"Make Believe Stunt (Rev. Gary Davis).mp3"
	"Guitar Chop Suey (Louis Armstrong, arr. E. Hawkins).mp3"
	"Singin' the Blues (Conrad, Lewis, Robinson, & Young).mp3"

From A Prairie Home Companion to the Mountain Stage, to the Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, to Fur Peace Ranch, to hundreds of festivals, jams, hootnanny's, and front rooms of clubs over the country, Ernie Hawkins represents the very best in musicianship. His relentless study of the true American art of finger picking, be it Piedmont, Texas blues and gospel, Delta or any other style, Hawkins has achieved a high point in his career with this CD. After three terrific CDs of his own, plus five CDs teaching the style of Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin' Hopkins, Ernie Hawkins has topped himself.

This CD will not surprise old fans of Hawkins, except that it is his best yet! It will delight anyone with a guitar in his hand, and probably intimidate most who think they know how to fingerpick at all. Yet, with all its studious, precise and magical intricacy, Rags & Bones will take you away to places and times far, far away. Its shear intricacy never interferes with that feeling that this is how guitar should be played. It's never pounding or self-indulgent-played only with real study and exacting effort that seems effortless. From Louis Armstrong to Gary Davis, from Jimmie Rodgers to Mississippi John Hurt, the selection of obscure tunes never fails to surprise even the hard-core purists among fans of Blues.

Rags & Bones is the real thing, something that must be heard by Blues fans and Americana lovers alike. Accompanying Hawkins here is Maria Muldaur on "I Am The Light OF This World", George Heid on percussion, Marc Riesman on harp and Guy Gillette playing Bones. Well thought out arrangements lets these artists chime in with some monumental talent. Each perfect tune resonates with complexity, yet frees up the laid-back in the listener. You will have this on the player all day and night. It's like silk all over your skin. Lovely, Lovely! Get it!

©2005, Gary W. Miller
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