episode of Acoustic Tuesday. Entertaining and informative as always. My copy of Dance of Death is due to arrive tomorrow and I look forward to reading it. Have been a fan of John Fahey's music since I heard Leo Kottke speak about him long ago. I'm sure you have been told this already, but Leo Kottke's first album, 6 & 12 String Guitar (one of the most amazing & terrifying albums ever recorded), was released on Takoma in 1969.

[@sammaynard822]

This is fascinating and inspiring.I love John Fahey but never dove this deep, can't wait to check out these other guys! I love this type of guitar music, so original and creative, puts me in a wonderful trance!

[@deancamf]

I discovered John Fahey in 1969 and have been playing my version of some of his tunes ever since. His piece, Transcendental Waterfall on Blind Joe Death is one I've been working ever since.

[@ColinD0131]

I love John fahey. His music was far beyond his time

[@HeartbreakerGuitars]

Killer show Tony! Always great discoveries of guitar players! Keep it up man...The show rocks...

[@dharmaofdog7676]

You mentioned Gwenifer in another ATue Video & sought her out to listen. Thanks to you, I've become a Fan. I love when my Friends share the Music & Artists that they hear & love. It's the one thing I've depended on and appreciated most in my Life. So many of their Discoveries & Loves wind up becoming mine. This Video is so much of that! SO cool. Thank you !

[@jimclark5037]

Love Rob Noyes, only seen him once, at Great Scott Boston. Bought the album you feature here, fantastic! Hope he plays out live again soon

[@danielstoddart]

Great episode. I love the entire American Primitive Guitar movement. Heads up, the Rob Noyes album featured here is titled "The Feudal Spirit", not "They Told Me the Train Had to be Endless", the latter of which is simply the name of the drawing used as cover art.

[@ironrupik]

Tony, thank you for turning me on to an entirely new genre! I have heard a few Fahey tunes turn up in my streaming stations (my Gillian Welch, Nic Jones, and Nick Drake stations), but never thought to look at Fahey as an example of a genre...THIS is the music I have been looking for!

[@JimB802]

Great show! Thoroughly enjoyed.

[@kylebourasaw2648]

Hey Tony, thank you so much for introducing me to John, and all the other artists you've shown on the page so far. My mind is blown, especially cause I've never heard of any of them. And my taste in music has expanded dramatically. Thank you. Furthermore, inspiring me to continue to grow as a guitar player. So, I wanted to return the favor. Here's an artist who's been playing for years,(probably his entire life). He's known for playing the banjo and the guitar. He's also not only a guitar teacher all over. But, he's also a distant relative of mine. I can say he is one of the best players out there. I'm proud to be related to him and hear him play. Please check him out on KZbin, and I hope you mention him in a future episode. So, you and everyone will enjoy. His name is Rob Bourassa!

[@clay1528]

I saw saw John Fahey play in a small informal setting during my sophomore year at UC Davis (1971-72). He played in Tercero Dining Commons after the Dining Room was closed for the evening. Wow, the sounds put me a trance. -Colorful Clay in Davis, CA

[@TheDennzio]

Such a boost to my recent immersion into this style of mesmerizing music. Thank you Tony for sharing your incomparable guitar knowledge.

[@simonemerli5745]

Great episode Tony! Love it!

[@toddtrojek6521]

I'm so glad I came upon this video, Acoustic Tuesday which I subscribed to in minutes. I have learned a new subgenre of folk/acoustic music, American primitive guitar. Don't know any particular Canadian guitar artist that played this style of music.. Bruce Cockburn is one artist that has played some songs of this genre for sure. I have heard APG on documentaries, folk radio even movies, just didn't know if it had a specific genre. Now I know John Fahey and his followers to do more research on this style. Just returned to playing my acoustic guitar after 30 years and love the new things I have experience on the web. Thanks Tony!

[@vwbeetle72jellybeen]

Sitting here early on a Sunday morning (yeah, I know, I’m a little behind in my watching) watching AT 132. It’s nice to have Tony keeping me engaged while we’re all home bound trying to flatten that COVID-19 curve. Hope you, Whitney and the family at AT are staying safe and healthy.

[@louweaver3053]

I share your love for acoustic guitar and John Fahey. You are a great communicator.

[@acstods]

Thanks for this great episode Tony. JF is one of my absolute favourites - he is AMAZING. Loved your top 10 - you're right with your estimate of new discoveries - I had not heard of 4! Someone else who I think belongs on this list is Nick Schillace.

[@tidepoolbay]

Tony, Thank you for this! You are right, there were two I was not familiar with. As always, great work! WooF!!

[@amyferebee]

Very cool show......I'm a guitar player and used to live in Chuckatuck on the Nansemond River

[@bvs5164]

All but Nathan Salsburg are new to me. Time very well spent.Thanks Tony!

[@Xervello]

I'd like to add Kaki King. Sure, since her second album she's experimented with a wider range of instrumentation and sounds, but I think she embodies the spirit of John. And her debut is sparsely amazing.

