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Thread: John hartford 1937-2001

  1. #1

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    Today, June 4, marks the passing of John Hartford, one of the greatest entertainers and unique human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. His music, wit, and down-home country wisdom continue to inspire and lift me every time I listen to his music or see a photo of him. A few years ago I saw a listing of BMI’s most-performed songs in their history; “Gentle On My Mind” was #3. I know there is no beer in heaven so I guess it’s up to us to lift one for John.

    In his memory, I offer Cafe colleagues a couple of photos from my files that hold special meaning for me. The first was taken in the dressing room of the Great American Music in 1979 after he finished his set. What I remember about that gig (besides the great music, of course) was Lee Brenkman, the Music Hall’s longtime sound man, telling me that John’s rider had only a couple of demands, the most important being that the venue had to provide a new sheet of Grade A Premium plywood for him to dance on.
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    The second dates from March 1982, when he opened for Newgrass Revival, also at the Great American Music Hall. Tony and David showed up and naturally, they were all onstage jamming by the end of the show.
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    The third one was taken April 18, 2001, six weeks before John’s death. Dawg and Sam were in Dawg Studios laying down the first tracks for their great “Hold On, We’re Strummin’” album that would be finished and released two years later. I watched in amazement as they composed “Hartford’s Real’ in just a matter of a couple of hours. They were so pleased with it, they decided to call John in his hospital bed and play it for him. Decibel Dave Dennison, David’s recording engineer held the phone. It was a wonderful expression of love that both felt for John.
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  4. The following members say thank you to humblemex for this post:


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    Registurd User pjlama's Avatar
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    Thanks for sharing the pics and stories. John is missed.
    PJ
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    He was such an inspiration to my music development,never met him,never saw him perform live, always considered him a close friend.

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    what a hero. he is missed everyday. another that went too soon. i like to watch his fiddling video, and don't even play one. his records will be heard for eternity.

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    Registered User Matt Hutchinson's Avatar
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    Hi guys.

    OK, you've inspired me. I don't own any of John's music, what should I start with??

    Matt

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    Registered User Jeroen's Avatar
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    Matt,
    Live at College Station is great solo work, the flying fish sampler is a nice introduction too. Of his albums I like "aereoplain", "mark twang" and "gum tree canoe" best.

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    Two of my favourites are "Morning Bugle" and "Down On The River".




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    Registered User adgefan's Avatar
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    John was the man. Our band has worked up a medley of Steam Powered Aereoplane and Hartford's Real which should be getting its stage debut this weekend.

    Matt, my personal favourites of John's would be Aereoplain (sadly, almost impossible to get hold of these days) and Hamilton Ironworks. Listen to those two and you'll get a good feel for the diversity, creativity but also respect for tradition that John had in his music.

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    I wished i'd have met or even seen John Hartford perform live too. For somebody's first CD i'd get Live from the Mountain Stage. If you're a fiddle fan, Hamilton Ironworks actually changed my life. And yes, the aforementioned VHS tape of John discussing fiddle tunes. I've got his Homespun CD for banjo instruction too. Also hosted the CD's where Bill Monroe discusses his approach to the mandolin. John reveered Bill Monroe an Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and Benny Martin. Studied blind fiddler Bill Haley. Friend of fiddler Gene Goforth, and the Dillards. Wrote for Hollywood, piloted Steamboats. From everything i've found, he must've had a wonderful life.

    Thanks for the chance to remember.

  13. #12
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    "Well I'm lying in this tanning bed thinking of my youth.
    The Gangster rap and the cowboy had make me feel feel uncouth.
    The vision of my mother is the vision of the truth.
    Hanging out the laundry long ago." - John Hartford

    I call out my "Gangster Rap" tune and sing this one - The Owl Feather.

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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    Registered User adgefan's Avatar
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    I love the sign-off for that song

    "Observing the all-time high water mark of the 1927 flood..."

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    Registered User Ken Berner's Avatar
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    I've posted this before, but I finally met Mr. Hartford in '99 at Tennessee Fall Homecoming shortly before he took the main stage. He wouldn't shake hands for fear of catching a "bug", but he was very gracious. Sweat had popped out on his brow and he obviously did not feel too spiffy, but you would never know it once he was on stage. He put on a great show, fiddling and picking banjo as though there were nothing wrong. It was very inspiring to say the least. I'll never forget his brilliance from the first time I saw him on TV long years ago.

