Norman is 85 now and plays every day according to his son. Has a cane to get around and doesn't drive any longer but still can play his music. A national treasure.😊
I got out of Vietnam in 73 and when I got back was booked into a local venue. I got there early and talked to him. I told him I much I liked his version of Nashville Blues. He said I don’t that much. He opened his concert with it. Great guy and musical wonder.
Many years ago in a little tarpaper bar in Indiana, I was working, driving by, and saw a sign, "Tonight - Norman Blake." I didn't believe it - I am a guitar and dulcimer player and have idolized this guy for decades, so I pulled in, got myself a seat at a tiny table, got me a beer, and sat entranced for a couple of hours while Norman and Nancy played. Got to the point where I was hollering out requests, and Norman said, "I do believe this guy has heard me before!"
Wow, what a night that must have been! Nearly the exact same thing happened to me with John Hartford at a little dive bar in Chicago, late 80's/early '90's. I saw the sign, was about 45 minutes early, sat about six feet in front of Hartford, who played solo on banjo, fiddle, guitar and, of course, plywood for a good couple hours! I'll never forget it!
A great story. I am lucky to see this trio in Missoula mt in the late 70s. Drove 200 miles to see him {like going for groceries}. Best decision I ever made. Best flat picker I ever seen. Pickin it good in mountain standard time!
Dad was in England....in the 1970's with Kris Kristofferson. He was at Heathrow airport dressed in a black navy pea coat, with the Irish flat hat he wears, and carrying a fiddle case. The IRA fired mortar rounds onto the runway, shutting down the airport. Here he is dressed that way, with a fiddle case and the IRA on the loose. He said he was checked so many times, he just opened the case and started playing. Dad said that would be his last trip. Oh, And the plane had engine trouble.
Lee, I used to run into your dad in 1976 in the Record Bar at Northgate. He and I would sit out in the mall on a bench and talk about guitar playing for the longest. Each time we'd see one another, he always had something to talk about, and was as plain as rain. Imagine my surprise while working in that same store four years later to find him on the front sleeve of the Rising Fawn String Ensemble album. Lol
Funny, I had never heard of Norman Blake until last October, when after a performance at the Philadelphia Commodore Barry Irish Center where I played a few jigs on guitar as part of a set, a guy asked me if I'd ever heard of him. He said my playing reminded him of his favourite guitarist, Norman Blake, and that I even looked like him. So, I've been checking him out and am completely blown away. Some things are uncanny - years ago I came to the conclusion that certain Irish tunes sat better in a C position capoed up to the second fret, but never followed up on it too much. I decided recently to again go down that road, I buy a Norman Blake tutorial on Homespun Tapes and there he is playing fiddle tunes in the C position with a capo on the second fret! Hilarious! I wish I'd heard of him years ago. Very much enjoying his musicianship and would love to meet him someday. Best wishes from Ireland!
Has there ever been a guitarist as smooth as Norman? The man makes some darn complex licks look deceptively easy, almost effortless. He lives within 30 minutes of me and plays locally fairly regularly. At nearly 70, he still makes this game called guitar look like child's play.
This guitar is now for sale - I saw it advertised. 3 million dollars. I agree with the price. God Bless you Norman and Nancy Blake. Thank you for the music and giving the gift back to us all.
@krypticviper1613 there is a UA-cam video with someone from Martin talking about Norman's 1934 D 18 H, which had is fingerboard nut and saddle replaced to turn it from Hawaiian style to Spanish style.
Play someone the just the audio of the first 30 seconds of this video and ask them how many guitars are playing. I doubt many people would say “just one”.
I went to church with Norman and Nancy Blake here in Trenton, GA for many years. They're both amazingly talented people and I always enjoyed hearing them perform! It's really nifty to see these videos of them from their younger years!
Arguably the best six minutes and thirty-seven seconds on all of You Tube. I heard Norman play "Railroad Days" back in 1975. I shortly thereafter memorized the words and I've sung the song to myself everyday for thirty-five years. Maybe I've just hummed it a bit when others were within listening distance. Norm and Nancy are incomparable performers. But, you know, Norman is the fashion industry's worst enemy.
@user-bo6rd8vv6e Yes, I certainly agree. In my humble opinion, and it is a very humble opinion, Doc and Norman (Nancy, too!) are incomparable... I just can't put others in the same league, but that's just me, an old guy speaking his mind...
TR and Norman underated? You’re joking right? Those two are founding fathers of flatpicking. Tony is the best to ever do it. Ask Bryan Sutton, Chris Eldridge, Billy Strings and the list goes on. If Clarence White had lived who knows if he wasn’t the GOAT. Search for Church Street blues by Tony Rice (not the album version) and watch that. It shows the best right hand ever and some frightening fingerboard work. Many have tried to learn it note for note and failed. Good players. I’m not dissing your choices of your Mt Rushmore but NO WAY is Tony or Norman underated.
