Duck Baker - The Roots and Branches Of American Music

Les Cousins is pleased to announce this new recording by legendary American finger-style guitarist Duck Baker, whose recording career spans over three decades, including 22 solo records and collaborations with the world greatest guitarists including Bert Jansch, Davy Graham, John Renbourn, Stefan Grossman, Bob Brozman, Diz Disley, John James and Martin Simpson Duck Baker has been cited as one of the most accomplished, original, and influential international guitar voices of his generation, equally at home playing solo or with other musicians in an amazing variety of musical idioms. Duck Baker shows himself both to be an exponent of the full tapestry of vernacular American music and of it's tributary traditions, especially the Anglo-Irish strain. On the Roots and Branches of American Music Baker presents a solo program that includes everything from Irish dance tunes to modern jazz. There are ragtime tunes, old-timey fiddle tunes, and blues, gospel and swing, including three of Duck's trademark vocals. This is the most comprehensive Duck Baker record to date and pulls together the many varied strands of a career at the forefront of acoustic guitar music through the medium of the transatlantic folk roots and branches of western folk music. This release will be backed by 12 months of guitar lessons and videos based on "Roots and Branches of American Music" in Acoustic Magazine published by Oyster House Media Ltd and a full career retrospective piece. Duck is scheduled to appear on the Mike Harding show on Radio 2 and Late Junction on Radio 3. The release will be supported by a full tour of the UK in spring 2010. This is the first of 2 CDs to be released in consecutive weeks. Reviews "Quite simply, Duck Baker is the premier American fingerstyle guitarist." - Sing Out "He can go from the Mississippi Delta to the rings of Saturn" - the Village Voice.

1) Sergeant Early's Dream/Chief O'Neill's Favorite
2) Souareba
3) Maple Leaf Rag
4) Midnight on the Water/Peacock Rag
5) Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age
6) Buddy Bolden's Blues
7) Somewhere Around a Throne
8) Say It Simple
9) Blue Monk
10) Whistling Rufus
11) A Thousand Words
12) Berkeley Hambone Blues
13) The Duke of Fife's Welcome to Deeside
14) Swing Low Sweet Chariot
15) Wink the Other Eye/Buffalo Gals
16) Mother Ann's Song