Threads and Tangents 2/27/24 - John Fahey & American Primitive Guitar

This week's musical thread is John Fahey and American Primitive Guitar. It’s pretty rare to be able to pinpoint a genre’s founder and its beginning. In the case of American Primitive Guitar, it’s John Fahey and his 1959 Blind Joe Death album. The style draws inspiration from blues artists of the 20's, dissonant 20th century classical music, and the Indian raga tradition. If John was still alive, the 28th would have been his 85th birthday.  
This week's show will be an introduction to American Primitive Guitar. We'll hear music from: John Fahey; John's early influences: Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys, Etta Baker, and Bukka White; John's Takoma Records peers: Leo Kottke, Peter Lang, and Rick Ruskin; and, American Primitive Guitar's next waves: Jack Rose, Glenn Jones, Marisa Anderson, Daniel Bachman, Yasmin Williams, and Gwenifer Raymond.

Anything on your mind? Email me at threadsandtangents@kmre.org