[@santosr.vasquez392]

Thanks foe doing this, all your hardwork !!! It is not wasted believe me, big John Fahey fan here,,,

[@nedblack9680]

Hey, Tony, I just discovered your show. Bravo. I first heard John Fahey on a record album my girlfriend gave me when I was about 14 years old. The first track on side two was "How Green Was My Valley." It raised gooseflesh on me. I asked my father what kind of instrument could that be? He said it was a dobro. I had only recently picked up my sister's guitar that she never played. Then and there I was smitten. I've played dobro ever since. As well as that, I play guitar, banjo, mandolin and ukulele, plus keyboards, but if I had to throw it all away and go back on the road with only my bedroll and a guitar case, I'd sell them all and take just the dobro with me. I met Mr. Fahey backstage at a concert in Ann Arbor in maybe 1969. I was thrilled to meet my hero Talk about a fanboy, I crept onto the stage later and collected one of his beer cans. I actually used it as a slide. There are two American Primitives you might investigate, and they both have recordings, although they may be out of print. No less a personage than Robert Plant would fly into little ol' Tucson to study with the late lamented Rainer Ptaceck (pronounced THA check) and Stefan George. Rainer was decidedly a primitive, and so was Stefan when he wanted to be. Stefan's output was greater than Rainer's, perhaps only because he lived longer. And Stefan had thoroughly mastered the guitar. He could play any style and any genre, folk (his mother had two albums of French folk songs on the Vanguard label), classical, blues, jazz, country, and shredding rock 'n' roll. He led a half dozen or more local bands, many of whose members he himself taught to play, including horn sections. Not only did famously illustrious musicians come all the way to Arizona to study with him, but so did we locals (at $5 a session! I always brought a six pack), myself, my son and my nephew among them. Stef was so impressed with that nephew that he waived his fee.

[@knockaculleen]

Excellent video I love John Fahey and his playing, you presentation was superb.

[@travisbeck2777]

Thanks for introducing many new names to me. I only knew of Glenn Jones and Jack Rose from your list before listening to this!

[@mjohndenver]

1974 Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver I went to see the great John Fahey. The place was really loud and crazy. John Fahey came out to the stage with his guitar and dead silence for an uninterrupted hour he killed it. Amazing musician. Really kinda life changing.

[@sp1kline]

Nice selection of artists this week.

[@obelusyt]

you made the great Koonaklaster smile.

[@charlieleger1]

Love Fahey.

[@waynethedruggist]

GREAT episode. Loved Fahey from the beginning. You missed telling us when Robbie Basho's album was released.

[@jimsteele2072]

Excellent!!!!!!

[@jeffreyc.mcandrew8911]

Thank you!

[@hiddenpunk291]

Also James Blackshaw might fit on a list like this

[@HallVanAuken]

Glass Bead Game is an incredible album

[@KenHamilton1955]

Very interesting episode. Enjoyed it very much. I am already a huge fan of guitarist #4 and guitarist #1 on this list.

[@MichaelDooleyProject]

Thank you for this. Stoked to have discovered this video and your channel. New subscriber here! 🤘🏽🎶 A few new discoveries for me this guitar geek for sure. I’ve really taken an interest in this style of playing guitar. I’m not a great finger style player, but I’m thinking I am about to take a good try at getting better at it. Saw Ani DiFranco this past Thursday and it has sparked quite a light. That’s what led me here was her influential connection to Fahey. Thanks again.

[@michaellaverty1844]

Hey I checked out Joost Dijkema music. He is awesome! What a player. I contacted him and we are now friends on Facebook. His playing is out of this world. I would have never come across him if not for Acoustic Tuesday. Thanks Tony 🎶🎶

[@flitzmaster_piep]

You might wanna check out the American Primitive Guitar group an facebook. :-)

[@SirLeDoux]

Great show brother thank you very much

[@daddio307]

I just saw a take of Molly Tuttle from Live-Bluegrass Now. Did not know she played without a pick like that. Incredible. Can you talk about her right hand technique when she does that? Just awesome.

[@danbgt]

daddio307 Her right hand technique when not flat picking is a modified banjo “claw hammer”. Molly is a killer claw hammer style banjo player and that technique carries over to her guitar playing with no pick.

[@cameronbrilla3363]

Enjoyed my first time tuning in! Started listening to John Fahey a couple years back, along with Jones and Kottke, all phenomenal players. I know I’ve listened to Daniel Bachman and Nathan Salsburg a tiny bit before. I’m looking forward to checking out the rest on the list. If you haven’t listened to him before, I highly recommend William Tyler! He is an awesome current finger-style guitarist. I believe he played with the band Lambchop back in the day, along with Califone a little bit. His stuff is mesmerizing. Not exactly in the vein of John Fahey, but definitely would sit well in your list with the others regardless!

[@billymac72]

Didn’t know Fahey was friends with Blind Owl. Makes total sense.

[@moodswingy1973]

Roommates, in fact.

