This collection of rarely seen video performances illustrates the power and range of Doc's talents and the evolution of his performance style. His music ranges from flatpicking guitar instrumentals, a harmonica solo, a capella gospel singing, frailing banjo to fingerstyle guitar and warm vocals. The tapestry of sounds Doc wove during his first two decades performing outside North Carolina - the Big Picture - unfolds in these endurngly and inspiring performances.

Titles include: Deep River Blues, Nine Pound Hammer, Daniel Prayed, St. James Hospital, Shady Grove, Black Mountain Rag, Stack O'Lee Blues, Tom Dooley, Southbound, Way Downtown, Lonesome Road, Medley: Nancy Roland/Salt Creek, I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground, Sweet Georgia Brown, Peach Pickin' Time Down In Georgia, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Raincrow Bill, Tennessee Stud, Medley: Big Sandy/Bill Cheatham, A Roving On A Winters Night and Black Mountain Rag.

Running Time: 60 minutes

Download PDF Booklet

Review: Those wishing to see, as well as hear, Doc Watson's guitar wizardry have a number of video choices, ranging from instructional tapes to performances with his late son Merle, to recent solo shows. These two Rare Performances Vestapol videos take a historical approach to Watson's career. The first video covers his early years until the rather arbitrary cutoff point of 1981. The earliest footage is very entertaining, particularly the rough, black-and-white clip of Watson's tuxedo-clad appearance on the "Hootenanny" TV Show. A 1967 trio performance from the Seattle Folklore Society finds Watson as part of a folk trio also including fiddler Fred Price and guitarist Clint Howard. One of their two tunes, "Daniel rayed," is an a capella vocal trio.Watson appears solo on a clip from Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Quest" show.

The remainder of the video documents most of Watson's long performing history with his son Merle, including pieces from a 1970 Los Angeles show, "Austin City Limits" in 1978, and the Cambridge folk festival in 1981. – Dirty Linen