| American Guitar is a collection of original and traditional fingerstyle songs as hot and sultry as a summer's day. Reminiscent of front porch picking, this newest Pat Donohue recording showcases songs that have shaped American music, as well as dynamic new compositions. Powerful, sentimental, flawless, American Guitar brings listeners to the very roots of American culture. |
1. Novocaine
Having just been to the dentist when I recorded this piece of generic ragtime guitar. I'm glad there was no singing involved.
2. Welcome Home
I was wandering aimlessly through three finger rolls when a melody reared its elusive head. I grabbed its tail and hung on for dear life.
3. Mudslide (Real Audio)
This tune makes me feel good. I hope it has the same effect on others.
4. Arkansas Traveler
Speaking of melodies, this is surely a classic but quite tricky to arrange. It took a lot of pull-offs, hammer-ons and slides with the left hand to get all those notes in there.
5. Blue Tango
This song was one of the few records my folks owned when I was young, so I learned it at an early age. The way I do it is not technically a tango but I hope people are kind enough to overlook that.
6. Maple Leaf Rag
A truly great piece of music that stands up to all kinds of abuse. Here's more.
7. Fall Creek
It runs through Ithaca, New York and has a bridge that is associated with lovers' leaps. Geronimo!
8. Freight Train (Real Audio)
Every fingerpicker probably has a version of this classic up his sleeve. Here is mine?always fun to play.
9. Into the Garden
Composed on the evening of the death of our old dog Sally. She had a place in the garden where she liked to rest. She does so to this day.
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10. Rush Hour
I was listening to Blind Willie Johnson one day and then sat down and made this up. It's odd because it really sounds nothing like Blink Willie Johnson except that it's on slide guitar. Go figure.
11. All Thumbs
Here's a blues progression with a right hand technique that uses only down strokes with the thumb. It can be mind-numbing to play, which I think is why I like it.
12 Hard Times
One of Stephen Foster's most beautiful songs. I think it holds up well as an instrumental.
13. Joe Fingers
My offering for the category known as "Tunes written after hearing Jerry Reed's Blue Finger. Again, I think most fingerpickers have one. A tune like this, that is.
14. Millwood
A little ragtime piece named after a music camp in Virginia where I taught guitar once. How's it goin' guys?
15. Tears
A big hit for Django Reinhart who recorded it several times. I don't play anything like Django but it's such a pretty tune I worked up my own version. It's so satisfying to improvise over the descending chromatic base line.
16. The Star Spangled Banner
I got to play this once before a Minnesota Twins baseball game. Of course, people began to sing. My instrumental version turned into the accompaniment for 40,000 people. I'm sure they liked it because they clapped afterward! Play ball!
All guitar arrangements by Pat Donohue
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