Chris and I are going to Merlefest on Thursday (April 24). I am listening to my favorite Doc Watson album right now. It's "Third Generation Blues," which Doc recorded with his grandson Richard, son of Merle, Doc's son and music partner. Merle was a phenomenal guitar player; he died in a tractor accident in 1985. Richard looks remarkably like Merle and plays very well too.
I like this album because of the song selection: "If I Were a Carpenter," "Summertime" and "House of the Rising Sun," among them. Doc's voice is warm and expressive, and he sounds like no one else. This is a blues album, but it's country blues with sophisticated song choice. Doc is from the mountains of North Carolina, and some people would see him as a rustic. But as a musician he is as worldly as any. He can sing and play Gershwin as well as Hank Williams or anonymous folk songs.
Here is a link to the Amazon page with "Third Generation Blues."
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