@@mrcolin2u You are absolutely wrong with that statement. The FACT is and the shame of it all is, many have not heard of either. Sure, those who follow this music and those in the trade know them BUT many people haven't heard of them. WINGS OF PEGASUS is a great channel who has shown many of these artists including Tony Rice to music followers/enthusiasts.
+Savannah Carmin Phillips I've been praying for your Grandpa, sweetie. You're a lucky girl. Your Grandpa has been my guitar hero ever since I started teaching guitar. You can take all of them fancy Eric Clapton's and Tony Rice's, but if I had to listen to any of them stuck in an elevator for all of eternity, your Grandpa's is the one that would be the easiest to take. That's Norman Blake! :)
When it comes to folk music...and his folk-grass style of flatpicking....I don't think there's anyone out there that comes close to this guy. He's just the real deal. It's amazing what he can do with relatively basic chords and first position playing. Sounds SO big and full:) IMHO
This is the way music and tradition should be presented---with love and dedication I don/t think i have ever heard a fiddle played so well as this -you folks are the most respected players i have ever heard
Blake is a Southerner, born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee and lives about 30 minutes south of it now in a tiny little town in the hills of north Georgia. In other words, he's always been around the old fiddle tunes, many of which have their origins in Ireland or Scotland and were concentrated in western North Carolina and east Tennessee. James Bryan is from a mountain in north Alabama, fairly close to Chattanooga. His daughter is a really good musician as well.
You have to be very proud to be related to such a man as Norman Blake! Just comes thru as a genuine human being of humility who happens to be wildly talented. Always enjoy seeing the pure love he shares with Nancy.
You watch Norman play this stuff, and say to yourself, That doesn't look too awfully hard to play. Then you try to play and realize how tough it really is. I am amazed at the sound he gets with what appears to be minimal effort on his part.
The best form of musicianship is when they make it look easy, but it isn't. This looks effortless on his part, but like you, I've tried to do it and can't.
I just want to chime in on this.. sounds like we're all agreed , that is how it goes, the great make it look and sound easy. The only thing I would say for the rest of us is ,one chord is music ,can we play it and have it sound like something, everything else emanates from that. Practice .yes practice all you will , can you connect to one chord and have it be music.
Love his style. Just so flowing and fluid all the way through. So many great guys now- Sutton, Kenny Smith, Josh Williams, Chris Ethridge, and many more. But I think Norman is still te benchmark.
Wow, I gotta say that Martin D28 S is one fine sounding guitar. I could be mistaken. This video recording was made in 1980. In the late 70s I was working at Elderly Instruments in East Lansing, Michigan. I have to wonder if that guitar isn't one that we got in that had a seriously messed up neck on it. Bart Reiter, Elderly's Ace repairman, got hold of that guitar and made a new neck for it and turned it into a monster Slot head Dreadnaught. Bart did a great job of making the new neck match the old body, which I believe was quite old and I remember he didn't want to mess with the aging process of its age and the playing that had been done on the guitar. I heard later, Norman Blake, was looking for a D28 S that wasn't too valuable, to take on the road. He checked in with Stan Werbin at Elderly Instruments who told Norman he might have just what he was looking for. I remember that guitar sounded great and played well too. Since Norman & Nancy Blake with James Bryan made this set of videos in 1980, I'm speculating that could be THE guitar. Now, I've got to follow up, talk to Stan and Bart and put them onto this video so they can hear and see that awesome D28 S. I'd also like to know what year Martin built the original body, that Bart had custom fashioned the neck for on the guitar that Norman bought. I'm very sure Norman did buy a D28 S from Elderly that had extensive work done on it. I do remember that clearly. So that's a start.. Does the Rising Fawn String Ensemble sound good or what? What a treat to hear those folks again. It will be fun to track down the TRUE FACTS about that guitar. I have a vivid imagination and don't really trust my memory to have all that information straight and it worries me that I've made some of it up. So, I owe it to all of you reading what may be a bit of fiction here and will promise to get the straight lowdown on this guitar. I'll revisit this saga in the future after I'm able to determine if that guitar is THE one. Thanks for bearing with me. If anyone happens to know the story on that guitar, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to email me at jim_sigler@hotmail.com and I will be forever in your debt. Aren't guitars and the stories behind them awesome. I just love the lore of instruments. Best to all and keep pickin', Jim Sigler, Columbia, MO
I'm going to go into the kitchen and pour myself a nice tall glass of Kentucky Bourbon and watch this amazing performance one more time. Amazing flatpickin. left hand is so relaxed, the right is so percise. Both float over his guitar. Norman makes it look effortless, easy, but I just watched a master guitarist ply his trade..........Back for round two.
Very nice guy. I worked at a coffeehouse when I was in college and a couple of years in a row we brought Norman and Nancy in. Great musicians and great people to spend time with. The last time I saw him was a few years ago and I called out a request for Sweet Heaven. He didn't play it, but he did make a genial comment about how old that one was.
