The Historic Reunion of Three Guitar Geniuses: When Merle Travis “Teached” Rockers How to Play Music
In the vast archive of music, there are precious film clips where every construction flaw is overlooked just to bring legends together in one frame. A television segment from about 30 years ago on CBC (Canada) featuring Merle Travis, Ed Bickert, and Randy Bachman is one such case — a program, despite being considered a “disaster” in terms of production, still contained a truly memorable forum.
The program, titled “The Evolution of the Electric Guitar,” was hosted by Randy Bachman (leader of the Bachman/Turner Overdrive band). Although the script was criticized by critics for lacking depth, the moment depicting Randy Bachman conversing and playing music with “the king of fingers” Merle Travis and the legendary jazz guitarist Ed Bickert saved everything.
The most noteworthy aspect was the appearance of Merle Travis. Even though he wasn’t in his best health at the time—and Randy Bachman later revealed that Merle’s claim of a “flu” was actually the result of a night of heavy drinking—when the music began, the instincts of a true master shone brightly. Initially, the interaction between Bachman and Travis was somewhat gentle and reserved, like strangers who had just found their way to the same strings. But as the melody began to sink in, one could see a Merle Travis becoming increasingly relaxed, enjoying the musical journey with his two younger colleagues.
The most interesting part is when Randy Bachman admits that, in his early career, he had the idea that Merle Travis’s playing was the work of three people playing simultaneously (bass, accompaniment, and lead). Only when he realized it was a single person with Travis’s pick-up technique did Bachman understand what true mastery was. The clip ends with the three giants truly blending together, leaving a sincere sense of regret in the hearts of those who appreciate it. This wasn’t just a performance; it was a generational transition, a place where Rock ‘n’ Roll took the lead over the cradle of masterful fingerpicking.