DVD – Novelty Instrumentals of Rev. Gary Davis

Hawkins teaches three Rev. Davis arrangements that will challenge your fingers. Davis’s tour de force in concert was his “Soldiers March,” a multi-part instrumental played in the keys of F and C. Few country blues guitarists played in the key of F. “Darktown Strutters Ball” captures the atmosphere of the 1920s. “Whistlin’ Blues” uses bottleneck combined with an Open D6 tuning to create an unusual boogie piano sound. Hawkins teaches phrase by phrase and shows you the right hand picking as well as the left hand fingerings unique to Davis’s approach. Split screen, tab/music booklet included as a PDF file. Audio performances of Davis playing each song. Intermediate/advanced. 93 min.