I was fortunate to have spent three years studying blues guitar with Ian Buchanan. Ian took lessons from such masters as Blind (Reverend) Gary Davis and Brownie McGhee in the 1950s.
Ian attended Antioch College and was befriended by another student named Jorma Kaukonen who expressed interest in the fingerpicking Delta Blues Ian played. So Ian taught him what he had learned, as he taught me fifteen years later.
As a result of Ian Buchanan and Jorma Kaukonen attending Antioch at the same time, Hot Tuna came to be. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, of Jefferson Airplane, branched off to form Hot Tuna in 1969.
I kept my lesson tapes. There are some gems on those tapes.
Here's Blind Gary Davis doing Hesitation Blues...
Rev. Gary Davis - Hesitation Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_AJifsE2eQ#)
And Ian Buchanan, as heard on my lesson tape...
Hesitation Blues - Ian Buchanan 1972 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw5u6xQQ0Lc#)
Here's Hot Tuna doing Hesitation Blues in 1970...
Hot Tuna - Hesitation Blues - 1970 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjfhsLuOEWI#)
Reverend Gary Davis taught Ian Cocaine Blues...
Reverend Gary Davis - Cocaine Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPsOpJGBRNc#)
And Ian taught me the song in 1972...
Cocaine Blues - Ian Buchanan 1972 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pEO6yVbqg8#)
Keith Richards liked that song too...
Keith Richards - Cocaine Blues (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SutO9tW9k9g#)
So did Bob Dylan...
Cocaine Blues 1961 "Robert Zimmerman" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8a6eRME6po#)
Reverend Davis taught Ian You're Gonna Quit Me Baby...
You're Going To Quit Me Baby - Reverend Gary Davis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBWk4j-65D0#)
And Ian taught it to me twenty years later...
You're Gonna Quit Me Baby - Ian Buchanan 1972 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4D-V8a8TuM#)
Had Jorma Kaukonen not met Ian Buchanan, the crowd at Woodstock would never have heard this...
Uncle Sam Blues - Jefferson Airplane (Live at Woodstock 69') (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6FT94xJ9hA#ws)
Ian Buchanan performed Winding Boy Blues on The Blues Project album (1966)...
IAN BUCHANAN WINDING BOY THE BLUES PROJECT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42HiqQJgVfk#)
Winding Boy is always performed by Hot Tuna in their concerts...
Hot Tuna - 08 - Winin' Boy Blues (by EarpJohn) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGjXmYJ7Gv0#ws)
Great stuff here Baz ;)
Ian Buchanan was a great teacher, Kev. He taught me a lot. The bass strings riffs I learned from him should help me with bass guitar. I remember how he would sometimes accompany me by playing his L5 like a bass.
He was a master on guitar and could play not only acoustic and electric blues, but also jazz and classical guitar. He would always include Bourree in e-minor by J. S. Bach in his club sets.