Guitar Artistry of Ernie Hawkins: Blues & Ragtime Guitar – Ernie Hawkins

“Ernie Hawkins is an important link in the unbroken chain of blues and gospel artists. His guitar artistry and love of the style is incomparable. From the Rev. Gary Davis into the future with his own style Ernie is one of the special ones!” Jorma Kaukonen

“Ernie Hawkins has emerged in recent years as the foremost master of Rev. Davis’ guitar style.” – Acoustic Guitar

For many years Ernie Hawkins has been playing concerts, clubs, festivals, colleges and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. He has played with blues greats such as Son House, Mance Lipscomb, Fred McDowell, Jim Brewer and Rev. Gary Davis. He was born in Pittsburgh in 1947. He first learned country guitar, mandolin, banjo and bones from a man named Pete who worked on his uncle’s farm. Pete had played with the Lilly Brothers and had rambled around the country, taking a 30-year detour down whiskey lane that landed him in a cabin on the farm as property caretaker and a primary musical mentor to Ernie.

Ernie was already playing blues as a teenager when he heard a man passing through town play Rev. Gary Davis’ Let Us Get Together. He was hooked then and forever on country blues and ragtime guitar players like Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, Willie Johnson, Skip James, John Hurt and Leadbelly.

After high school, Ernie moved to New York City with only one purpose: to study with Rev. Davis. A few years latter he moved back home and enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh and earned a degree in philosophy. During this time, he played with Niles Jones, a blues player living in the city who was “rediscovered” in the 1990’s as Guitar Gabriel.

Ernie’s next move was to Dallas, Texas for graduate school and earned a doctorate in phenomenological psychology. There he learned the music of Texas blues players such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Funny Papa Smith, Henry Thomas and Lightnin’ Hopkins.

In the early 1980’s, Ernie recorded his first solo album of Ragtime guitar, Ragtime Signatures. His second CD, Blues Advice, was dedicated to the memory of his teacher, Rev. Davis, on the occasion of the centennial of his birth. The CD includes three rare songs taught to Hawkins by Davis: Penitentiary Blues, Florida Blues and Will There be Stars In My Crown. The CDs Bluesified, Mean Little Poodle and Rags & Bones followed.

In this DVD Ernie talks about his influences and performs a wide range of blues, ragtime and gospel tunes.