Mike Dawes: World's Greatest Acoustic Guitarist?
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- Опубликовано: 25 окт 2024
- In this episode acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Mike Dawes comes by the studio and breaks down his incredible playing technique.
Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. Dawes was named ‘Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World’ two years in a row (2017 & 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine/MusicRadar reader polls. In addition to touring with Justin Hayward, Dawes has toured with fingerstyle guitarists such as Andy McKee and the legendary Tommy Emmanuel.
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This is great but Don Ross? Andy McGee, Michael Hedges, et. al. like the kid you’ve just never heard of yet.
He's awesome wow!
Look for the brasilian Yamandu Costa.
Joshco stefan....
Listen to Tommy E. play anything.
So good to meet you Rick and thank you for the kind words. That spontaneous bass amp rig sounded great!
Looking forward to meeting some of you on tour next year or on Patreon ❤️
Thank you for that - it was amazing, enlightening and inspiring.
Man, I wish I had your fingers. 😊
Absolutely mate, I'll be checking your work out with keen ears.
Lovely sound! Spacey, rich, meditative and lush.
Mike, you're absolutely inspiring. Really love your music and phenomenal playing.👏👏👏 Cheers!
After reading the comments I think an interview with Tommy Emmanuel is a must.
Agreed on the Tommy Emanuel interview request. I can't say which one is better, and it doesn't really matter, they're both (Mike and Tommy) spectacularly good.
Yeah, what a freak! :-) Tommy's 'regular' chops are impressive enough, but when he does the stuff that includes bass lines... oh my gord. I thought it was a trick when I first saw it.
I think Tommy Emmanuel is the star ..nothing compares to the mistro
Absolutely, a Tommy interview would be amazing. Pretty please Rick : )
Tuning tricks. All a bit tedious.TE wipes the floor with this guy.
Rather than debating who's better, or where Mike ranks, why not just be grateful that there are so many incredible musicians to enjoy and appreciate.
it really is a crap shoot and a matter of opinion. the best players are hiding in jazz school
While you make perfect sense bud , rankings should bring about a passionate promotion from one's self
@@mitchswish21 are you bot? never mind
Respect yo 👊🏼
@@mitchswish21 in which he does both precisely and perfectly!
^^^ are you a bot? ^^^
The dude is channeling Michael Hedges!!! So great to hear another player open that creative book!! A huge compliment!! It Totally Reminds me of Michael Hedges!!(R.I.P.)!!
Holy cow. Not only is this guy unbelievable on the guitar, he seems like a genuinely down to earth guy. Definitely going to check out more of his music!
That's why Justin Hayward loves him.
He is down to earth. Very nice guy. Humble. Astounding talent
I got to go with Tommy Emmanuel as the greatest at the moment but then again, each of these guys have their own unique style that really can’t be compared to each other. They are all world class. You are looking at thousands and thousands of hours of practice!
Tommy Emmanuel was exactly who I thought of when I watched this. The harmonics, the percussive elements and the fully integrated approach to the guitar as an instrument so they can mimic the whole band and play the melody.
2 different approaches both are virtuosos
Right from the beginning of the video when Rick said the greatest acoustic guitarist, I thought of T. Emmanuel. I think this guy needs to be compared to Alexandr Misko and Marcin.
Both are great . To be honest, I haven't listened to enough Tommy to make a judgement, but while (to me) Tommy seems a technical virtuoso, and massively impressive in a flashy/unobtainable sense, I find this guy's playing has a highly accesible, mellifluous, warm, flowing quality to it that I prefer. Again, hands up, maybe I just haven't listened the right Tommy pieces? Regardless, both are great.
Right. Also Richard Smith
I hear a lot of Michael Hedges in his playing - which is a lovely thing as Mr. Hedges departed this world much too soon. Bravo!
This ^ a hundred times this.... (Thank you)
I was going to suggest Rick do a deep dive on Hedges. He's a forgotten genius that changed the acoustic guitar. RIP.
100%.. I have Hedges 1985 album "Watching My Life Go By" with 'Watchtower' on it... sounds like this guy has been listening to it, especially the tapping on the side of the guitar for those percussive elements.. hedges was awesome, never got to see him live.
I got to see Michael Hedges do "Watchtower." I glad I'm not the only one mentioning Hedges.
Just look at the Rootwitch. Seriously ridiculous.
For me, Tommy Emmanuel is the greatest acoustic guitarist, if not the greatest guitar player alive today . Tommy and the late Shawn Lane are hands down the two most astonishing guitar players I've ever come across.
I felt that way about Tommy for a long time.. Until I recently came across this guy!!
Lucas Imbiriba
Lucas (for me) has now raised the bar
You are correct sir. Respect to Mike, but its Tommy, hands down.... at least on acoustic. Electric is a different story.... too many to name.
Shawn and Tommy! You're a man of taste sir!
Well, Tommy Emmanuel is the icon for all acoustic guitarists (if one was to think comparisons). Also, check out Petteri Sariola, he does percussion and vocals too.
There are a dozen or so elite players; I hesitate to name one as "World's Greatest".
And Petteri Sariola has made a couple of tours with Mike Dawes already!
@@UncleKennysPlace I don't. It's Tommy.
3:37 music name?plz
MIKE DAWES IS THE MAN. So great to see this collaboration!!
