Barry Mazor just wrote in to let us know that he has published an article about Jerry Douglas in today’s Wall Street Journal.
Titled Jerry Douglas, Irreplaceable Instrumentalist, the article spends time focusing on Douglas’ accomplishments, but also on how his mind works musically. Many resophonic guitar player would love to figure out what makes Douglas tick, I’m sure. It seems the songs vocals are an important part of this instrumentalist’s style.
“I’m a singer at heart,” Mr. Douglas admitted during a recent interview in Nashville, “but when I started playing dobro, I stopped singing — because it took that space in my head. At times I’ll feel strongly about hitting a harmony note with Alison’s voice, accenting the line, and it gives the illusion of there being a harmony singer.”
The article goes on to discuss the influence of various musical genres on Douglas’ style, including the bluegrass he played as a young man, jazz, country, and the blues. And quoting everyone from Alison Krauss to Garth Brooks, the article takes a look at the influence Douglas has had on the modern musical landscape.
It’s a well written and fairly easy read. If you’re interested in the dobro, or just good musicianship for that matter, you’ll want to check it out.
