Third Generation Blues

by Michael B. SmithNobody plays a flat-top guitar quite like the versatile Doc Watson, and with Third Generation Blues, Watson teams with his son Richard to present a collection of 14 exquisite blues, country-folk, and gospel covers, each one as unique as a fingerprint. They perform the tunes on guitar, accompanied only by T. Michael Coleman on bass. From the down-home blues of Bubba White's "Honey Please Don't Go" and the country blues of Jimmie Rodgers' "Train Whistle Blues," to the up-tempo rendering of the classic "House of the Rising Sun," the Watsons again provide the smooth vocals and seamless guitar work for which both men have become known and respected. "If I Were a Carpenter" and "Milk Cow Blues" are both incredible, and the duet dishes up the gospel music with a huge dose of spirit, from "Uncloudy Day" to "Precious Lord Take My Hand," and the folk music fires burn brightly on "Gypsy Davey" and "Moody River." The blues make their way around again with "Columbus Stockade Blues" and "Walk on Boy," and the Watsons' reading of "Summertime (And the Living Is Easy)" is simply intense. There has always been something just plain enjoyable about Doc -- perhaps it is his easygoing demeanor or his undeniably easy-to-digest vocal style, or maybe it's the fact that he's one of the hottest flatpickers this side of Chet Atkins. Third Generation Blues offers prime examples of all of these traits, accompanied by the astounding picking of Richard to create an album that sets itself apart from the rest as a diamond in the rough. This is a collection of some of the most loved blues, gospel, and folk tunes of the 20th century, performed by some of the best minstrels of the century.