Rather like body popping, this type of playing gets stale rather quickly. Hence the idea of ‘other musicians ‘
Good to see you Michael!
I cried with you Michael. That Jump cover was life changing.
Your reaction to his collaboration with Tommy Emmanuel was awesome.
@@danvincent2600 wtf have you listened to his originals ?
Mike recorded a video of me busking in 2013 and helped me out in my career. Great guy.
Awesome 😎 do you mind sharing the link?
Weyho guitaroo
@@davidphilipp16 Hey!
I’d love to see it!
Oh Oh Oh Oh great song! Tks!
I was so happy to hear him mention Michael Hedges. I feel like Michael is so often forgotten when it comes to conversations about this style. He was the OG and deserves way more credit than he gets. Heck they used his music in the movie August Rush and never even credited him. :(
That was a fantastic movie btw
Sad they didn't give credit where it was due
Hedges was great, and to add to your happiness, glad to hear him reference Joni Mitchell, the Queen of alternate tunings and many, many years ago!
Aerial boundaries!
Agreed, class move. He pioneered this style. Mike is fantastic in his own right. DADGAD is recognizable to me right away, it was something I taught quite extensively for fingerstyle and Irish rythym playing.
Tommy Emmanuel has the ability to play anything on acoustic guitar, and his groove and sense of time is amazing.
Yeah Mike is cool - Tommy is AMAZING!!
Mikes latest single is with Tommy
Yes, i don't think Mike would disagree.
I like Tommy and Joscho Stephan more than this guy. Oh I forgot Richard Smith. It’s enjoyable watching these three jammin together.
3:37 music name?plz
For me, Tommy is the Master. Dawes is a great player no doubt.
Yeah I think it's borderline disrespectful that he even mentioned Dawes as the greatest considering Tommy is still going...
Did i miss something? Tommy is the master, CGP, greatest living player. i think Mike would totally agree. Peace✌
Tommy is the master
It's laughable that anyone would suggest otherwise.
@@adang578 Objectively, I would say Tommy for sure, but subjectively you could put anyone who suits your taste.
Tommy Emmanuel is the best there ever was ... for me ... he can play almost any style, he writes the most heart wrenching melodies, his improvisational skills are off the charts, he's an incredible showman and by all accounts is one of the nicest blokes you could meet. 💙 there's nobody else on his level.
Circa 2006 I saw him play at a local music festival. The next day he was hanging out in the crowd and we got to chatting with him. He sat down and ate lunch with us. Super cool guy and an amazing acoustic player.
why post that here, this is not about Tommy as good as he is but I also doubt he could play this way?. ps it looks like this guy is above his level even though you have a hard on for Tommy ...
Martin Taylor? Bireli Lagrene? Joe Robinson?
@@paulmorgan8254hey, old mate invited opinion with his heading "World's Greatest...?" So I obliged. I also stated that he is the best ... FOR ME ... so I'll just go ahead and go all out with my hard on, lol.... Tommy blows all others away. He's been playing a hell of a lot longer that this guy and can easily do everything he does. He's shone a light on solo acoustic playing and paved the way for others to follow. The most famous players in the world, from classical to jazz to blues and electric, fall over themselves for a chance to play with him. Best there ever was. Boom.
Try Makana! One of the best was the late Scotty Moore who was with early with Elvis.
Just saw Mike open for Tommy last night. My wife, who was not very familiar with either, was amazed by Mike and was like “how do you top that??” …and then Tommy took the stage.
That says it all!! Do you have a link for some video of that? :)
Saw Tommy recently. Better than Michael Hedges and that is saying something
I love Tommy, but I have noticed whenever he has someone incredible like Mike supporting him, he ends up playing his stuff at breakneck speed (I think to try and up the difficulty) and it ends up not being as enjoyable.
I’m saying this from experience as I have seen Tommy play many times now.
As I said…I love Tommy, he is insane…I just wish he calmed down a bit 😅
I saw them both in December 2022 at the Coach House in SJC. Went with my brother in law who didn't even know about Tommy. Boy was he stunned. Oh boy what a concert for the two of us.
Aerial Boundaries was a revelation, can’t help but compare everything that came after in this style.
Saw Hedges perform every chance I could and his version of Watchtower was amazing,
Great to see others following in his footsteps.
Watchtower was the first piece I witnessed Michael Hedges play back in 1984; that evening was a revelation, earning him two new fans instantly (my late wife and me). Dawes has taken Michael's interpretation of Dylan's song and upped it a notch, playing the vocal line on the guitar, but clearly he's honoring the innovator who paved the path he's furthering. Mad respect to both Michaels.
I'm a bit disappointed I didn't hear Michael Hedges mentioned, considering this was a variation on Hedges' arrangement. Using it to preface asking Dawes how he comes up with his arrangements seems wrong. Most of it isn't from the mind of Dawes. It's a nearly 40 years old arrangement.
Yes. Disappointed of no mention of Michael Hedges. I've been a MH fan for years. I'm kinda perturbed right now.
@@fantasticsound2085 wow, it was that long ago… feeling a little old now!
Was very lucky to have seen Michael from the eighties feather hat hippie to the 90s colander hat space alien period.
He was always mesmerizing.