[@josephtravers777]

Both musicologists during the Folk Era, protégés of Alan Lomax

[@dandrechesterfield5411]

Left out some greats! Dylan Golden Aycock, Chuck Johnson, James Blackshaw, Joseph Allred…

[@voivodOfficial]

I’m a new John Fahey fan (10 months now) and was lucky enough to get no 1983/2000 of the Transcendental Waterfall record box set last week. Also found an original press of Leo Kottke’s first album at a Goodwill this past summer for $2.00.

[@sbolfing]

I first heard of John Fahey by watching Acoustic Life (can't remember the episode)! Quickly became a fan of him and Glenn Jones. Somehow this music seemed so familiar - then found an old 8-track of Leo Kottke's Armadillo Album (6 & 12 String Guitar) in my attic - I got this when I was in college! So, thanks Tony - you are bringing back a lot of great memories - and new artists to explore. Awesome! But - where's Leo on your list?

[@johnny2bad782]

Tony, thanks for spending some time on a under-appreciated musical genius-Fahey should have gotten 5 Grammys! Your artists recommendations are amazing too. Anyone who likes this style of music should own an album called “Solo Guitar” by Mark Fosson. Drag City records. Fosson almost had an album on Tacoma but the label went out of business before it could be released.

[@mick00016]

William Tyler

[@kjgas6945]

Great show Tony haven't missed any of them. Here in Arkansas.👍👍💣💥😎😎😎

[@MrPeaceandLiberty]

I think Glenn Jones relayed in the liner notes of Fahey's Red Cross album that Fahey was the only performer whose record sales went down when he went on tour.

[@55oraclesdirtfiles28]

John Fahey was the greatest. I bought Fare Forward Voyagers first, then Blind Joe Death. His music immediately gelled with me, for some reason, and when I finally tuned into Fare Forward, it was Nirvana. There was a press kit photo with the album and he had been mooching around with Swami Satchidananda too. I bought FFV because it had only three tracks, so I thought it would be deep. And it is/was. I was lucky enough to see John perform in Melbourne, Australia, in 1980. It was a treat f huge proportions, to see my guitar hero in the flesh. And i go to talk to him a bit at interval. I was 19 when I bought my first Fahey album, and am 66 now, and have never tired of the music. I have been revisiting a lot of his stuff via Spotify, and it is a gas. Favourite album? Blind Joe. Me and my girlfriend at the time used to go to bed and you know what , in the afternoons sometimes. It is a great album for horizontal folk dancing. We used to turn he album over and over during our fun time. I recommend you try it.

[@michaeljudd2161]

I'm watching ,and I really am enjoying this brother Tony ! Mickey

[@glynrogers65]

The first time I heard Gwenifer Raymond I just knew that she had listened to John Fahey. I am lucky enough to have seen her live a couple of times and have had a few conversations with her. She is astonishing and certainly brings a punk rock attitude to acoustic guitar music. She also plays drums in a punk duo called Weekend Death Cult.

[@Trollificusv2]

Just discovered you, the show, the channel and these 10 wonderful fingerpickers. With Nathan Salzburg, I can hear what you were struggling to describe...kind of Celtic (echo of Bert Jansch?) and also kind of sophisticated, for American Primitive (elements of Wm. Ackerman?). Anyway, they were all great, and ALL new to me. They all also seem to exhibit one of my favorite aspects of the genre: The players compositions are dictated by what they hear when they play, and what they respond to. At least, that's how it seems to me. Great stuff, and many thanks.

[@sharontiano1348]

Cool about the Calum Graham and Don Ross shared cover..

[@espenfradrammen]

Thank you for this wonderful program. I discovered many new inspiring names. Would´nt it be a blessing if you had made a similar film about the branch of primitive guitar that is inspired by Robbie Basho and his particular contributions to the style.

[@genew1567]

morning everyone from Tacoma,Washington

[@RPSartre01]

I think you are missing William Tyler. He should be on this list.

[@cameronbrilla3363]

Robert Pajkovski Agreed! I thought for sure he might show up on this list.

[@MarsHalekGuitar]

John Stanfield, rare live album (probably recorded in a pub) called "12-String Moonrise". I haven't found it on KZbin. If I still have a copy, I may post it myself. What is posted on KZbin of him may be an earlier album, not as (primitively) accomplished. I'd say early Preston Reed qualifies, too.

[@brwi1]

In between his electric songs, Kurt Vile plays a lot of Fahey inspired fingerpicking tunes

[@markholter5687]

Great show! But I must point out it was I who introduced you to Gwenifer Raymond :-) I would add about Nathan Salsburg that his day job is managing the Alan Lomax music archive and in that role he has a great podcast, I've Been All Around This World. He's also the partner--musical and otherwise--of Joan Shelley and adds his magic to her magical recordings. Finally, I would add these Fahey-influenced artists to your list: Six Organs of Admittance (Ben Chasny) Stara Rzeka Dylan Golden Aycock William Tyler Ryley Walker Steve Gunn Cian Nugent Chuck Johnson James Blackshaw

[@flitzmaster_piep]

Thanks for the list!

[@markholter5687]

@@flitzmaster_piep You're very welcome. Enjoy!