American Primitivism, also known as American Primitive Guitar, is the music genre started by John Fahey in the late 1950s. Fahey composed and recorded avant-garde/neo-classical/eastern compositions using traditional country blues fingerpicking techniques, which had previously been used primarily to accompany vocals. This styling went on to influence many players in the experimental music community from varying generations. Included in this post are contemporaries and influences to Fahey, including Basho and Jansch, who are considered forebears of the Primitive movement. My objective in choosing these particular albums was to show the rebirth amongst emerging virtuosos of this style.
". . . The New Age people call it Folk; the Folk people call it New Age, but it is really neither. It's transitional. The style is derived from the country blues and string band music of the '20s and '30s, however much of the music is contemporary. Fahey referred to it as 'American Primitive' after the 'French Primitive' painters, meaning untutored."
"...Fahey suggested the idea of joining similar themes, and exploring both time and space. He also wanted me to try using dissonance and minor tunings. Maybe the biggest thing he put into me was the idea that a major part of music exists in the space between notes and chords."
- Peter Lang
John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death (1965)
". . . The New Age people call it Folk; the Folk people call it New Age, but it is really neither. It's transitional. The style is derived from the country blues and string band music of the '20s and '30s, however much of the music is contemporary. Fahey referred to it as 'American Primitive' after the 'French Primitive' painters, meaning untutored."
"...Fahey suggested the idea of joining similar themes, and exploring both time and space. He also wanted me to try using dissonance and minor tunings. Maybe the biggest thing he put into me was the idea that a major part of music exists in the space between notes and chords."
- Peter Lang
John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death (1965)
Robbie Basho - The Grail and the Lotus (1966)
Bert Jansch - Lucky Thirteen (1969)
John Fahey - The Yellow Princess (1969)
Sir Richard Bishop - Salvador Kali (1998)
Jack Rose - Kensington Blues (2005)
Sir Richard Bishop - Polytheistic Fragments (2007)
Alexander Tucker - Portal (2008)
James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game (2009)
Sir Richard Bishop - The Freak of Araby (2009)
Jack Rose (RIP) - Luck in the Valley (2010)
