Doc Watson, David Holt and Richard Watson Concert Review

by Rick Landers.

Doc Watson, David Holt and Doc’s grandson Richard Watson hosted a bluegrass evening at George Mason University on March 8, 2008. At 85 years old, Doc Watson still has licks and didn’t miss a beat or note all night long. Doc’s accolades over the years are monumental and include six Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts, a National Heritage Fellowship and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award.

Four-time Grammy Award winning guitarist and banjoist, David Holt, has worked with Doc for more than 20 years. We met David just before show time when he ran a sound check and showed us his Wayne Henderson guitar, National ResoRocket N steel guitar and an elaborately inlaid Deering 5-string banjo. David also lays claim to having been named the “best old-time banjoist” by Frets magazine in three readers’ polls. Holt’s a consummate musician and storyteller who not only plays guitar and banjo, but also spoons, mouth harp, and harmonica. Doc and David collaborated on their 2002 three-CD set called Legacy, winning a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Music Recording.

Richard Watson joined the two with his own fine sense of flatpicking. He’s worked with his grandfather on stage since the late 1980s and turned out some sweet lead work during the evening.

The bluegrass fans in the sold out Mason Center were in for a special treat with Doc singing and tapping his toes to a fine set of bluegrass, Piedmont blues, and old time traditional American tunes. With a backdrop of photos featuring Doc’s life on a large screen behind the trio, the music and the musical giant’s life blended into an evening filled with laughter, touching stories and song.

Armed with his Gallagher guitar, Doc lit into songs holding the crowd in the palm of his hand and amazed by his still rich baritone vocals, spot on flat picking and Appalachian storytelling. The trio offered up old tunes like “Telephone Girl,” “Summertime,” “Frankie and Johnny,” “Milk Cow Blues,” and “Freight Train.” Doc went solo and sang a moving rendition of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Returning to the stage after a hootin’ and hollerin’ standing ovation, Doc, David and Richard returned to the stage for a finale with Doc singing “Got the Blues (Can’t Be Satisfied),” and quietly directing David and Richard to “Give it a reasonable speed.”

Related Links
Doc Watson
David Holt
Center for the Arts - George Mason University
Michael G. Stewart Photography

---