by Michael B. Smith
Nobody 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.