R.I.P. Davy Graham (22 November 1940–15 December 2008)

We lost one of the true originals, folks. The John Fahey of Britain, and more. Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy, John Martyn, Richard Thompson, not to mention rockers like Jimmy Page and Roy Harper - all of them looked up to him. Everyone who plays in DADGAD owes a debt to Davy, though he devoloped it as much as a way to play oud music on guitar as for Celtic music.

He was tirelessly inventive, constantly challenging himself to bring more depth and breadth into his music. He soaked up the music of Spain, Morocco, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Germany, India, Ireland and the British Isles, as well as classical, jazz, American folk and blues musics, and then he brought all those influences into an integrated, original whole. He called this synthesis "Folk Baroque" referencing not the Baroque period of European music, but Baroque as a concept of inclusivity. A pearl of irregular shape.

And for all that, he was always ahead of his time, and so he was never commercially successful. By the time other artists had hits ripping off his compositions & ideas, Davy was already deep into some new discovery, never looking back, never selling out his artistic

He was roots, he was fruits, he was a seed, true and true.

want to listen?
(Thanks to The Lake Band)

and @ Merlin in Rags

want to watch?
here's Davy Graham - Cry me a River, as captured in a 1959 BBC documentary. 1959!


And here's a great mini-documentary from BBC's Folk Britannia:

and Part 2
which you may be able to dl from the comments of the Merlin in Rags post.

see also "Sita Ram" & "40 Ton Parachute"


Official Site


stay posted; in a couple of days there may be some more.

here's some more:
Davy Graham - The Complete Guitarist
Year: 1977/1999
Label: Kicking Mule / Shanachie

Davey’s mid-1970s album, The Complete Guitarist, featured blues, jazz, Celtic tunes, classical pieces, hymns and some brilliant original instrumentals. Bonus tracks from his album Dance For Two People and the anthology Blues Guitar Workshop round out this overdue reissue

Allmusic Review by Alex Henderson:
To those who are unfamiliar with Davey Graham's work, The Complete Guitarist might seem like a lofty title for this album. But it's a title that the Scottish musician, who has commanded a lot of respect in U.K. folk circles since emerging in the 1960s, lives up to on these unaccompanied acoustic solo-guitar recordings from the late 1970s. Diversity is the rule on this album, and Graham successfully turns his attention to an abundance of traditional Celtic songs (both Scottish and Irish) as well as everything from Bach's "Ein Feste Burg" to blues classics like Big Bill Broonzy's "When I Been Drinking" and Memphis Slim's "How Come You Do Me Like You Do." Whether it's Celtic music, classical, blues, or jazz, Graham has no problem tackling a variety of styles and demonstrating that he really is the complete guitarist. Originally released as a vinyl LP in the late 1970s, The Complete Guitarist was, in 1999, reissued on CD with eight bonus tracks from 1979-1980 added.

complete me!
mp3 320kbps | w/ cover | 86mb