A terrifically talented player and a fine person to boot! Saw him live in South Carolina in 1975 and he was unbelievably modest, unbelievably outstanding. An American giant in the field of music.
Gord lord i am77 years old and i didn;t think that i would have heard a tune that i could have related to one that my dad sang a time or too but not as well as as norman blake did it God bless you Pappa is smilin
Brilliant performance! Enjoing this music, listening to it 3 times in a row. Each particular sound on his guitar is distinct and clear. One of the best american traditional musicians.
I saw Norman long ago at a college in Bridgeport Connecticut in a small room with far too few people . My seat was so close I could almost reach out and touch him. It was just an amazing show.
Funny, I had never heard of Norman Blake until last October, when after a performance at the Philadelphia Commodore Barry Irish Center where I played a few jigs on guitar as part of a set, a guy asked me if I'd ever heard of him. He said my playing reminded him of his favourite guitarist, Norman Blake, and that I even looked like him. So, I've been checking him out and am completely blown away. Some things are uncanny - years ago I came to the conclusion that certain Irish tunes sat better in a C position capoed up to the second fret, but never followed up on it too much. I decided recently to again go down that road, I buy a Norman Blake tutorial on Homespun Tapes and there he is playing fiddle tunes in the C position with a capo on the second fret! Hilarious! I wish I'd heard of him years ago. Very much enjoying his musicianship and would love to meet him someday. Best wishes from Ireland!
I am his son. Our family is from County Galway. Dad learned Irish fiddle tunes from the Irish descendants he grew up with. Dad is 86 now but still plays every day and his mind is as sharp as ever. I will see him this Saturday (May25th) and give him your Best Wishes.
@@leeblake3989 Thanks so much Lee! I've been playing Irish tunes on guitar for years now - it's still an unusual practice - and become uninspired from time to time, so it was very nice to have come across your Dad's playing. Thanks to my wonderful singing partner, I get to travel to the U.S. from time to time. The very best wishes to you and your family! Graham
Lee, you should be very proud of your folks. Norman is an awesome flat pickers with a style all of his own, but Nancy is no slouch on the fiddle, either. They make a wonderful duo. I really enjoy them.
what an artist and the other folk,its just outstanding,thanks a million.what a player ! never heard him before being in the backwoods of the UK..I'm converting to bluegrass and next time I visit usa I must go south..
I'm seventy five years old and Norman was never known by me as was Kate Wolf. Two wonderful artists I now enjoy that were very active during my hay days. How could the Beatles over shadow them? Maybe it's because I'm older now and have slowed down a little and have time to just sit and listen and absorb the beauty of their wonderful gift from God.
One of the greatest music experiences of my life was a show called something like "Great Guitars." It had Norman and Nancy Blake, Tony Rice, and Doc Watson, along with Jack Lawrence, T. Michael Coleman, and (I think) Jerry Douglas. First Norman and Nancy played a nice set. Then Tony Rice played a solo set, then Norman and Tony played together (with and without Nancy), then Doc and his gang came onstage. Doc did some solo stuff, then played with his ensemble, then Norman and Tony joined them onstage and they had the greatest guitar jam session I will ever witness. For a guitarist, it was heaven. This was in the eighties, Doc was at the peak of his prowess, they all played pretty much flawlessly, everyone took turns soloing -- it was fantastic. Norman was fantastic. I had already been a fan, but after that I went to the next level.
I’ve only listened to this 500 times over the past 6 months. Insane! I am an amateur flat picker and this is just mind blowing. Everything about this performance
@inapoleao The fiddler is James Bryan, from Sand Mountain, AL. Sand Mtn. is about 20 miles from Lookout Mtn. Tennessee. On the GA side of Lookout Mtn. is Rising Fawn, and Sulphur Springs. On the Tennessee side of the mountain are Chattanooga and Lookout Mtn. I live about 30 miles from the area.
man, this is great stuff. i've been listening to norman for over 30 years and i still get chills as if it's the first time i've ever heard him. james sure ain't no slouch on the fiddle either. thanks for posting.
I've seen him play live a number of times since he lives so close and it's always a treat. It looks like his left fingers lightly tap the strings to fret them, as though he's using as much pressure as it takes to keep a feather from blowing in the wind. He makes very complex licks sound like any decent picker should be able to play them until even good pickers try them. Norman Blake is one of a kind.
I was in Nashville to visitin about 75 and he did A stand-in with Bro.Oswald and Charley Collins. It was in one of those refurbished warehouses at the foot of broad street. First time I ever heard him, was much impressed.
"'I' and those people?? What?????? Friends who grew up in the Chattanooga and Cleveland area grew up taking guitar lessons from Blake and I first personally met him and back in 1970 and it was always a hoot when he and John Hartford to get to get together in Nashville.... And sorry, but FAR too many folks are unfortunately still not familiar with him and his work.