Aerial Boundaries and Pat Metheny travels were constant traveling companions..they are imprinted in my soul
I saw Hedges at Chapel Hill college or some such around 1985'ish or thereabouts. It was quite impressive. Of course back then that sort of two handed thin wasn't nearly as explored as it is now. That was sort of the heyday of Windam Hill.
Sounds like he's been listening to Michale Hedges. Its nice to see someone who can bring this incredible music back and expand it. I think that's even the tuning Hedges used.
I saw Michael Hedges in 1987, he opened for the Pat Metheny Group. Blew everybody's minds.
Hedges used dozens of different tunings. And unlike this guy (no offense meant), and most who play Hedges basic style, the tuning did not dictate the music. Hedges would come up with a musical idea and then tune the guitar to put the harmonics, open strings etc. where he wanted them in order to play it with the desired percussive effects. THAT takes a legendary mind and talent. RIP.
Of course he has, as do all good new age acoustic guitarists around the world. He mentions Michael Hedges in the interview.
Hedges was touched by the hand of God & was summoned too quickly!
Alex De Grassi Overland
Leo Kottke Medley anyone
this.
I think i have to give it to Tommy Emmanuel. He's who this guy playing reminds me of the most.
I had the incredible good fortune to see both Mike Dawes and Tommy Emmanuel in concert. What a show!! ❤️❤️
What an opportunity
His style reminds me of a phenomenal guitarist that I had the good fortune to see live. He died way too soon, but Michael Hedges was an incredible player as well.
I saw Michael Hedges many times. Didn't the whole "out of the box, break the mold, lateral guitar god shift" start with him?
@@stevecotten5127 Mike played a Hedges arrangement in the beginning.
Hedges was definitely better than this guy
Michael Hedges was a fantastic acoustic guitar player in a very beautiful, innovative and funky way.
@@marioabreu2886 I truly miss seeing him play every year. It was a bad day when I heard on NPR driving home from work . . .
Tommy Emmanuel is to me the greatest acoustic guitarist and it ain't even close
Amen
check steve morse acoustic stuff (live in NYC) . love all those guys.
Check out Yamandu Costa
I think it is close, but yeah, Tommy still the best
Sam Westphalen.
Mike is absolutely amazing, that being said, Tommy Emmanuel is the GOAT.
Completely agree
Also completely agree. For example that live guitar boogie / Stevie's blues video (from I believe 2006) is from another universe.
You should watch Mike and Tommy playing together if you haven't already. :)
@@terryc7142 Or Tommy and Billy Strings!
....Joscho Stephens, real close and 20 years younger, they've played together, it's on youtube, then check out Joscho's repertories....
You know Rick, we are so fortunate to live in a country where we get the opportunity to listen and learn fantastic music. I learn so much from watching your show . Some of the stuff you guys play is beyond my skill set ,but i love playing all the stuff i can play. Thank you, sir, and all your guests for making our lives so much more enjoyable ..God Bless
Mike is brilliant but for me Tommy Emmanuel will always be the greatest acoustic guitar player. There is nothing he cannot play, irrespective of style. And completely self taught. Genius.
Tommy would play All along the Watchtower and Clasical Gas at the same time!
Nah Chet Atkins, jerry reed, Lenny breau. There wouldn’t be a tommy without them
Good thing someone beat me to it! Couldn't agree more.
Tommy Emmanuel is a great player but he is not exactly breaking any new acoustic guitar techniques.
@@killerxela Everyone has had their influences from someone though.
I will never crown a musician as “the greatest”. That said.. Mr. Dawes is exceptional. I dream/aspire to be a fraction of the musician he is.
Someone has to be the greatest... but its subjective.
Could not agree more. No labels needed and always others that will blow your mind :)
This really really cleared up a lot things and now I fully understand everything about Mike's style and his arrangement methods: It's sorcery.
Alchemy is the art you seek to describe. And yes, wizardry is involved. We get by with a little help from our spirit world friends 😊
Wow, he does a great Michael Hedges impersonation. This was one of his staple songs, and this was Michael's style. He pretty much invented it, and his album Aerial Boundaries is still a huge influence on guitarists (as this video demonstrates).
I was thinking the same thing. I grew up with Michael's little brother and actually played with Michael in a church talent show. He was so good I was just terrified to share a stage with him (I think I was in 7th/8th grade and he was already in HS). Michael was just so insanely creative and always thinking outside the box I had no concept of how he did what he did. RIP Michael.
Yes love Michael hedges and still prefer his fluidity
I miss Michael’s music to this day. When Dawes hit those first few chords, it was unmistakable. I stopped this video and put up Hedges version.
Dawes is VERY good…BUT….
100% hard agree!
I was coming in here to say the same thing. I watched Mike Dawes with Justin Heyward and he's excellent, no doubt. But Michael Hedges just had a little something extra, and of course, pioneered this style of playing. Miss him!
Love this guy's playing. Michael Hedges would be proud.
He sound very much like Michael at the beginning of All Along the Watchtower. I accidently saw MH playing at the Royal Albert Hall when he was supporting Suzanne Vega and my mine was completely blown.
very much life MH
Hedges was a complicated soul. He slowly became strangled by his own music; that is, attempting to best his best. Hedges ran in his own world.
I had the same thought. Mike Dawes is amazing and does sound similar to Michael Hedges. I'm curious if he has listened to Michael Hedges much or if he independently converged on a similar sound.
