James Blackshaw

[greatestoftheseisluv]

oh my word. this is incredible!

[heymanniceshot1]

anybody able to find apologia?

[xoircal]

12 string music inspired by JB:

watch?v=QYWVawpCAy8

[tgrotewohl]

check out the tom grotewohl song "grey" - sounds kind of like james blackshaw but with vocals

[TheTimeAfterr]

amazing!!

[Carthsgtr]

Has no real build and is pretty boring after 2 minutes let alone 5. Very talented, but not all that nice to listen to.

[quinsedlethorpid]

@Carthsgtr who asked you?

[imaginedatyo]

@Carthsgtr Sounds like a personal problem to me

[Carthsgtr]

@imaginedatyo

In what way?

[Carthsgtr]

@imaginedatyo

How so?

[imaginedatyo]

@Carthsgtr I suppose that is a matter of opinion and preference. I find most of Blackshaw's music and ability to create such a wonderful atmosphere and landscape beautiful.

[Probolkoc]

Should be interesting to see him opening for Swans next month... First comes this bliss, then the pummeling by Gira & his cohorts.

[rock23845]

this is a song that no one would be able to learn by ear, its that fast and good

[jellikit1939]

@rock23845 learned it.

[rock23845]

@jellikit1939 you have to make tabs and put them up

[tm1rbrt]

What song is this?

[escaflowne3]

nice reminds me of alexander turnquist

[Psychohippydude]

His hair's in a mess by the time he's finished!

I have 'The Cloud of Unknowing' (album) on my iPod and I was wondering what else is good from him. I have a bit of John Fahey too - great stuff!!! recommendations anyone??

[jkbosh]

you've got to be kidding me. this is ridiculously good.

[shaddowstorm]

eww his fingers look gross

[GoncaloGuitarist]

I don't like emos, but I love this guy because of this music, that's what all people should see (despite of the opinion of emos).

[sucking345]

i just can't stop listening to this song.. really inspiring..

[incongra]

I see a lot of references to Fahey but I'd say this style is more reminiscent of Hawaiian "slack key" playing.

[incongra]

Having spent the last 20 minutes trying to work out this tuning, I'd just like to say the cameraman is a dick!

[sugartits918]

Check out Doyle Dikes...if you like inspirational fingerstyle :)

[grithic]

where have you been all my life?

[BarbicanLondon]

James Blackshaw is appearing at the Barbican Centre on Monday May 10th 2010 as part of the Kept Impulses tour along with Nancy Elizabeth and Hauschka. Promises to be a night to remember!

[Pan3405]

soooo boring..

[GrowlingPuppet]

thats amazing

[dicsballer9]

if fahey was an alcoholic then bring on the booze

[xxxscenes]

wow... <3

[KillerOfBlueberries]

Seriously, how in the world is he able to do tremolo on a 12 STRING so perfectly!!?

It's hard for me to do it on a 6 string classical haha. I can't even imagine. I sit in awe.

Anyone know what tuning this is?

[neuromancer123]

He uses AEAEBE. Does anyone know how he picks the tremolo thing in the beginning?

[10zen10]

If you close your eyes it sounds as if there's up to 4 guitarist's playing at once. Excellent music.

[wednesdaysbitch]

i'd like to say that james is a genius. :) got me playing some wacky tunings lol

[Mic00k]

WOOOOO Really amazing !!!

[droeis]

Just saw him @ Incubate festival in Tilburg, NL last sunday. Amazing performance! Absolutely inspiring music.

[DeckardWill]

I'm going to see him October 11th in Edinburgh - really, really excited!

[HanatielHawk]

impressive! very impressive!

[ch19781984]

ＪＢ大好き！

涙が湧いてくる・・・そして、空を眺めて・・・また前に進める・­・・

[trevorloomis]

he's got nice technique, but i find it a lot less interesting than the material put out by fahey, basho, and rose. a lot more effeminate and emo compared to those guys

[russelsheartinacage]

"effeminate and emo." So because it's emotional, it's emo? That's a very unfair criticism. James Blackshaw's music is beautiful, but saying that's it's effeminate as a criticism is mad! i love Fahey and Basho a lot, but James Blackshaw's music has such depth and richness, and I think his forefathers would have loved to see how their music has inspired our generation.

