Joseph Spence (August 3, 1910 – March 18, 1984) was a
Bahamian guitarist and singer. He is well known for his
vocalizations and
humming while playing the guitar. Several American musicians, including
Taj Mahal, the
Grateful Dead,
Ry Cooder,
Catfish Keith,
Woody Mann, and
Olu Dara as well as the British guitarist
John Renbourn were influenced by and have recorded variations of his arrangements of gospel and
Bahamian songs. (Wikipedia)
Spence's repertoire encompassed
calypso,
blues,
folk music and sacred songs. He played a
steel-string acoustic guitar, and nearly all of his recorded songs employ guitar accompaniment in a
drop D tuning.
The power of his playing derives from moving bass lines and interior
voices and a driving beat that he emphasized with foot tapping. To this
mix he added blues coloration and
calypso rhythms to achieve a unique and easily identifiable sound. He has been called the folk guitarist's
Thelonious Monk.
(Wikipedia)
