271. John Fahey

(June 2020) Episode 271 is JOHN FAHEY.  Fingerpicked guitar is so wholesome. If you love it like I do then John Fahey is essential. He didn’t invent the technique (that was southern blues players) but he made it its own art form, often called American primitive guitar (a label I don’t like because it connects him to Windham Hill-type New Age music, a connection he rejected). Amidst his personal eccentricities, Fahey tried several styles including Dixieland jazz, sound collage, and Christmas covers. But he’s at his best when his right hand goes full speed on folk and blues numbers.

Favorite album: The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites

Favorite song: Jaya Shiva Shankara

Best song that Leo Kottke did a little better: The Last Steam Engine Train

Compared to expectations: same