Whiskey Jack meets Doc Watson 1981

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Whiskey Jack Encounter with Doc Watson My lovely wife Karen kindly pointed out recently that this blog has almost become an extended obituary column. I'm sorry to say but it sort of seems like that some times. The latest blurb is about the late great Doc Watson, one of the true gentlemen of the American music world. Doc died a few days ago. He was 89. Whiskey Jack performed often at the annual Boggy Mountain Music Festival in Northern Manitoba. We were the privileged ones in that the host, Lewis Kasilitz, insisted the four of us share the big lodge that he called home. We were the evny of the music community performing at the festival. Their accommodation was not nearly so enjoyable. Also staying in the lodge one year (1980) was the featured performer, Doc Watson. Doc watson One afternoon, we were rehearsing in the living room and just so happened to be working on South Bound Passenger Train, a song learned from an old Doc Watson album. Wouldn't you know it, a door opens and out walks Doc holding his guitar. We chatted a bit about the song. We chatted about music and songs we all like. He commented on our version of Sheik of Araby we performed the night before. We talked about a song we had played on the main stage the night before, Sheik of Araby. Doc said “I heard somebody pickin’ the thunder out of that tune last night”. He was referring to our guitar player at the time, the great Canadian flat picker, Rocky Hill (who can be heard on our first Album, Uptown). I asked him what his favourite song was and he mentioned a Don Williams tune. If memory serves me, he played it for us. In yesterday's email exchange with my Whiskey Jack co-founder John Hoffman, John writes that "I don’t remember other details, just that he was very kind, polite and friendly." This encounter has always been one of the highlights of my musical career. Add Comment