This is one of those guys with a voice that most people can not imitate or cover his songs well cause it’s so high up. Kind of like Neil young. You could but you would just have to forget how he sings it and do it differently.
@@deepblueseeds5563highly suggest you listen to the bob Johnson album, where he's singing high tenor in a Monroe style band. He does it on the aeroplane album as well. He knows how to blend his voice into a bluegrass quartet stack, and I think his unique singing comes from that.
+Mario Addis Check out a favorite song of mine, 'Homestead on the Farm' on youtube and listen to his guitar work. I can't pick up Rich O'brien's playing at all. Norman does the lead, melody, and bass like most great ones all at one time.
One of the best shows of Norman Blake was in Colorado at the acoustic coffee house well Norman camper couldn't make it up there so to our amusement Charlie sawtel had drove him up there in his cadalac and joined him on stage with Nancy and if you don't know he and Charlie were dear friends during the rancho divile Charlie sawtele memorial concert and he told the story about the show on stage 😀
Extreme musicality shown from all three musicians.!!! They are communicating in a total different level..Blake he looks so humble considering what he is playing!!
I love this video and Norman Blake. I listen to and am very well educated in a lot of different types of music. Serious flatpicking and old-time like this is something I have been studying for about a year now. I love it...this whole video goes through amazing progressions. My favorite youtube video and has been for a long time. Thanks.
Norman is 85 now and plays every day according to his son. Has a cane to get around and doesn't drive any longer but still can play his music. A national treasure.😊
Still puts out new music.
Better give him back his walkin cane....
I got out of Vietnam in 73 and when I got back was booked into a local venue. I got there early and talked to him. I told him I much I liked his version of Nashville Blues. He said I don’t that much. He opened his concert with it. Great guy and musical wonder.
Many years ago in a little tarpaper bar in Indiana, I was working, driving by, and saw a sign, "Tonight - Norman Blake." I didn't believe it - I am a guitar and dulcimer player and have idolized this guy for decades, so I pulled in, got myself a seat at a tiny table, got me a beer, and sat entranced for a couple of hours while Norman and Nancy played. Got to the point where I was hollering out requests, and Norman said, "I do believe this guy has heard me before!"
Nice story. Greetings from Donegal, Ireland.
Great story.
Wow, what a night that must have been! Nearly the exact same thing happened to me with John Hartford at a little dive bar in Chicago, late 80's/early '90's. I saw the sign, was about 45 minutes early, sat about six feet in front of Hartford, who played solo on banjo, fiddle, guitar and, of course, plywood for a good couple hours! I'll never forget it!
A great story. I am lucky to see this trio in Missoula mt in the late 70s. Drove 200 miles to see him {like going for groceries}. Best decision I ever made. Best flat picker I ever seen. Pickin it good in mountain standard time!
i realize it is pretty randomly asking but does anybody know a good site to watch new tv shows online?
Dad was in England....in the 1970's with Kris Kristofferson. He was at Heathrow airport dressed in a black navy pea coat, with the Irish flat hat he wears, and carrying a fiddle case. The IRA fired mortar rounds onto the runway, shutting down the airport. Here he is dressed that way, with a fiddle case and the IRA on the loose. He said he was checked so many times, he just opened the case and started playing. Dad said that would be his last trip. Oh, And the plane had engine trouble.
Thanks...keep it all alive!
Lee, I used to run into your dad in 1976 in the Record Bar at Northgate. He and I would sit out in the mall on a bench and talk about guitar playing for the longest. Each time we'd see one another, he always had something to talk about, and was as plain as rain. Imagine my surprise while working in that same store four years later to find him on the front sleeve of the Rising Fawn String Ensemble album. Lol
Funny, I had never heard of Norman Blake until last October, when after a performance at the Philadelphia Commodore Barry Irish Center where I played a few jigs on guitar as part of a set, a guy asked me if I'd ever heard of him. He said my playing reminded him of his favourite guitarist, Norman Blake, and that I even looked like him. So, I've been checking him out and am completely blown away. Some things are uncanny - years ago I came to the conclusion that certain Irish tunes sat better in a C position capoed up to the second fret, but never followed up on it too much. I decided recently to again go down that road, I buy a Norman Blake tutorial on Homespun Tapes and there he is playing fiddle tunes in the C position with a capo on the second fret! Hilarious! I wish I'd heard of him years ago. Very much enjoying his musicianship and would love to meet him someday. Best wishes from Ireland!
@@GrahamDunneIrishGuitarist Better late than never, best of luck to you!
@@Sparks53 Thanks! Best wishes to you.
Has there ever been a guitarist as smooth as Norman? The man makes some darn complex licks look deceptively easy, almost effortless. He lives within 30 minutes of me and plays locally fairly regularly. At nearly 70, he still makes this game called guitar look like child's play.
This guitar is now for sale - I saw it advertised. 3 million dollars. I agree with the price. God Bless you Norman and Nancy Blake. Thank you for the music and giving the gift back to us all.
