Rice and Grier. Whew.

Actually, way different styles and technique when you look at it. Tough to say who's better. Grier's tone and improvisation seem obviously superior, until you listing to Rice’s Blue RR Train, or Little Sadie, or something off Grisman's first, or Church Street Blues CD, and realize that Rice has not just incredible licks, but has shown us the whole package including genre defining rhythm, vocals, and unparalleled song arrangements. Then I listen to Kenny's version of St. Annes Reel, Bill Cheatham, or his own Amanda's Reel... wow. After that I put on Doc and Merle "On Stage" cd, another wow. And all of a sudden I get really confused who is best.

So I decided to just enjoy them all...add Norman, and Scott Nygard, and Jim Hurst, and Tim Stafford, and Sean Watkins, and Clarence, and all those I forgot ... oh ya, and Larry Carlton.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Friedrichs:
...So I decided to just enjoy them all...add Norman, and Scott Nygard, and Jim Hurst, and Tim Stafford, and Sean Watkins, and Clarence, and all those I forgot ... oh ya, and Larry Carlton.

So many fine players. I wish I could play just a tenth as good as they do. Collectively, you gotta admire their immense contribution to music.

BTW- David Grier at Alan Cline's house the other night was sensational. To be able to sit 6 feet away... and I still couldn't fathom all of the nuances. His disarming personality and his nimble fingers on a warm summer night. What could be better? What a nice man and a super human being!

Finally got to see Grier this past Friday. I guess "monster" is the word I'd use... There are so many personal nuances in his playing that I don't think anyone could imitate him. The chords he uses...and his metronomic right hand..."America the Beautiful/Yesterday". He played a nice version of "Killing Me Softly".

And what was he playing? NGC...Merrill...Walker...? Nope. Bourgeois. Looked like Indian/Sitka. And he had the (presumably) old D-28.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Grier perform live and up close twice. I also have a nice collection of many of his "LIVE" shows, both solo and with other performers. This guy is on an entirely different level, in fact a different planet... he doesn't work out solos like most flatpickers... every single time he plays a tune it is new and different. His brain thinks and reacts so quickly it is scary. He plays like a bluegrass flatpicker, but thinks like a seasoned jazzman. Check out David jamming to "Jerusalem Ridge" on YouTube... even his back-up is incredible! I have been listening to flatpickers for 30 years... IMHO, at this point in time, David Grier is king.

MojoDreads

p.s. - can you tell that I like David Grier?

I've got two David Grier related questions:

1. I finally got around to checking out that "Jerusalem's Ridge" video on Youtube. What are those chords that David is playing in the background? How do I learn to play chords like that? Are those some fairly standard jazz chords, or is that just stuff he is making up as he goes?

2. Based on this thread I bought the CD "I've got the house to myself" and I really like it. I've been trying to learn David's version of "Bill Cheatum." In the opening lick that David plays over the G chord and elsewhere in the song it sounds like David is hitting the G on the 3rd fret of the big E string and the open G string at the same time. Is he most likely hitting the G on the E string with the pick and the G string with a finger? If not, does anyone have any idea how he is picking those notes simultaneously? I apologize, but I'm not very familiar with this style of flatpicking.

quote:

Originally posted by Lonestar Shawn:
I'm not very familiar with this [Grier] style of flatpicking.

Shawn,
Don't feel bad. The rest of us aren't familiar with it either.

Ain't that the truth, Eric?

I've seen David play a lot and have not seen him use fingers and pick at the same time, but I've heard a lot of stuff that has to be played that way...unless your an alien. Of course, Bryan Sutton says that Grier is from another planet.

Grier would probably suggest that you do what you have to do to make it sound the way you want it to. Boy, that's helpful, isn't it.

I'm pretty sure he's using his finger. I've got that version tabbed out as a .tef file if you want it. You can download the free TablEdit viewer to use it.

Shaun

Hey y'all,
Thanks for the responses. I'm pretty comfortable using the pick and fingers technique, I just didn't know if I was hearing it wrong or if maybe he was doing some sort of "hammer on" for one of the notes while he picked the other.

Eric, that was a great response! What I meant was that I'm just trying to learn bluegrass style flatpicking, although I'm a fairly experienced guitar picker.

Shaun, thanks for the offer. I'm actually pretty committed to learning this song by ear. I find that with I don't learn very well from tab, I have to figure it out for myself. I might give you a shout if I get stuck, though.

So far this CD and the duets with Bryan Sutton are all that I've heard from Grier. Does anyone have a recommendation for a next CD from him?

Shawn,

I commend you for learn a Grier song. I'm not worthy. Am I right in this generalization? Grier plays out of chords all over the neck, while Sutton plays out of scales all over the neck.

Get Hootenany next...with Tim O'Brien and Dirk Powell, I think. Or Lone Soldier...Ooooh, that's a good one. Then maybe Panorama...and Climbing the Walls with Mike Compton...then the Phillips/Grier/Flinner albums and his stuff with The Grass is Greener.

FedEx should be dropping off a copy of the Grier-Smith-Rice DVD at my house sometime today! Now where's my iPod...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Eric Jones,

Eric,

How's the DVD? I love it!!!

Shawn, I like Grier's work with Phillips, Grier and Flinner. I also like the Psychograss stuff a lot.

--David

I like the video. It's not done in the same way as the first FGM video with Sutton-Hurst-Stafford...but in a way it's better quality.

Some random observations...

Some of the guitars weren't mic-ed very well. Wyatt's SCGC was very quiet.
Is Wyatt really as tense as he looks? His playing didn't seem to be as good as I've heard in the past.
Is Kenny really as relaxed as he looks? His right hand was hardly moving.
The Kenny and Amanda video was my favorite.
I like Kenny's melodies, especially Song for Emily.
I'm tired of listening to the Beaumont and Black Mt. Rags.
How could you ever get to the point of playing like those guys?????