News and Recent Events
Local Gigs
We thought it might be a good idea to help our local musicians by publicising
their forthcoming gigs and will try to keep the following list up-to-date.
Richard Coxsmith
Thu 22/12/11 : The Hand & Flowers, Queen Street, Maidenhead.
(With the Hand & Flowers
All-Stars : Rev Ferriday, Jason Manners & Ben Cox-Smith)
Sat 31/12/11 : The Rising Sun, Stockcross, Newbury.
(Duo with Max Hunt. This
event is free entry but admission by ticket only, available from the venue
in advance)
Wed 01/02/12 : Overton Folk Club, The Red Lion, Overton, Hants.
(Duo with Guy Chant)
Thu 02/02/12 : The Retreat, St John's Street, Reading.
(Solo acoustic Blues/Roots)
Also: Sunday evenings, resident at the "Acoustic Sounds" session, The Rising Sun, Stockcross.
Lewis Cohen
Thu 15/12/11 : Hand & Flowers, Maidenhead - DUO w/SON MAXWELL (harmonica)
Thu 05/01/12 : The Retreat, Reading - NATIONAL STEEL
Wed 18/02/12 : The Retreat, Reading - SOLO
Rev. Ferriday Blues
Tue 13/12/11 : Green Note, Camden
Sat 17/12/11 : Private Function
Mon 19/12/11 : Round Midnight, Islington
Thu 22/12/11 : Hand & Flowers, Maidenhead
Fri 20/01/12 : Live Session, Roots & fusion, Pure FM, Stockport
Tue 31/01/12 : The Bell, Leominster
Mon 02/04/12 : Live session, BOB'S FOLK SHOW RADIO WEY
Thu 05/04/12 : The Retreat, Reading
Kent DuChaine Workshop
We are very pleased to let you all know that we will have Kent DuChaine
here on the
26th February, 2012 for one of his workshops.
Press reviews include:
"DuChaine is about as close as it is possible to be to an authentic delta style bluesman in the 21st Century."
and
"There are few musicians who can captivate a room of people with nothing
but a guitar and the blues to the level that Kent DuChaine does"
The workshop will start at 12 noon and tickets are £30 each. Book
now to avoid disappointment.
Dave Arcari
We had the pleasure of a visit from leading Bluesman Dave Arcari in the week .
As you probably all know Dave endorses National Reso-Phonic guitars.
Catfish Keith Workshop
The work shop was a great success.
We hope to have Catfish back again next year.
Make Your Own Acoustic Guitar Course
I've had a successful year with students on this course and will have a couple of spaces for
new students to start in January 2012.
The course costs £1,900 and runs for a year on Monday evenings.
All materials are included.
Guitar shows
We are going to be at the Bristol Guitar Show on 25th September,
at the Ashton Gate stadium,
and also at the Acoustic Avalon show
on 29th and 30th October, at Leicester Racecourse.
It would be great to see you at either or both of these events.
We are very pleased to let you all know that we will have Catfish Keith
here on the
23rd October for one of his workshops.
I'm sure I don’t need to tell you that Catfish's reputation as one
of the great Blues singers, songwriters
and bottleneck slide guitarists precedes him.
The workshop will start at 2 p.m. and tickets are £35 each. Book
now to avoid disappointment.
We have just sold a Replicon 14 fret style O to the gentleman who's taking over from Mark Knopfler in the new Dire Straits
"FORMER MEMBERS OF DIRE STRAITS TO PLAY A ONE OFF CHARITY GIG AT
THE ALBERT HALL IN AID OF THE LORD’S TAVERNERS YOUTH CHARITY"
Former members of Dire Straits plus some very special guests will come
together on May 22nd
as The Straits for a special one off Charity gig at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Straits will be
playing Dire Straits’ greatest hits for the first time in 20 years
at this not to be missed special
event.
The one off gig is in aid of The Lord’s Taverners – “Giving
young people, particularly those with special
needs, a sporting chance”. The Lord’s Taverners is the official
Charity of recreational cricket and the
UK’s leading youth cricket and sports Charity. The charity focuses
on youth cricket in disadvantaged
areas as well as offering sports and recreational equipment for young
people with disabilities and
special needs.
