The Guitar of Joseph Spence

   
   
The Guitar & ARRANGEMENTS of Joseph Spence The Guitar of Joseph Spence
product description

Joseph Spence was a virtuoso guitarist and master arranger in a style that was uniquely personal and yet caught the imagination of musicians around the world. He has been compared to the great blues masters, the African acoustic pioneers, and inspired such varied disciples such as Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, John Renbourn, and David Lindley.

His guitar arrangements capture the sound of the Bahaman gospel groups, with rhythms reflecting deep African roots. As well as being a joy to play, Spence's arrangements have valuable lessons for any curious guitarist. They are master classes in how to fingerpick in waltz time and capture the rolling Caribbean rhythms of Trinidad, Cuba, or New Orleans. Tunes taught include:

  • Oh How I Love Jesus
  • Happy Meeting In Glory
  • Brownskin Girl
  • The Glory Of Love
  • The Lord Is My Sheperd
  • Coming In On A Wing
  • A Prayer

A detailed TAB/music instructional booklet is included as a PDF file on the DVD.

About the instructor Elijah Wald studied guitar with Dave Van Ronk and Jean-Bosco Mwenda and has recorded several albums. He is also a historian and writer, and his books include Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and The Invention of Blues, Josh White: Society Blues and Dave Van Ronk's memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street.