Hesitation Blues - Reverend Gary Davis

Check out my CD "Old Blues" on ITunes and CD Baby. My attempt at the incomparable Rev. Gary Davis' instrumental version of Hesitation Blues...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hesitation
• Blues
• Reverend
• Gary
• Davis
• acoustic
• guitar
• fingerpicking
• fingerstyle

[algentry1]

Beautiful. Some of the commenters think you have to play exactly like an older version. I don't remember that growing up. It's a time art. The only constant is change. Beautiful.I mean it ,thank you.

Al

[phild1214]

@algentry1 Thank you - check out a Lonnie Johnson thing I just did - Untitled - it's a treat to try to figure out how they did what they did while accepting you can only do it how you can do it

[tubegoolaz]

Not a bad try and your tone is excellent, considering it's not coming from a J200, but that alternating bass would make RGD puke. you'll never get his With 3 fingers syncopations or counterpoint. Go ahead grab the bull by the horns and play it with at least some of the guts he played it with

[phild1214]

@tubegoolaz Hey thanks for the feedback - I did this video three years ago and felt I was well aware of its strengths and weaknesses. I certainly did not hope to duplicate Rev. Gary's masterpiece with two fingers or three. Actually I would suggest you take the bull by the horns and post your own version - I assume anyone intimate enough with the good Reverend to refer to him by his initials, and to assert what would make him puke, should be able to do a Hesitation Blues that would outdo us all!

[robyhodges]

Hi Phil, Really liked your version. This was the first song I learnt from Ralph McTell 30 years ago from a record [8 frames a second, I think] Do you have a tab for your version by any chance?

[phild1214]

@robyhodges Thanks so much - I don't have a tab - learned it by ear

[808hawk]

inspirational stuff. really like rev. gary davis. i really must expand my playing. how did you get into fingerpicking. i just got to learn some travis patterns stick with them and gradually expand i guess.

[york1317]

This is a superb piece of playing and includes some beautiful runs. Tunes are meant to evolve and be revised as time goes on and this is an excellent example of this. It is played with passion and a wonderful sense of rhythm and good timing. I have received such joy listening to it. I am awarding it top marks, well done!

[blisteredthumbsdeas]

orhhhh man, that was NICE !!!!!!!!

[duncanstewart01]

really cool version,now all I ha !!ve to do i sre-learn the words again,thanks for reminding me of this that i used to play when i was a lot younger ,slimmer and better looking...now i'm just younger and good looking, once again thanks .

[duncanstewart01]

really cool version,now all I ha !!ve to do i sre-learn the words again,thanks for reminding me of this that i used to play when i was a lot younger ,slimmer and better looking...now i'm just younger and good looking

[dowaliby1]

Bluesy and Beautiful. Shows what a musician who puts in the time and effort can do!

[tsmonki]

Pretty much a note for note perfect rendition of the 57 recording. There are a few of these little runs that have been bugging me for ages. Looks like I've got them down now! Good stuff.

[R2Guitar]

Great version love it!

[tubegoolaz]

@phild I don't see your comment here. Can I continue with the rest of mine? Or am I past Youtube's limit still? Nice to meet you too. 4) During the time that I was living with the Davises, Bill Weir of the Grateful Dead came by to learn Hesitation Blues and Death Don't Have no Mercy" but I don't recall Jorma I won't even try to spell his last name ever coming by, but I find his version of Hesitation Blues particularly weak.