Pretty sure he used an old pre war guitar too. Not sure about this one specifically but just putting it out therem
@krypticviper1613 there is a UA-cam video with someone from Martin talking about Norman's 1934 D 18 H, which had is fingerboard nut and saddle replaced to turn it from Hawaiian style to Spanish style.
I can't even begin to describe how good this is.
The way you’re so right
Just what I was thinking. Just great.
100% agree
That low E, D, high E cross pick at exactly 3:00 is ridiculous. What a player.
Yes! I came across that and thought, man what Norman thing to do. So cool.
ain’t that the truth brother. i was a fingerpicker first; then Norman changed my whole idea of good instrumentation.
Play someone the just the audio of the first 30 seconds of this video and ask them how many guitars are playing. I doubt many people would say “just one”.
This should have 10 million views. Gives me chills every time.
Norman is an American iconic guitarist.
I went to church with Norman and Nancy Blake here in Trenton, GA for many years. They're both amazingly talented people and I always enjoyed hearing them perform! It's really nifty to see these videos of them from their younger years!
You lucky duck!
That’s awesome
Amazing !
10 minutes to Alabam and 10 north to Chattanooga, Trenton’s a cool town
Arguably the best six minutes and thirty-seven seconds on all of You Tube. I heard Norman play "Railroad Days" back in 1975. I shortly thereafter memorized the words and I've sung the song to myself everyday for thirty-five years. Maybe I've just hummed it a bit when others were within listening distance. Norm and Nancy are incomparable performers. But, you know, Norman is the fashion industry's worst enemy.
God loves you. He has not forsaken you, nor has he forgotten you
I'm 12 years late, but yes, I agree lol.
@@jpraise6771 he?
@user-bo6rd8vv6e Yes, I certainly agree. In my humble opinion, and it is a very humble opinion, Doc and Norman (Nancy, too!) are incomparable... I just can't put others in the same league, but that's just me, an old guy speaking his mind...
Tony Rice and Norman Blake are probably the two most underrated guitarists of all time. The fluidity of their playing is unmatched.
I can agree my Mt Rushmore is Tony,Norman,Joe Pass,Grant Green,Luc Lemay and Rory Gallagher
They did at least one album together which I still have on CD.
They are certainly among the top ten flat pickers of all time.
What is underrated about them ?
That’s a ridiculous statement.
They’re both recognized and acknowledged as virtuosos in their own field .
TR and Norman underated? You’re joking right? Those two are founding fathers of flatpicking. Tony is the best to ever do it. Ask Bryan Sutton, Chris Eldridge, Billy Strings and the list goes on. If Clarence White had lived who knows if he wasn’t the GOAT.
Search for Church Street blues by Tony Rice (not the album version) and watch that. It shows the best right hand ever and some frightening fingerboard work. Many have tried to learn it note for note and failed. Good players. I’m not dissing your choices of your Mt Rushmore but NO WAY is Tony or Norman underated.
@@mrcolin2u You are absolutely wrong with that statement. The FACT is and the shame of it all is, many have not heard of either. Sure, those who follow this music and those in the trade know them BUT many people haven't heard of them. WINGS OF PEGASUS is a great channel who has shown many of these artists including Tony Rice to music followers/enthusiasts.
He's my grandpa I'm so happy
+Savannah Carmin Phillips I've been praying for your Grandpa, sweetie.
You're a lucky girl. Your Grandpa has been my guitar hero ever since I started teaching guitar.
You can take all of them fancy Eric Clapton's and Tony Rice's, but if I had to listen to any of them stuck in an elevator for all of eternity, your Grandpa's is the one that would be the easiest to take. That's Norman Blake! :)
I didn't know they had any children. How many?
Sail away Tim obrien
Norman and Nancy are national treasures. Love them both.
He has been one of my main guitar heroes since I first heard him in the 1970's.
I named one of my guitars (a Norman) "Mr. Blake" in his honor.
When it comes to folk music...and his folk-grass style of flatpicking....I don't think there's anyone out there that comes close to this guy. He's just the real deal. It's amazing what he can do with relatively basic chords and first position playing. Sounds SO big and full:) IMHO
Doc and Tony come to mind, but yeah it's incredible how much impact he can drive from sometimes very simple melodies and progressions!
At 75 years old i didn't think my feet could be so happy lol What a beautiful feeling thank you
I hope you’re still tapping along 4 years later, Don.
Real Americana.... thanks for Keepin the Music Alive...❤️
This is a historical performance. Norman's style is like no other. Save it.
My favorite flatpicker of ALL TIME.....
Norman Blake is an absolute treasure!
This gentleman and his prodigious talent truly deserves to be known by everyone....
Beautiful guitar 12 fret slotted head Martin. The albums that Norman did with Tony Rice are really superb.
I have a 12 fret slotted slope Martin 2001 HD28VS…..they are a bit special…1930s replica.
