Jimmy Driftwood_The legendary folksinger

[TheMakemFolksinger]

brillant . cheers The Makem Folk Singer

[beaverdamgap]

I knew Jimmy in Mountain View when I lived there in the 70's. Really great to see him again.

I have a pickin' bow but sure can't play it like he did!

thanks So much!

Karen

[PurpleHazeGoofyGrape]

Love this stuff! Classic!

The "Jimmy Driftwood Barn" in Mtn. View

is Awesome, good times.

[fifthworld]

You can get the (semi-) complete Driftwood at Amazon etc. A 3 CD set by Bear Family records. Great stuff, some that I hadn't heard before (I had some old tapes I'd gotten from Moutainview back in '92 I think); and a nice thorough "book" included in the LP-size package, with wonderful info.

[patrickdirickx]

Thank you very much for these -alas- too short clips of a legendary musician...

as I live in Belgium (think chocolates, beer and the Big Bulge) it is very hard to find any of his recordings, let alone some live footage ...

many many thanks

[docsavage98]

his picking style looks like banjo style fraling? anybody know?

[cwknig2]

That old guitar pickin' like that was similiar to some of the old banjo pickin', but not entirely. The thumb played all down strokes, and ussually carried the rhythm. You'd also see them do some pinches and bass note walking with the thumb. Then the finger would up stroke for melody notes, and you would use the back of your finger nail to strum. This is a pretty tough technique to use if your playing very melodically. However, it accompanies singing very well.

[cwknig2]

People like Merle Travis and Earl Scruggs adapted this type of style to a two finger style where they played almost entirely with thumb and Index finger. Lester Flatt used a thumb pick and finger pick, and instead of strumming with the back of his finger actually pinched all the strings in the chord to make a strumming sound. They were all great old mountain techniques. Mother Maybelle Carter is another great old finger picker. Then along came guys like Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed.

[docsavage98]

I grew up just up the road from Lester in the next county. I don't use a thumb or finger pick but I play a similar style..guess us hillbillies think alike. Jimmy's motion looked a little different from ours. It's easy to do if you grew up doing it but I started some flatpicking a while back and stopped finger styling and it takes me a while to get back in the groove...being an old fart now might have something to do with it too.

[cwknig2]

I would absolutely love to be able to play acoustic like Lester Flatt. As far as rhthym BG guitar goes, that guy was it. Also, Earl had an amazing technique, and he actually was probably one of the main contributers the Mother Maybelle Style, even though she picked like that, Earl played a lot of guitar stuff for their albums. I don't think he gets enough credit as genius guitar picker because he was so well known for banjo.

[docsavage98]

He's still got it too. If you haven't seen the DVD or listened to the Cd of "The Three Pickers" (Scruggs, Doc Watson and Skaggs) you gotta get it. Earl picks "Who will Sing for Me" on the guitar. I have heard him do this repeatedly over they years and he is so smooth now. Doesn't have that raw energy he did back in the 60's and 70's but he's matured into an untouchable master with wonderful style. But let's not diminish Mr. Driftwood here.

[cwknig2]

I have everything Earl has available on CD. He is my hero.

[liliodine]

I met him back in 1980 when I visited the folk center. Very quaint and historically genuine place!

[vrghiks]

The first song that I heard him sing was,

"The Tennessee Stud".

[vrghiks]

Sounds like "Redwing".

[dalet63]

I Know That Tune But Can't put my Finger on it? anyone know?

[bulbheadmyass]

This vid is wonderful!

[SunsetSix]

Beautiful!

[DylanWalshe]

Legend!!!!!!!!!

[SKVPC]

Jimmy's wife was my 3rd grade teacher. He came to our school a few times a year and played for all the kids. She wore finger length turquoise rings that all the kids thought were really cool. They both loved the Mtn. View, Music and the kids; what a pair. Thanks for posting it.

[hauntedingeorgia]

It's a shame there isn't more on jimmy driftwood. He's an old favorite

[tigerwoulds]

Wow...nice clip ~!

[SirCorn]

wow that's awesome. I'm from mountain view and i like the lore of Jimmy driftwood.

[kerrsydotes]

way too short:(

[MarkMBravura]

Most definitely!