Revisiting Michael Hedges - thirty-six years after he released Watching My Life Go By on which he released his version of AAtWT and twenty-four years after his death. Hedges was a monster, and too few knew then, too few remember now.
Saw Michael Hedges on his tour with Leo Kottke many years back. One of the best acoustic evenings ever. Hedges laid the foundation for todays tappers. Brilliant.
Exactly my thoughts. Mike is a great guitarist and a nice person, but Michael Hedges was the forerunner of exploring the acoustic guitar in a new way. I have heard him live once when he was the opener for Suzanne Vega. He blew me away and I wished the full concert would have been with him!
Yes ! I immediately thought of Michael Hedges when I heard this - and Wyndam Hill records in general. William Ackerman, Alex DeGrassi - the 1980s.
Not to take away from his amazingness, but compare this “Watchtower” to the one by Michael Hedges on Live from the Double Planet.
@@MrvlZmb I just posted the same thing too late. Both fantastic.
Michael Hedges, that's how he came up with that arrangement. It makes me feel ill to think the world has forgotten about Michael Hedges. At least this guy mentioned his name once.
This first tuning reminds me exactly of a Michael Hedges version “All along the Watch tower”. At one point he even says some lyrics. Great player but Hedges, should get more credit for this style of playing.
@@scanjazz777 I work in the world of academia, specifically poetry... Hedges was a troubadour. With his guitar he spoke in two languages at once. He embodied, for me, "in stereo." I try to mention him when ever people talk about the guitar.
100% on that comment
I second the love for Jon Gomm
Always said Michael Hedges was the Hendrix of acoustic guitar. Love all these folks who were influenced by him, Kaki, Andy Mcee, Gomm etc. The first time I heard MH in the 80s, he was being interviewed on WGTB or WPFW in D.C., they were talking about a song called "Hot Type" The interviewer said "who's playing bass on that?" MH: "Me" I: "Drums?" MH: "Me" I: "So you do alot of over dubs?" MH: "Nope, just me and my guitar, one take. Then silence from the interviewer. Miss that guy.
You would really enjoy listening to Phil Keaggy's album "Freehand".
You should get Tommy Emmanuel in the studio before he gets too old, that would be a great interview.
Tommy doesn't get old, he just gets better
@@chefpaddy true 😀
Phil Keaggy and Tommy Emanuel are 2 of the most enjoyable guitarists I've heard
I listened to keaggy way back. Saw him live.
'Enjoyable' being the key word.
@@forwardfaith
Wow Phil Keaggy! I hadn't heard his name in decades. Now I've heard it twice in 6 months. His nephew is an engineer and now a friend at one of the venues I perform at here in Las Vegas. Phil was an early pioneer of this type of playing, and more.
Mike Dawes is a monster. You have to see his arrangement of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Next level work.
My guitar is signed by Phil Keaggy. 🌻
Definitely Keaggy and he's still making music at age 70!
I ❤️ how Rick is just in awe the whole time. Great guest and thank you for introducing us to this amazing guitar player!!
I caught Michael Hedges of all places at an impromptu performance at a Tower Records store in Palo Alto in the 90's. He was literally 2 feet away and I was absolutely mesmerized by his percussive acoustic guitar techniques which he pioneered. Nice to see Mike Dawes carrying Hedges' torch onward to the new generations.
Checkout Michael Hedges playing Buffalo Stance
what's amazing to me is that back in the 90's he ended up in our restaurant with tapes to sell at the counter. I'd never heard him and listen to Love bazaar. I was sold. I bought one and had the rest up front for customers. Didn't take long to sell out either. (i was the Chef/manager at the time and was willing to allow these kinds of things for those who needed to "get out there". We were next to the OKC horse shows)
I watched 10 seconds of Mike and thought, "Oh, another Michael Hedges type of player." The body slaps, the alternate tunings, the two handed tapping - it's all Hedges. It really infuriates me that nobody knows who Hedges is any more, and we have all these new players being hailed as these geniuses, when they're not doing anything Hedges didn't already do on his fist two or three albums. I'm not meaning to knock Mike Dawes, but Good Christ, can we not spare a few moments for the guy who pioneered all this?
There's a video somewhere of Hedges playing a Joni Mitchell tune when he was very young. Absolutely love it.
dont forget Andy Mckee
So amazing!!!!!! Great video Rick and Mike!
Hey Kiko... Good day... Big fan from Nagaland...
Hello from the Philippines!
Waaaaw. Its the legend himself❤❤❤❤❤❤
He's really great, wouldn't go declaring him the world's greatest, not while Tommy Emmanuel is still alive and kickin'.
Or Steve Tibbets
Or Ewan Dobson.
Or Phil Keaggy.
How can you remotely compare TE to Doyle Dykes? Tommy is sloppy compared to Doyle
@@justaguy2365 oh yes Steve Tibbets. Man that brings back a lot of good memories.
As has been stated before, the late great Michael Hedges is the forefather of the players that practice this style. Not to take anything away from those who have followed. Thank goodness they exist.
I saw Michael Hedges live in 1986 or 87 at the Tarrytown Town Hall, in NY. It was like watching a magician. You can’t have this kind of guitar playing without recognizing the brilliance of Michael Hedges. Mike does a commendable job, and is excellent to listen to, but honestly, I was expecting something totally different and more unique.