This is the way music and tradition should be presented---with love and dedication I don/t think i have ever heard a fiddle played so well as this -you folks are the most respected players i have ever heard
Blake is a Southerner, born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee and lives about 30 minutes south of it now in a tiny little town in the hills of north Georgia. In other words, he's always been around the old fiddle tunes, many of which have their origins in Ireland or Scotland and were concentrated in western North Carolina and east Tennessee. James Bryan is from a mountain in north Alabama, fairly close to Chattanooga. His daughter is a really good musician as well.
No doubt about it.
Absolutely the best a national treasure been listening to him for forty- five years hope to forty five more
You have to be very proud to be related to such a man as Norman Blake! Just comes thru as a genuine human being of humility who happens to be wildly talented. Always enjoy seeing the pure love he shares with Nancy.
You watch Norman play this stuff, and say to yourself, That doesn't look too awfully hard to play. Then you try to play and realize how tough it really is. I am amazed at the sound he gets with what appears to be minimal effort on his part.
The best form of musicianship is when they make it look easy, but it isn't. This looks effortless on his part, but like you, I've tried to do it and can't.
His right hand especially is so swift yet light and smooth. That's where the magic comes from. Among other things, of course... ;O)
The great people make it look so easy!
It’s crazy too because he is singing as well!
I just want to chime in on this.. sounds like we're all agreed , that is how it goes, the great make it look and sound easy. The only thing I would say for the rest of us is ,one chord is music ,can we play it and have it sound like something,
everything else emanates from that. Practice .yes practice all you will , can you connect to one chord and have it be music.
Love his style. Just so flowing and fluid all the way through. So many great guys now- Sutton, Kenny Smith, Josh Williams, Chris Ethridge, and many more. But I think Norman is still te benchmark.
Wow, I gotta say that Martin D28 S is one fine sounding guitar. I could be mistaken. This video recording was made in 1980. In the late 70s I was working at Elderly Instruments in East Lansing, Michigan. I have to wonder if that guitar isn't one that we got in that had a seriously messed up neck on it. Bart Reiter, Elderly's Ace repairman, got hold of that guitar and made a new neck for it and turned it into a monster Slot head Dreadnaught. Bart did a great job of making the new neck match the old body, which I believe was quite old and I remember he didn't want to mess with the aging process of its age and the playing that had been done on the guitar. I heard later, Norman Blake, was looking for a D28 S that wasn't too valuable, to take on the road. He checked in with Stan Werbin at Elderly Instruments who told Norman he might have just what he was looking for. I remember that guitar sounded great and played well too. Since Norman & Nancy Blake with James Bryan made this set of videos in 1980, I'm speculating that could be THE guitar. Now, I've got to follow up, talk to Stan and Bart and put them onto this video so they can hear and see that awesome D28 S. I'd also like to know what year Martin built the original body, that Bart had custom fashioned the neck for on the guitar that Norman bought. I'm very sure Norman did buy a D28 S from Elderly that had extensive work done on it. I do remember that clearly. So that's a start..
Does the Rising Fawn String Ensemble sound good or what? What a treat to hear those folks again. It will be fun to track down the TRUE FACTS about that guitar. I have a vivid imagination and don't really trust my memory to have all that information straight and it worries me that I've made some of it up. So, I owe it to all of you reading what may be a bit of fiction here and will promise to get the straight lowdown on this guitar. I'll revisit this saga in the future after I'm able to determine if that guitar is THE one. Thanks for bearing with me. If anyone happens to know the story on that guitar, I'd love to hear it. Feel free to email me at jim_sigler@hotmail.com and I will be forever in your debt. Aren't guitars and the stories behind them awesome. I just love the lore of instruments. Best to all and keep pickin', Jim Sigler, Columbia, MO
Fascinating. (Oh and it's dreadNOUGHT, after our battleship) Thanks.
I'm going to go into the kitchen and pour myself a nice tall glass of Kentucky Bourbon and watch this amazing performance one more time. Amazing flatpickin. left hand is so relaxed, the right is so percise. Both float over his guitar. Norman makes it look effortless, easy, but I just watched a master guitarist ply his trade..........Back for round two.
i've still never even seen anybody move like NB. I think he's the best flatpicker there ever was.
Very nice guy. I worked at a coffeehouse when I was in college and a couple of years in a row we brought Norman and Nancy in. Great musicians and great people to spend time with.
The last time I saw him was a few years ago and I called out a request for Sweet Heaven. He didn't play it, but he did make a genial comment about how old that one was.
My guitar hero, Norman Blake.
It's such a joy to be able to listen to this song and performance.
You just can't beat Norman Blake. His music always makes me happy.
this is probably in the top five best videos on all of youtube, maybe the single best video
Zion Forman Yes, agreed.
Totally agree
His attack and timing are still amazing. And he has a beautiful voice, great writing too. A national treasure for sure...
A terrifically talented player and a fine person to boot! Saw him live in South Carolina in 1975 and he was unbelievably modest, unbelievably outstanding. An American giant in the field of music.
