... Sadly Marcel perished with all the 229 others aboard the Boeing 747 TWA Flight 800 which plunged into the sea off Long Island New York in July 1996 when he was at the relatively tender age of 44.
At that tragic time, he had just been honoured as a new entrant in the Nashville County Music ... Read review
Advantages: Unusual, highly talented flat picking guitarist Disadvantages: Not any that I know of
There are well over a 100 possible review slots for Country Guitar on Ciao, and yet I can only find one review. I am not therefore expecting this review of little-known Marcel Dadi to be exactly what you might call a "whizz bang" in terms of general interest. Never mind!!!!
Marcel Dadi was a highly talented "flat picking" guitar specialist, and a personal friend of Chet Atkins. Sadly Marcel perished with all the ... ...plunged into the sea off Long Island New York in July 1996 when he was at the relatively tender age of 44.
At that tragic time, he had just been honoured as a new entrant in the Nashville County Music Hall of Fame and was on his was back to France after the ceremony.
So why should I get wound up enough to write a review about a relatively obsure musician who I had never heard of until 3 years ago?His music was introduced ... more
There are well over a 100 possible review slots for Country Guitar on Ciao, and yet I can only find one review. I am not therefore expecting this review of little-known Marcel Dadi to be exactly what you might call a "whizz bang" in terms of general interest. Never mind!!!!
Marcel Dadi was a highly talented "flat picking" guitar specialist, and a personal friend of Chet Atkins. Sadly Marcel perished with all the 229 others aboard the Boeing 747 TWA Flight 800 which plunged into the sea off Long Island New York in July 1996 when he was at the relatively tender age of 44.
At that tragic time, he had just been honoured as a new entrant in the Nashville County Music Hall of Fame and was on his was back to France after the ceremony.
So why should I get wound up enough to write a review about a relatively obsure musician who I had never heard of until 3 years ago?His music was introduced to me by a French colleague, who had been taught guitar by him, and said that I just had to listen to this boy play guitar.
I was absolutely stunned by Marcel's techical guitar skills and the absolute simplicity that he appeared to be giving to his music. Although he faithfully followed the instrumental styles of Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed, he was in many ways a much more varied musician too and played renderings of Vivaldi and Mozart, Nashville Rumba as well as his own country compositions.
So I bought two of his CDs, there are many available but mainly on French labels. The ones I bought were La Guitare à Dadi Vols 1 & 2.
Three of my favourite tracks are La Madrugada (the dawn), the Third Man Theme from the classic movie of the same name, (originally played on zither,) and "A letter from Abi" all of which are so beautifully simple and easy to listen to.
He seemed to be inspired in his music by the people he knew - most of his song titles refer to a letter from or a letter to, about someone or concerning Simou, Naomi, Doc,Merle or Abi fro example which seem to give these tracks a very personal touch and you are left wondering what that person said, did or meant ot Marcel.
Unfortunately I cannot find my absolute favourite anywhere On Line as I would like to give a reference for it. I was given a digital copy by my French friend. It is the powerful "Duelling Banjos" from the film "The Deliverance." Marcel plays it on banjo with exquisite and faultless skill, timing and simplicity.
I do find this whole area of music very difficult to define and to draw lines.For example you have Nashville,Bluegrass, Hillbilly, Irish Fiddle, 6-string and 12 string guitar and numerous others . The fact that Marcel Dadi's memory resides in the Nashville Hall of Fame suggests to me that he is a Flat Picking Nashville Country Guitarists, although I don't really care - I just adore his music as something different for a change.
Finally I will add a piece of history for those who enjoy this sort of thing. Dadi was French, born in Tunisia in 1951. Influenced by the likes of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones he was later tutored by the guitarist Bernard Photzen who introduced him to the music of Elvis Presley, and more importantly, he taught him the art of "Guitar Picking." This led him to play solo with Hugues Aufray and to develop his own style of guitar flat picking
There are so many talented musicians out there - it is hard to know where to begin to scratch the surface. I hope at least with this review I might give someone the pleasure of finding something new in their own personal musical love affair.
Advantages: Skilled musicianship, unique interpretations Disadvantages: None, if you like the genre
THE SPACE IN TIME:
The first time I saw Leo Kottke live in concert was a long time ago on a planet far, far away -- in 1970 in suburban Philadelphia’s erstwhile hallowed folk-and-blues coffee house, “The Main Line.” At one point between numbers as he swiveled on his stool to change guitars, Kottke accidentally banged one of them against the boom mic, which was hot at the time, resulting in a loud “bang.”
His face took on a look of shock. He cradled ... ...curvaceous woman, and after a moment of silence and a deep breath whispered to the crowd, “You always hurt the one you love.” I have never forgotten the obvious deep affection he expressed for his instrument as he examined it for nicks. To this day I refer to my own guitars as the lovers that keep me warm at 1 a.m. when my wife doesn’t.
THE MUSIC:
When Kottke plays his custom-made 12 string Kottke-model Taylor guitar, the unique, sweet music has ...
nfp2 12.04.2003 (01.06.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of 6 And 12 String Guitar - Leo Kottke
Product Information for "6 And 12 String Guitar - Leo Kottke" »
Product details
Title
6 And 12 String Guitar
Performer
Leo Kottke
Genre
Folk
Release Date
04/1996
Recomended Retail Price
13.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1969
Label / Distributor
Takoma / Ace Records Sales & Distribution
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
29667982429
SPAR code
AAD
Additional notes
Album Notes
Solo performer: Leo Kottke (acoustic 6 & 12-string guitars). Recorded in 1969. Originally released on Takoma (1024). Includes liner notes by Mark Humphrey and original release liner notes by Leo Kottke. With the 1969 release of 6-AND 12 STRING GUITAR, Leo Kottke established his pre-eminence as a guitar virtuoso and composer of quirky, pop-inflected pieces. Harmonically adventurous and technically dazzling, this album showcases Kottke's penchant for infusing traditional elements of folk guitar with more modern, even impressionistic harmony and tonality. Kottke inspired a revolution in acoustic guitar playing, and this record provided the opening volley. "The Driving of the Year Nail" starts things off with a relentless fingerpicked chug, featuring splashes of open harmonics executed with the delicacy of a ballerina. Kottke proceeds to combine the familiar with the strange--each of these brief pieces (around three minutes and under) has the effect of being simultaneously charming, and a little twisted. For example, "Vaseline Machine Gun" starts with "Taps" played with a bottleneck slide, then morphs into a thumb-and-slide frenzy. Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the exception, given a straight and loving reading on six-string guitar. This is pure steel-string joy, with liberal doses of irony and ecstasy.
Album Reviews
Down Beat (11/96, p.61) - 5 Stars - Excellent - "Masterpiece. Period...." Rolling Stone (10/29/70, p.46) - "...any hardships you must endure to obtain a copy are well worth the pure enjoyment this album provides..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Driving Of The Year Nail
2.
Last Of The Arkansas Greyhound
3.
Ojo
4.
Crow River Waltz
5.
Sailor's Grave On The Prairie
6.
Vaseline Machine Gun
7.
Jack Fig
8.
Watermelon
9.
Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring
10.
Fisherman
11.
Tennessee Toad
12.
Busted Bicycle
13.
Brain Of The Purple Mountain
14.
Coolidge Rising
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