Mackenzie provides window into world of Delta blues

Guitarist Dave MacKenzie ranks among the world's top country blues players, a performer so gifted he's opened for Muddy Waters, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker.
Getting there
Dave MacKenzie offers two guitar workshops and also appears in concert Saturday at the Renaissance Center, 855 Highway 46 S. in Dickson, 35 miles west of Nashville on I-40 at exit 172. Workshops, which are noon-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m., are $35 each or $60 for both. The concert is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children under 13.

But MacKenzie is also a formidable instructor, and he'll be doing double duty Saturday at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, where he'll not only perform a concert, but also teach two blues guitar workshops during the day. The first is "Open Tunings and Slide Guitar," which is designed for intermediate players and covers the two major tunings (G and D) used by most great Delta artists. The second workshop, "Country Blues and Ragtime Guitar," explores the fingerstyle guitar, including Texas and Piedmont styles utilized by Blind Blake, Lightnin' Hopkins and others.

"These workshops are my way of helping passing on the tradition," MacKenzie said. "The way I learned the tunings and positions was first by listening to the records and then hanging around great musicians who were kind enough to answer my questions and show me what to do. These workshops are designed for intermediate students - that is people who at least have some definite knowledge and ability to play. They're designed to show them the tunings and the positions, but then it's up to them to use these to find their own voice."

MacKenzie, who'll also be videotaping the concert for an upcoming DVD, has certainly established himself as a premier player in the classic Delta sound. Known as both an engaging, delightful singer and exciting player, MacKenzie's guitar education began in his native St. Louis, then accelerated after stints in Memphis, Chicago and Los Angeles. He's been a Nashville resident since 1989 and has released three critically acclaimed records prior to Solo, which has generated as much attention for its restrained, yet compelling sensibility as for its original and emphatic playing and vocals.

"When you listen to rockabilly or R&B, and especially when you hear some of the modern blues players, everything that these artists are playing can be traced back to the Delta blues and the country styles. It's incredibly influential, and I'm happy to be able to share some of the things I've learned with other players, and to help keep the sound alive."