Totally.
Definitely recommend listening to his original songs then. Definitely unique
Just rewatched a bunch of Michael Hedges videos, as this is very reminiscent of his style
This is essentially a cover of Michael hedges version of watchtower
I might have an mp3 of, if not that performance, a performance from that era from the TT music hall. Randomly found it on limewire.
Yep, this is straight-up Michael Hedges. Love this style of play. Andy McKee is awesome too. Same style.
It tore my heart out when Michael Hedges died. Saw him live at least 4 times--maybe5--between 1989 and 1996. I taught myself to play his piece "Aerial Boundaries". Took me a year, partly because I did it in 1990--91, when there were no RUclips tutorials, lol.
My first thought. There are a lot of licks in here that are direct lifts of Michael Hedges’s cover of All Along the Watchtower.
Yup...
@@hannoverfist8466 Probably my favourite acoustic song is " Michael, Michael, Michael" dedicated to Michael Hedges. I don't have to say who is my favourite acoustic guitar artist :P
@@krbmsw 90% of the arrangement lol
Rick, I think you are spot on saying that Mike is incredible and one of the best acoustic players. Having seen Tommy Emmanuel and stood with mouth agape at the mastery of the acoustic I had never seen before I would say that the list of folks that play this well is small. I don't like to anoint "Best Ever" but Mike is indeed up there as one of the best. Great take as usual.
Tommy Emmanuel ''Initiation ''
Along with Tommy and Mike, you'd have to include Mark O'Connor in that conversation as greatest acoustic guitarist on the planet
Tommy is a beast!!
EXCEPT for "BEST DRUMMER" because that would be Mr. Neil Peart. :)
Mike Dawes, Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee, Don Ross, Antoine Dufuor, Alan Gogoll, Luca Stricagnoli and that's just the tip of the iceberg of modern fingerstyle acoustic guitar!
Never been a massive fan of the whole percussive style of playing, but I can definitely appreciate the complexity and dexterity behind it.
I’m with you. I was intrigued when McKee was doing it ten years ago but it got old fast for me. Mike is very talented though.
Guess Im not the only one , Im also not a huge fan of al that percussive style playing.
It distracts me too much away from just playing the guitar.
Then you couldve better play the drums in my opinion.
I appreciate it for what it is , and to some point its okay but dont over use it so much ......its like ughhh.....
Id rather listen to richard smith or something, the entertainer video is really awesome. Just the way he plays , soft , fast , slow just everything to give you a certain mood.
I concur
check out kent nishimura before you make up your mind on this style of guitar. he uses much more musical sensitivity than anyone else imo he is in another league.
@@cho4d huge fan of Kent. He doesn’t stop playing notes specifically to tap on the guitar. He used it as a way to keep time and add to the music. Everything he does is gold.
Growing up knowing Mike in our late teens/early 20s I can confirm that Mike is not only an acoustic wizard but can shred with the heaviest of heavy and play the bass like a boss. And is a genuinely lovely bloke. ✌💚🤘
Nice message. Where did you and he grow up?
@@StrategicWealthLLC a small collection of villages on the Hampshire/Surrey border with a healthy music scene.
@@stuartsnelling2426 - Very cool.
“I can’t think of anyone better”…
‘Tommy Emmanuel has entered the chat’
Facts
Just gonna add Jon gomm, if this style is your thing
And Andy Mckee and Antoine Dufour and about a dozen other guys who've been developing this style longer than Mike...no disrespect though, he's an awesome player...
I used to think TE was the top and then I found out about Joscho Stephan ...
Tommy Emmanel fanboys are so annoying in the world of acoustic guitar.
To plays strings like this, is beyond a blessing, congrats man !!!!
He's great but Tommy is the greatest.Interestingly, I went to see where Mike was playing and I see he's on tour with Tommy. Can you imagine having that kind of confidence to have Mike Dawes on your tour opening for you. What a show that would be.
Tommy is on record saying he finds it intimidating playing alongside Molly Tuttle's wonderful guitar skills. I can see where he's coming from.
It was great. I saw their show together. It was Tommy's best show... out of the 6 that I've been too. He didn't talk as much as he did this past time (which was 2 weeks ago with Andy Mckee opening).
Billy Strings is an awesome flat picker.
@@scottgoodnight2084 Billy is excellent. He's also shared a stage with TE and was killer
Love the Hedges homage in this cover of Watchtower!
Going with Tommy Emmanual. I've seen tons of acoustic players but the Australian with the Willie Nelson dual sound hole gets my vote. Watch Classical Gas among others. (Not THE David Gilmour)
Yes, since he's a guitarist, he'll enjoy al the variety of techniques in Classical Gas.
no your dave gilmour......i can tell if you take certain letters out of your reply you can spell comfortably numb....
@@mrneal9079 😂 That's awesome. Made my day.
Mike blows my mind every time I watch him. I get my mind blown ALOT!! Thank you Rick.
So good to see Mike Dawes here -- what an unbelievably fine guitarist and human being.
Such beautiful playing. Reminds me of the late, great Michael Hedges.
Indeed. The shoulders of giants.
Hedges was a great artist, this guy’s a really good fingerstyle guitar player.