[trevorloomis]

i just feel he hasn't brought much to the american primitive sound other than make it softer, which i'm not really into. i didn't really mean effeminate and emo as harsh criticism, just as comparison to fahey and basho, who are more closely rooted in the more raw american blues tradition that this music comes from. maybe blackshaw is what happens when a brit tries to take on a traditionally american form of musical expression, it almost seems to have its roots in celtic music

[1ArtfulBodger]

Trevor.....listen Blackshaw ain't from the USA.....K! He plays with a style and touch that Fahey could not do,,,,,,Maybe because Fahey was drunk most of the time. Is that what you call american primative?LOL

[denverexec2000]

He was definitely alcoholic. He developed a great personal style more or less out of the blue, as did Basho, and at his best will be unmatched in expression. I am sure Blackshaw idolizes him. Blackshaw has amazing technique, basically classical chops on a twelve string. And great taste. Very exciting to have another torchbearer after all this time.

[denverexec2000]

I was responding to a comment about Fahey being alcoholic, not Blackshaw, these don't always post as expect them to. Thank our lucky starts tohave another fingerstyle genius with such interesting guitaristic ideas and referencing the great US and UK traditions , it has been too long.

[ctchrisf]

gotta love NPR

[BathtubPorsche]

just learned about him on NPR. Wow, this is beautiful.  I'd love to see him play if he comes to Southern California. My heart belongs to Leo Kottke - forever!

[ep2353]

Looks and sounds like DADGAD tuning,

[russelsheartinacage]

it's AEAEBE

[rangumai]

Using a detuned, open-tuned twelve string with heavy gauge strings sounds lovely, however is cheating! Nice right hand though....

[1ArtfulBodger]

Rangumai says! Fact.......Concert tuning was developed for orchestra.....NOT SOLO PERFORMERS. Most famous guitarists use whatever tuning that suits their needs to perform. Check it bruv.

[Linkous12]

I think I found someone who beats Ben Chasny. Damn.

[auschwitzu]

buckethead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cornflaked]

no. not buckethead.

kottke... fahey... even mckee... but not buckethead.

[denverexec2000]

BASHO

[1ArtfulBodger]

Not BASHO bruv...BLACKSHAW. Tu comprendre?

[denverexec2000]

Of course Blackshaw is unique, already one of the greatest of historical fingerstylists, especiallyon 12 string. His primary inspiration is Basho, as he has tstaed several times without hesitation. I am just so happy someone carries forward that expression whil making his own art. No one else I know have has done so.

[RockLegend3786]

FAIL...EPIC EPIC FAIL!!!

[ECguitar4]

Truly the best of the best...

[melvinizeyrself]

I don´t really care about the technique: I love James Blackshaw´s music.

Thanks for the video!

[strangeceremony]

great

[bolson567]

very basho-que

[evilmangopie]

thats a nice 12 string

[SinfulHedgehog]

Very nice. The instrument sounds strangely Sitar like.

[watkinscopicat]

wow.

[majiksam]

Yes also heard him on BBC news today..awesome!

[thegongman]

I heard this guy being interviewed on BBC radio this morning.Until then I was unaware of his existance......but now I am happily aware :)

[Hekerui]

Awesome.

[bentnosewp]

no shit it says it during the video. Oh brother

[bentnosewp]

what's the name of this song?

[jaadtoly23]

River of Heaven on Imaginational anthem 2

[jaadtoly23]

can't wait to see him again on Sunday! this music is so intense

[bentnosewp]

I can't my camera is broken.

[jaadtoly23]

hahaha! art is not about physical ability but inspiration. Create such a beautiful song, then. No offense but come on

[07504201963]

or steal the whole catalogue of robbie basho albums and feed it to a generation of people who've never heard of robbie basho. still,i think they're both diamond.

[aleatoric12]

beautiful, anyone know the tuning?

[russelsheartinacage]

his tunings are nearly always in the album sleeve notes, so get a hold of the album and have a look. James Blackshaw is incredible, love this song

[aleatoric12]

thanks for the reply. i actually have his entire discography but i got it all of off itunes. so no sleeve notes. i know this track is on the imagination anthem compilation, and yes its incredible. if anyone knows the tuning am all ears. :)

[russelsheartinacage]

o dear, thats pretty unlucky! there's a video of stained glass windows, in black and white, on youtube, absolutely beautiful composer