So good. This is the music of my people. I live on northeast AL. James Bryan the fiddle player is from Mentone, AL & Norman is from Chattanooga.
Norman Blake is a master guitarist as Doc Watson, Tony Rice...
Every bit the player as they
No question.
Amen
He will always be my favorite flatpicker -- he is so clean.
Gord lord i am77 years old and i didn;t think that i would have heard a tune that i could have related to one that my dad sang a time or too but not as well as as norman blake did it God bless you Pappa is smilin
Brilliant performance! Enjoing this music, listening to it 3 times in a row. Each particular sound on his guitar is distinct and clear. One of the best american traditional musicians.
I saw Norman long ago at a college in Bridgeport Connecticut in a small room with far too few people . My seat was so close I could almost reach out and touch him. It was just an amazing show.
Isn't he fun to watch? My absolute favorite musician, hands down.
I DO wish they'd smile, they deserve to when they create music like that . . .
Funny, I had never heard of Norman Blake until last October, when after a performance at the Philadelphia Commodore Barry Irish Center where I played a few jigs on guitar as part of a set, a guy asked me if I'd ever heard of him. He said my playing reminded him of his favourite guitarist, Norman Blake, and that I even looked like him. So, I've been checking him out and am completely blown away. Some things are uncanny - years ago I came to the conclusion that certain Irish tunes sat better in a C position capoed up to the second fret, but never followed up on it too much. I decided recently to again go down that road, I buy a Norman Blake tutorial on Homespun Tapes and there he is playing fiddle tunes in the C position with a capo on the second fret! Hilarious! I wish I'd heard of him years ago. Very much enjoying his musicianship and would love to meet him someday. Best wishes from Ireland!
I am his son. Our family is from County Galway. Dad learned Irish fiddle tunes from the Irish descendants he grew up with. Dad is 86 now but still plays every day and his mind is as sharp as ever. I will see him this Saturday (May25th) and give him your Best Wishes.
@@leeblake3989 Thanks so much Lee! I've been playing Irish tunes on guitar for years now - it's still an unusual practice - and become uninspired from time to time, so it was very nice to have come across your Dad's playing. Thanks to my wonderful singing partner, I get to travel to the U.S. from time to time. The very best wishes to you and your family! Graham
also let's praise James Bryan for his awesome fiddling!
GREAT FIDDLING
Tonto
James was the cream cheese frosting on this cupcake.
Yes!
The vibrato is so classical but still has that hillbilly that all us southerners love who is listening from Texas
the guitar has a great projection, fullness and warmth to it.
Them old Martins…gotta love’em!
One should admire and recognize musical talent as a rarity and gift to others as such.
Happy Birthday Norman. Still think that your Live At McCabe's is one the very best flatpicking guitar albums ever.
Unreal!! Norman has a picking style of his own, he makes that old Martin tell the story of that song!
Norman is an outstanding flatpicker. One of the best...and the MAN to deliver a good story ! Peace !!!
He makes it look so easy. An amazing player. Great.
Norman Blake is one of my favorite guitarists. Such a great flatpicker.
Great song! Normans a breath of fresh air...
Lee, you should be very proud of your folks. Norman is an awesome flat pickers with a style all of his own, but Nancy is no slouch on the fiddle, either. They make a wonderful duo. I really enjoy them.
Have loved Norman Blakes music for years!
assymptopically approaching perfection
If approaching zero as far as flaws. . . mathematically it actually equals zero when approaching infinity on a horizontal asymptotic line.
Good piece of music performed by a legandary guitarist.
The most sharpest fiddle licks I have ever heard Was always a Kenny Baker fan but Bryan has a special flavour that adds so much to a tune Love it
what an artist and the other folk,its just outstanding,thanks a million.what a player ! never heard him before being in the backwoods of the UK..I'm converting to bluegrass and next time I visit usa I must go south..
I'm gonna stick my neck out here but this is one of the best things I've seen. On you tube or anywhere
My favorite clip of Norman I’ve found yet. Like the old telluride clips also. Legend!
I'm seventy five years old and Norman was never known by me as was Kate Wolf. Two wonderful artists I now enjoy that were very active during my hay days. How could the Beatles over shadow them? Maybe it's because I'm older now and have slowed down a little and have time to just sit and listen and absorb the beauty of their wonderful gift from God.
One of the greatest music experiences of my life was a show called something like "Great Guitars." It had Norman and Nancy Blake, Tony Rice, and Doc Watson, along with Jack Lawrence, T. Michael Coleman, and (I think) Jerry Douglas. First Norman and Nancy played a nice set. Then Tony Rice played a solo set, then Norman and Tony played together (with and without Nancy), then Doc and his gang came onstage. Doc did some solo stuff, then played with his ensemble, then Norman and Tony joined them onstage and they had the greatest guitar jam session I will ever witness. For a guitarist, it was heaven. This was in the eighties, Doc was at the peak of his prowess, they all played pretty much flawlessly, everyone took turns soloing -- it was fantastic. Norman was fantastic. I had already been a fan, but after that I went to the next level.