During Dire Straits career they sold 120 million albums worldwide, received
three BRIT Awards, four
Grammys and two MTV Music Awards. – This is an extremely rare opportunity
to see their hits played
live in the beautiful surrounds of The Royal Albert Hall.
The special one off show will feature the following musicians:
Alan Clark – Formerly a member of Dire Straits – and the longest
standing in today’s Straits line up –
Alan joined Dire Straits in 1980 as their first keyboard player.
Phil Palmer – Phil joined the band on the – “On Every
Street” tour playing the guitar. Phil has worked
with several other well know artists including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan,
Sting and Roger Daltry.
Chris White – Chris provided, and is best known for, his saxophone
sound with Dire Straits. He played
on two world tours and on the “On Every Street” and “On
The Night” albums. More recently Chris has
guested on two of Mark Knopfler’s solo albums.
Steve Ferrone – Acknowledged by his peers as one of the world’s
greatest drummers, Steve first came
to the world’s attention with The Average White Band. He has also
played with a long list of high profile
acts including Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Quincy Jones, Scritti Politti,
Chaka Khan and Slash.
Terence Reis – Reis was handpicked as the front man for The Straits
for his voice with elements of
Knopfler, JJ Cale and Steve Earle, and his guitar technique that’s
remarkably similar to Knopfler’s own.
Mick Feat – An internationally renowned bassist, Feat has worked
with many different artists over the
years including Mark Knopfler, Art Garfunkel, David Gilmour, Van Morrison
and Justin Haywood.
Jamie Squire – At just 24 Jamie is the youngest in The Straits line
up – a highly accomplished
keyboard player and a youthful asset to the band! "
Adam Franklin workshop
Adam spent the afternoon with us on 12th March. He gave a fantastic workshop covering a wide mix of styles. All that came went away having learnt more than enough to keep them going till next time.
Available this month at last year's prices
From left to right
Rosewood/ Sitka Matilda £1850
Koa/ Redwood Katrina. Slotted headstock £3000
Mahogany/ Sitka LOO £2150
Mahogany/Sitka Katrina £1850
Mahogany/Sitka Matilda £1850
Available in February:
B/Rosewood Katrina
Koa Louise
Rosewood Matilda
Mahogany/Adirondack LOO
Mahogany Louise
Its Christmas here at Dave King Acoustics, a new batch of NRP's just arrived including the new M-1 wooden bodied Tricone.
Dave King Acoustics L-00 delights Sonny Black
This year's Swindon Blues Weekend featured a blues guitar class given by the legendary Sonny Black http://www.sonnyblack.co.uk/ on Saturday afternoon. It was a very useful session which concentrated on turnarounds and chord inversions in the key of E. After the class, Sonny kindly performed a mini-concert for the students which included some exquisite ragtime improvisation.
Relaxing after the show, Sonny tried out the Dave King Acoustics L-00 which we had on display and we're pleased to report that he loved it and he commented that it had the pleasing sound and feel of a vintage Gibson.
Sonny's website is well worth a look!
The first of the new L-OO's almost there
Rick Franklin and John Miller Sit In With Dave King Acoustics at EBA Blues Week
Rick Franklin was a very welcome visitor to our small exhibition of National and Dave King guitars at the EBA Blues Week, held at The University of Northampton, England. Rick was at Blues Week as a teacher, tutoring young and old alike in the art of blues guitar.
Rick's musical style of blues is known as the "Piedmont" style identified with such legendary players like Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller and William More along with more recent players like late Virginia residents John Cephas, John Jackson and the late Maryland resident, Archie Edwards.
He was keen to try all three of the Dave King guitars on display; the parlour-size Louise, (see photo), the OOO-style Katrina and the dreadnought-size Matilda. Rick and Bob Long then had a Blind Blake jam in which Rick played a Matilda and Bob played rhythm on a Louise, sharing the vocals on Rope Stretchin' Blues.
Equally welcome was teacher John Miller, who played the obscure but beautiful Tommy Johnson number, Lonesome Home Blues. John is probably the world's greatest authority on pre-WW2 blues guitar music and an exceptional player. It was a huge pleasure to hear him playing the Dave King Katrina which, incidentally, he judged to be "very nice".