So happy to hear him give a shout out to the late, great, Michael Hedges. Between Hedges and Leo Kotke, I feel that they really laid the foundation for that open tuned, percussive style of playing acoustic guitar particularly in a nontraditional sense. And thank you again Rick for introducing me to such an incredible player of whom I wouldn't have discovered had you not had him on the channel. Fantastic playing Mike. I will certainly be checking you stuff out today.
My vote goes to Phil Keaggy. I absolutely love his playing and he is legendary! It'd be great to see an interview with him, Rick!
Had never heard of the guy and went to a small church to watch him perform. Absolutely blew me away!
@@jah9253 Phil has been around for a long time.
Phil Keaggy can stand toe to toe w just about anyone I’m certain of it. 👍
My first thought when I saw this guy play was Phil Keaggy - 50 albums - that was a fantastic version of “Watchtower”
Phil Keaggy - who lists Michael Hedges as an influence as well and Mike Dawes are my go to acoustic relax and reenergize music. Speaks to my soul like on other.
Hadn’t heard of him, will check him out.
One cannot ignore Tommy Emmanuel (or even his late brother Phil) for their prowess. Or Mark Knopfler. On the classical side, my go-to is John Williams (Australian classical guitarist, not the SW composer).
John Williams is a monster, love his playing.
williams is the GOAT, but check out david russell's take on bwv 996. it's great.
Daniel Champagne was mentored by Tommy Emmanuel. Check him out if you haven't.
There is at least one video out there with Mike Dawes & Tommy Emmanuel where they play together. I'm guessing several but I've only seen one. They both look like they are having the time of their life with each other. Both recognize the enormous talent in the other. Worth checking out.
Check out him playing gotye- somebody I used to know, Mike is awesome
Another vote for Tommy Emmanuel as the GOAT. Mike Dawes is amazing, but Tommy is king! Saw him live and he was mind blowing. As usual, no right or wrongs, only opinions.
Been watching Mike's content for about 5 years now. He NEVER ceases to amaze me. To hear Wolfgang reached out to Mike after that cover is amazing. I'm so glad he saw and appreciated it.
My favorite part was at 1:37 and you could hear someone whisper, "this is so good!" What a beautiful arrangement!
Also, Rick, he must have really appreciated this conversation because you are one of the few Industry Professionals/ RUclipsrs that can actually understand him, ask relevant questions, and have meaningful conversations with this genius. I appreciate that about you so much!
Mike Dawes is great. He's standing on the shoulders of Phil Keaggy and Michael Hedges, God rest his soul.
Michael Hedges! Just insanity and a half. I grew up with windham hill. I cried when I heard he had died.
I love his stuff. “Aerial Boundaries” is a classic song.
Phil Keaggy is the “OG” - look up his stuff on RUclips and be blown away
Jon Gomm was the first percussive guitar player I came across and he was amazing live. If you haven't come across him yet you should look him up.
Jon Gomm has been doing his thing for more than a decade
Passion flower is amazing ...do you have other standouts???
I remember seeing Don Ross doing the percussive thing back in the late 1980s.
"Yeah but Mike your doing the bass notes with your thumb too. Yeah. And the fingers. And the tap." I love this, absolutely love it.
I saw him play a gig in Birmingham UK and his support act was Mary Spender, the guy's truly amazing.
He's fantastic. I put Justin Johnson up there with him. That's not to detract from how great he is, just pointing out that I think Justin Johnson is one of the best guitar players I've ever heard.
A big Justin Johnson fan here too!
Agreed, I listen to Justin Johnson more than any other guitarist, he's another maestro.
Man that was really awesome! Strong influence of Michael Hedges is present in Mike's playing.
Very strong. His watchtower he just did is based on Micheal’s. That was the first tune I learned in a non standard tuning. He does it justice.
I believe Michael Hedges was the pioneer of this kind of acoustic playing.
Tommy Emmanuel is the greatest acoustic guitarist in the world.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really lol
listen to doyle dykes
If you've heard one you've heard them all. He's good at that one song though.
John McLaughlin, Birelli Legrene.
Damn, I thought I was...
Amazing player that I hadn't heard of. I had thought for several years that Tommy Emmanuel was the best and I'm still not ready to change my mind. I sure wish I could see them on the upcoming tour together.
Hope to see you there!
Incredible playing but you gotta give credit to guys like Andy McKee and Tommy Emmanuel who pioneered this style. Stellar interview regardless.
I mean Andy & Mike were both releasing music at the same time via candyrat, it’s just Andy went viral which obviously over shadowed a lot of prolific acoustic players at this time. If memory serves anyway, it’s probably about 10 years since all this was happening.
and maybe Monte Montgomery and Michael Hedges. Michael did a cover of Watchtower also and sang it in a really haunting voice. RIP. Stephen Stills used to slap his guitar a bit also but not like this guy. This guys amazing.
Jon Gomm is up there as well.
The pioneer in this style is Michael Hedges, who predates Andy and Tommy. Andy tackles Hedges' Ragamuffin on his latest work, and does a great job with it.
Andy McKee is my favourite acoustic player
Amazing talent and skill.
Phil Keaggy has been doing this for fifty + years and has 60 + LP's.
Master of the acoustic and electric guitars.
It's sad how many people are unaware of Phil Keaggy!!!
When I saw "Best Acoustic Guitarist" I immediately came on here to say "Phil Keaggy." You beat me to it.