I want a pair of shoes like Norman's! Also, I wish I could hit the "Like" button 10 times!
i love this tune. it is so nice to hear a longer version of it with breaks.
Norman can tell a story with a guitar!
I’ve only listened to this 500 times over the past 6 months. Insane! I am an amateur flat picker and this is just mind blowing. Everything about this performance
@inapoleao The fiddler is James Bryan, from Sand Mountain, AL. Sand Mtn. is about 20 miles from Lookout Mtn. Tennessee. On the GA side of Lookout Mtn. is Rising Fawn, and Sulphur Springs. On the Tennessee side of the mountain are Chattanooga and Lookout Mtn. I live about 30 miles from the area.
So glad to have them in thes early 70's at a small venue in Seattle. Fond memories.
Absolute legend
This guy is one of the best! Real smooth player.
Such a wonderful voice!
man, this is great stuff. i've been listening to norman for over 30 years and i still get chills as if it's the first time i've ever heard him. james sure ain't no slouch on the fiddle either. thanks for posting.
I've seen him play live a number of times since he lives so close and it's always a treat. It looks like his left fingers lightly tap the strings to fret them, as though he's using as much pressure as it takes to keep a feather from blowing in the wind. He makes very complex licks sound like any decent picker should be able to play them until even good pickers try them. Norman Blake is one of a kind.
Does he still live around Chatanooga?
I was in Nashville to visitin about 75 and he did A stand-in with Bro.Oswald and Charley Collins. It was in one of those refurbished warehouses at the foot of broad street. First time I ever heard him, was much impressed.
"'I' and those people?? What??????
Friends who grew up in the Chattanooga and Cleveland area grew up taking guitar lessons from Blake and I first personally met him and back in 1970 and it was always a hoot when he and John Hartford to get to get together in Nashville....
And sorry, but FAR too many folks are unfortunately still not familiar with him and his work.
This is one of those guys with a voice that most people can not imitate or cover his songs well cause it’s so high up. Kind of like Neil young. You could but you would just have to forget how he sings it and do it differently.
Or it’s not even that it’s high up it’s just weird how hard it is to do one of his songs. his voice is unique.
@@deepblueseeds5563highly suggest you listen to the bob Johnson album, where he's singing high tenor in a Monroe style band. He does it on the aeroplane album as well. He knows how to blend his voice into a bluegrass quartet stack, and I think his unique singing comes from that.
With Doc now gone, Norman is without a doubt the Godfather of flatpicking. :)
I suppose. I think Norman is better flat picker and Doc was a better story teller. Both so good thou.
wow. this is brilliant! absolutely amazing guitar playing!
I've never seen a cello played like that, it sounds really good!
Isnt sheplaying itlike an upright Bass
OMG....I really need to practice more!!
Saw him at Mohegan Sun Casino on the "Down from the Mountain Tour". I was impressed.
Norman Blake is the real thing ... what a gift ... with Nancy Blake and the fellow on the fiddle.
One of the greatest right hands ever.
I just now discovered this guy. WOW is all I can say. He is so talented
+Mario Addis Check out a favorite song of mine, 'Homestead on the Farm' on youtube and listen to his guitar work. I can't pick up Rich O'brien's playing at all. Norman does the lead, melody, and bass like most great ones all at one time.
Now that's something America can be proud of and capture the envy of everyone else :)
Great, great player... and excellent taste in guitars. 12 fret dreadnoughts are incredible...
What a talented group. Norman sold his soul to be that CRAZY GOOD!
One of the best shows of Norman Blake was in Colorado at the acoustic coffee house well Norman camper couldn't make it up there so to our amusement Charlie sawtel had drove him up there in his cadalac and joined him on stage with Nancy and if you don't know he and Charlie were dear friends during the rancho divile Charlie sawtele memorial concert and he told the story about the show on stage 😀
Have loved Norman blake and rising fawn since 1970,s ❤️
Extreme musicality shown from all three musicians.!!! They are communicating in a total different level..Blake he looks so humble considering what he is playing!!
I love this video and Norman Blake. I listen to and am very well educated in a lot of different types of music. Serious flatpicking and old-time like this is something I have been studying for about a year now. I love it...this whole video goes through amazing progressions. My favorite youtube video and has been for a long time. Thanks.
What a great performance. Thank you for sharing it.
Norman has a slick left hand too, I'm amazed at his pinky fingerwork, he is just the best and funnest to watch live, I'm in love forever...
Happy 81 birthday!
Norman is definitely one of the greatest flat pickers!
Norman is first class.
Love watching his right hand. FLUID !
So so smooooth. Excellent musicianship.
Oh man! This might be my favourite bluegrass performance on You Tube. Everything about it smokin’.
Chill bumps
Wow , the sound of all this is so perfect , so good