Product Description

In this concert from 1980, Doc Watson is joined by his son Merle on guitar and banjo and T. Michael Coleman on bass. Also includes a visit with Doc and Merle at home in Deep Gap, North Carolina and in concert in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33438 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-21
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 70 minutes

Customer Reviews

Father And Son Make Beautiful Music Together
Doc Watson is one of the true treasures of American folk music. He is known for his virtuoso guitar playing and distinctive vocals. But what I especially love about Doc is his choice of songs, bringing to the public some of the all time great classics and overlooked gems in the canon of American traditional music.

This concert is from 1980 and Doc is joined by his son, Merle Watson, on guitar and Michael Coleman on bass. They play a wide range of traditional tunes, including "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Wild Bill Jones" and "I Miss The Mississippi And You", closing with a harmonica medley of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Dixie".

The concert is interspersed with an interview from Doc's home in Deep Gap, North Carolina and, following the show, there is an additional "bonus" interview with Doc from 1999. This is terrific stuff from one of the greats of American music. Highly recommended!

Two Great American Musicians
Flat picking guitar legend Doc Watson is joined on stage by mandolin player David Grisman. It seems like a odd combination at first, as Watson is an old timer from the mountains of North Carolina and Grisman a hippie from New York perhaps best known for his Grateful Dawg sessions with Jerry Garcia. But actually these two go way back to the NYC folk scene of the early 60's. In fact, Doc first invited David to play on stage with him when Grisman was just a 17 year old kid.

In this concert footage they play a slew of classic American songs such as "Summertime" and "Sweet Georgia Brown". I especially enjoyed their version of the Bill Monroe favorite "In The Pines". The two seem compatiable on both a musical and personal level, dishing out some hot instrumental licks as Doc coaxes David to "play it pretty."

Interviews with both musicians are also interspersed between songs. Doc discusses how he first learned to play guitar and his wide range of musical influenes while David talks about his early efforts to imitate Bill Monroe before finding his own identity as a player. This is some terrific music from two great musicians and comes highly recommended.

Excellent, A Must-See
This DVD presents Doc and son Merle Watson in fine form. The treat is T. Michael Coleman on Bass. Doc helped give Coleman his start in the bluegrass area, and now Coleman is producing some of the finest bluegrass, newgrass, and folk acts available. This DVD not only presents Doc in front of a live audience which seems to bring out the best in his "pickin' and grinnin'", but also intersperses interviews with Doc between every few songs about his life, his influences, and his playing. If you have to choose 1 Doc Watson DVD or VHS, I would suggest this well-rounded film. I have had the good fortune to see Doc live, he even signed my guitar. He is a true gentleman and a master of the acoustic guitar. This film does him justice.