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    Registered User swampy's Avatar
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    3 things

    No beer in heaven? What?

    I wouldn't consider Steam Powered Aeroplane hard to find. I just bought the CD for a friend not too long ago.

    Live on Mountain Stage is a great place to start in my opinion, and I'm a HUGE Hartford fan.




  17. #16

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    I grew up seeing him on some of the variety shows of the day, can't remember which except probably Glen Campbell, but I loved to watch him play...I didn't even play violin then, but he was so entertaining, so much fun to watch. You can even hear the enjoyment he was having himself on his recordings! Yvonne
    "There are two refuges from the miseries of life--music and cats" Albert Schweitzer

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    Registered User adgefan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (swampy @ June 04 2008, 10:53)
    I wouldn't consider Steam Powered Aeroplane hard to find. I just bought the CD for a friend not too long ago.
    There are 7 copies available on Amazon.com right now - but the cheapest is $94.99! Most expensive is $249.94 (plus shipping).

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    Purveyor of Sunshine sgarrity's Avatar
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    A truly gifted musician. His later recordings of old-time fiddle tunes get regular play in my rotation. It's a master class in string band music

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    Thanks for the memories Jon, I remember those GAMH gigs well....and if I'm not mistaken there was also one where it was a co-bill of Hartford and the DGQ.
    One of the things that I admired about his GAMH performance was how he was playing banjo & left the stage walking all through the audience
    playing as he went.....he was indeed a good ol' boy! That dancing on the board while fiddlin' or playing banjo was like a one man rhythm section.
    Last time I saw him was at Telluride with Mike Compton in the band. Of course the Aeroplane record was ahead of its time & was an acoustic
    supergroup like, Muleskinner and later OAITW.....but don't overlook the later work with Mike Compton.




  21. #20
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Hey Jon...

    Thanks for dislodging a memory cell with that first pic...

    I must have been standing right behind you...

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    Mark Twang is my favorite Hartford album. He takes you with him on a river trip to America's heartland. That's where John lived and worked, and where his soul was. He actually was a riverboat pilot I believe. He traveled all over performing, but always returned to the heartland. "Skipping in the Mississippi Dew".
    Chief. Way up North. Gibson 1917 A model with pickup. JL Smith 5 string electric. 1929 National Triolian resonator mandolin with pickup. National RM 1 with pickup. Ovation Applause. Fender FM- 60 E 5 string electric (with juiced pickups). 1950's Gibson EM-200 electric mandolin. 1954 Gibson EM-150 electric mandolin. Custom made "Jett Pink" 5 string electric- Bo Diddley slab style. Jay Roberts Tiny Moore model 5 string electric.

  23. #22

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    There are many great Hartford performances on YouTube. One of my favorites is this version of 'Steam Powered Aereo-plain' with a back-up band of Vassar, Tony Rice, Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas, Matt Rollings, David Holt, and Glen Worf.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=i4WmeGEKjQE

    This is from an episode of Great American Music Shop, one of TNN's great creations of the '80s when Music City briefly re-embraced acoustic and roots country music before yielding to pop singers who all sound the same. Sure wish they'd issue a DVD of some those shows. The house band included O'Connor, Flux, Rollings, Worf, and Brent Rowen.

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    SCHWEEEET!!! Rare O'Conner on mandolin footage too.......

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    I don't know if it matters where you start with John Hartford, chances are you will keep going!

    I just found Aeroplain on vinyl in my local used punk record store for 4 bucks!
    Go Long, Mule

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    Registered User Trey Young's Avatar
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    Awesome pics, thanks for sharing. I remember the day I bought the Aero-Plain album (cd). I was looking for something Norman Blake-ish and looked up his name on the in store computer and Aero-Plain was the only thing listed with his name. I went and found the album and saw the cover and thought "man this must be interesting". That was probably 5 to 6 years ago and I don't think I've gone a single week without listening to that album. That was when I had just started to play music and luckily for me was when I really found what speaks to me. I think all of his work is A+++, especially the work he did with Mike Compton. I just found a great show with just Hartford, Compton, and Darren Vincent on bass from '97 and man that is it. God Bless John Hartford, with out him my world would be a little less musical.

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