Almost forgot....
Torch...this is an absolutely brilliant performance. I watched it a few times for a few reasons.
It's one of my favorite Christian songs.
To observe the clever way he arranged it for guitar.
To try to figure out what sounded out of place. Turns out it was the lack of "spacing" of notes...breaks...style.
One of the things that, thankfully, was passed on to me over the years by a senior musician was..."learn the words to a song before you learn the song." I'm wondering if the gentleman "learned the words" because "learned lyrics" lead to great "phrasing."
Eva Cassidy is the greatest example I know of. Doesn't rush her songs. She milks "Over the Rainbow" with every consonant and vowel that comes out of her mouth. Works the words and feels her songs through and through right down to the bone.
I just really love this song, and so, naturally I was also singing it in my mind. But it was difficult to keep up with the pace and feel the emotions this tune awakens in you. I'm curious...does he just play the song without understanding what the song is actually about, do you think?
Either way, I reiterate. An absolutely brilliant, beautiful creative and engaging performance he did!
Doyle played The Lord's Prayer in my friend's church years ago. I thought it was a better version than the NAMM version. Also, at the church he was playing through a high end custom Rivera amp. Rivera is one of his sponsors. That amp sounded amazing and it filled the whole auditorium with some presence!
Doyle has served as a minister at a small church. I liked how he started out at NAMM by saying, "probably this is the strangest thing that I have ever started out on, but I had a request from a fellow over here." "What a sensible guy Dykes is!", I thought, if you know what I mean. The lyrics of the song maybe didn't mean much to many at NAMM but they all enjoyed the music and his performance, and to those of us the lyrics meant a lot, I am sure many heard the lyrics even through the instrumental version of it. Doyle made his guitar sing beyond words. Doyle will say emphatically it is a God-given talent as Bernie mentioned.
Chris