@@TundraMan Same here
Great interview with Mike. Thank you, Rick.
I'd say Tommy Emmanuel is still the king of acoustic's as of today, but Mike can do stand up better than any picker since Jerry Reed, so, he's got that going for him in addition to the vicious guitar skills
Check out Sam Westphalen.
This is tru.also Carlos Vamos.
Leo Kottke is my favorite. Jus sayin'.
Take a more thorough look at Andy McKee, Don Ross, and Preston Reed. Tommy Emmanuel is a spectacular guitarist, showman and wit, but I don’t think he’s the best.
I agree. I saw Tommy with Andy Mckee, who plays similarly to what Mike Dawes does in this video. No comparison. Tommy plays a percussion solo on guitar that sounds like a full kit and blows away the guitar-slapping guys. On a slow day, he thinks in 64th notes. His timing is something else and when he solos, pretty much plays every note there is. When he slows it down to play an evocative piece, it's tender and nuanced with all kinds of harmonies. Everyone notices the harmonics, but it's not just for show. The fact he's a big goofball can be deceptive. This guy Mike Dawes is a sweet player no doubt, and good on him mate ;-) but the riffing on open tunings with percussion - it's nowhere near as big a talent as the full scope of what TE does. IMHO
Tommy E the best I've seen so far. Haven't seen this guy before, so gonna check this out.
The fact that Michael Hedges name was uttered only once, and in the most fleeting of passes, is criminal! Rick needs to address and atone! 😉
Am listening hoping he gets his due. Glad he was said at all, but yeah Rick! Give us some hedges content!!!
Indeed!
as said by other people, i'd say Tommy emmanuel... my mouth literally popped open when i heard somewhere over the rainbow first time... also There's this young guy Luca Stricagnoli who does cover stuff mostly but the arrangements and style is alienly smooth
Luca is a mad genius! And that 2nd detachable neck with the built in slide he invented(?) is like nothing I've ever seen. He is definitely one of the best, and most unique, guitarist around today.
Luca gets my vote! The guy is other worldly!
Hedges once called it “acoustic thrash”. Talk about carrying the torch! This Mike is amazing. CHEERS!
Hedges also described his style as Heavy Mental.
Being lucky to see Hedges live, I see an incarnation here that is unearthly.
To me Tommy Emmanuel is the greatest acoustic guitar player.
And he says Richard Smith is. :D And Mike is great also, and lot of others... Mr.Beato, what about this title ? :D
one n only
Tommy Emmanuel is absolutely freakish. Front row, middle of the stage...seeing and hearing “Initiation” live is more powerful with just an acoustic with some reverb and delay than so many bands...
Here here,,,
@@85priesty For one; Tommy's rhythm is more solid than this guy's and John McLaughlin's even more so. To me, rhythm is foremost in a performance.
Mike Dawes is amazing, but seriously Tommy Emmanuel has no equal!
My first thought too...Tommy has to be up there with the best!
Thank you. I’d vote Tommy or Al Di Meola.
Tommy is the G.O.A.T.
Was coming to post this as well.
Tommy is the governor. Period.
Beautiful and fresh.. Love to see you and Tommy Emanuel together.
Takes me RIGHT back to “Aerial Boundaries” by Michael Hedges…love that feel.
Lucky to see MH with Leo in the early 80’s, I have never stopped listening to Aerial Boundaries. One of my desert island records.
It seems like Mike taps into the long tradition of this kind of playing, going way back to Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges, then Justin King and Andy McKee, Kaki King and many others, including currently prominent Luca Stricagnoli or Marcin. On a side note, Tommy Emmanuel seems like a little bit different vibe than those guys, coming from the lineage of Chet Atkins, but this difference is subtle (i.e, Tommy is a more traditional fingerpicker, and he uses the body of the guitar and the two-hand fretting a bit different than most of the others).
Anyhow, I've listened to a ton of these guys' and gal's music for a long time a few years ago and what strikes me about Mike's performance is how musical it is, how much the technique and mastery of the instrument are in service of the music, not just as a show-off point. This is not to say that any of the above mentioned fantastic musicians is a show-off per se, but I often got an impression that many of the technical tricks those people use are used just to show something new, something striking, and not always really serve the song. In this regard, Mike's work comes a long way to create a specific musical effect, and those techniques are only vehicles to achieve it, rather than building a song around showcasing a specific technique. In that, it seems much more gentle, more fluid and natural, with much greater flow than other guitarists of this type, and in that - at least for me - it's closest to Michael Hedges'. Great stuff.
Checkout his original songs
Check out a kid named Kent Nishimura, has a bunch of songs on RUclips, really impressive natural and musical young player from Japan.
Don't forget Don Ross. Great guitarist and founder of CandyRat Records, home of so many other exceptional artists.
I saw Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges together at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston ages ago. Amazing.
Well said! Yes, Michael Hedges for me too, esp All Along the Watchtower!
RIP MH, we miss you ❤️
As soon as he started playing I thought Michael Hedges who is a favorite of mine and saw play live a few times.
I would never normally watch a video like this but watched this to the end. Phenomenal!
Mike is an incredible guitarist, no doubt but for my money Tommy Emmanuel is the undisputed living king of the acoustic guitar.
