And he just sounded exactly like an old recording of the 30s I had never heard! He switched between the guitar, the banjo and the fiddle, playing old folk standards and songs that he wrote, with a real passion demonstrated by his unique way to tap rhythmically his foot on the floor as if he was looking to go back to the roots of American music.
This guy seemed to be a national treasure, he was talking like a true connoisseur about traditional music, was saying that he did not particularly like the appellation ‘Appalachian music’ (as it is simply the quintessential American music), and was playing his instruments without any fancy equipment, strumming his banjo as fast as I have ever seen someone do it.
Between the songs he was speaking softly, almost murmuring stories to himself, with his fast nasal Southern talk, but when I read that he was born right here, in the San Joaquin Valley in California, I wondered, is it all an act? If it is, he is better than Tom Hanks playing Forrest Gump.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz70zSfVcdY&w=500&h=390]