John Hartford

A good friend from Winston Salem sent me a couple of CDs including one from John Hartford (Me Oh My, How the Time Does Fly: A John Hartford Anthology). As I may have mentioned at one point, when I was in high school I actually thought seriously about being a Bluegrass musician. I played with a couple of groups where some of the musicians actually went on to play professionally. Hartford, who we lost in 2001, was one of those unique characters who found his loves early (music and the Mississippi river) and then designed a life around his loves. He was a river boat pilot but also a very creative musician.

The album is a real treat. It includes a pretty wide range of music including some of his original songs. But what struck me was how effortlessly his music wound around his lyrics. There are several songs where he weaves in effortlessly the banjo or fiddle around the lyrics and his toe tapping.

Also in the set that he sent me are some classic CDs of Virginia mountain music and some classic gospel. Those are fun too.