Yes, and I love hearing him play with Richard Smith, and Billy Strings!
Wow he is amazing, taking a challenge of a tribute song and make it sound heart touching. I could close my eyes and see EVH smile at this rendition. Thank you Rick for having him on.
Michael Hedges, Phil Keaggy, Bruce Cockburn, Pierre Bensusan, Joni Mitchell.
Michael hedges was incredible
Joni was a fantastic singer songwriter, but wasn't a great guitarist. She simply used alternate tunings to make chords which she would not have been able to fret in standard tuning.
There are so many amazing guitar players that we will never get to know, so so many gifted people in this world, so instead of discussing who is the best one why can't we just enjoy this one and thank Rick for having him here? Personally, I love Stanley Jordan, but i cannot imagine how sad my life would be without Emanuel, Hedges or Dawes.
Amazing performance!
Reminds me of Tommy Emmanuel. I saw Tommy and Phil (his Brother) do a a great gig in 1984 at a local hall in Sydney (local) playing two different tunes on the one Guitar (simultaneously) and new then just how special Guys like this are. Good to see Mike continue on in the same vein.
Mike has a quality, besides skill, that makes him great and that's humility. Humour is the icing.
Agree. Mike is a great personality too. He's just very likable.
Wonderful! Still find Tommy Emanuel the ultimate on acoustic, but all these players are gods to me.
Mike would agree with you!
Last December 2022, I had the amazing privilege to see, listen and melt... over Tommy Emmanuel and Mike Dawes together in concert at the Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon where I live. Just a wonderful concert, seeing the two of them together. I can't describe it, because I would never be able to do it the justice it deserves... but it's a performance I will never forget. Both Tommy and Mike are so natural and funny together. Mike is just like this on stage; he'll be playing along and have a conversation with the audience... just casual and witty. If you ever get a chance to see him in concert; don't hesitate.
I have to admit Mike Dawes is really really good, probably the second best in the world, second only to the one and only Acoustic master of all: TOMMY EMMANUEL😉 ....but I might be wrong because Mike is nowadays a bit more technical. Cheers!
The discussion around contemporary acoustic guitar cannot be had without mention of Billy Strings. The guy is revolutionizing a genre and the instrument and receives little recognition from the guitar community at large. Maybe it’s because he’s a country/bluegrass artist and people tend to write it off as hillbilly music, but whatever the reason, he’s a monster player and a real force in the guitar world.
Billy Strings is quite the force of nature
I prefer Molly Tuttle but they are both head and shoulders above these, and I’m sorry to say it, gimmick guitarists. Proper songwriters and musicians. Alternate cross picking is more demanding than fingerstyle. And I say that as someone who loves fingerstyle. I prefer Richard Thompson for fingerstyle btw.
@@wungabunga you are totally right, but they would never be talked about on this channel because they’re country
Billy is phenomenal without a doubt, but he'd be the first to bow in debt to Clarence White, Doc Watson and Tony Rice in the realm of Old Time / Americana.
Clarence's legacy - in particular - was already secure well before he'd lived to see Billy's current ripe old age of 30.
i love billy but he is not revolutionizing anything. hes doing something done before at the highest level. if u mean he is leading a resurgence , yes, and hes at the front of the line.....but it was really tony rice with old in the way that led a resurgence 50 years ago. then oh brother where art and all those great players led the 2nd resurgence....you could say this is the third, and in sheer numbers it is, but it only slowly built since 2000
I would love to see you interview Andy McKee. He’s another incredible acoustic player.
Andy McKee, Don Ross, Erik Mongrain and especially Luca Stricagnoli. And as A Finn I need to add Petteri Sariola. All are just mind-blowing acoustic players.
Sam Westphalen
I was thinking the exact same thing
Antoine Dufour
And Trace Bundy. He's quite amazing aswell :)
Man, this is the first dive I've heard into his process. He's so masterful and strategic about his arrangements. Very articulate as well.
Tommy Emmanuel is my favorite acoustic guitar player.
He's very good, as was Michael Hedges, and as is Tommy Emmanuel. Imo, I do think Phil Keaggy may be the best in the lot though, for overall versatility of play, and his mastery of alternate tunings as well as his percussiveness (which I believe he credits Michael Hedges for some of that influence.) and his improvisational abilities.
I agree.. Phil may be the best.
people that are not familiar with christian music scene (especially, outside US) are usually surprised by Keaggy's name.. even more surprised that he's been out there since the 70's..
I've seen Tommy live, but I love me some Keaggy))
Yes... I thought this was Hedges all the way on All Along The WT
My thoughts too,
Love Michael Hedges playing this in concert, and vocals. Great loss too early. PK is great.
T.E still the best there has ever been he's a monden day Hendrix people taking his style and ideas and making their own..... not many generations will be able to learn so much from a living legend like Tommy.
After a lifetime of playing, I just want to throw my guitar through the nearest window when I see Tommy play. I know I will never come close to playing like that. I can't imagine how much he practices.
Agreed! 👍
Of course Tommy is the best, not only because he is a master technician, but because he grooves, and also because his contributions are significant to the history of finger picking.
Have to agree Tommy is just in a class of his own, he has taken acoustic guitar to a whole new level.
I just love seeing an artist hit the level of being able to breathe with their instrument. Hes well beyond that threshold. Cheers!