I suppose one of the things we could do here is start cataloging some Ozark fiddlers - at least I'm interested in knowing some names of the lesser known Ozark fiddler who deserve some recognition.
Most of us know the names of the more "famous" ones.
- Bob Holt (Missouri) Played fast up-tempo dance tunes with extensive use of cross-tuning. Bob Holt got invited to the White House when he won national recognition as a "folk artist". When asked what he thought about it upon returning he said, "Another G'Damn place where you can't smoke."
- Lonnie Robertson (Missouri) was born in the Ozark region and is quoted as saying that he didn't even know about standard tuning until he heard some stranger play in that tuning at a local General Store. Robertson then embraced that tuning and went on to become one of Missouri's great fiddlers though his playing during his mature years seems more akin to the Missouri contest style of the 50's and 60's than to Ozark dance fiddling.
- Taylor McBain (Missouri) one of my favorites. I've only heard a few recordings of him and don't know what town he was from. But McBain through the bow around with a joyous abandon and endeared himself to me forever because when asked about whether he was "nervous" about competing against Cyril Stinnett in a contest he said, "I ain't afraid of no hornpiple fiddler."
- Eck Robertson (Arkansas) It's a stretch to claim Robertson as an Ozark fiddler. But - though it's not widely known - he was born in Delaney, Arkansas. His family moved to Texas when he was young. Nevertheless his father and grandfather were both fiddlers, would definitely have been fairly characterized as "Ozark fiddlers", and would've been Uncle Eck's first influences - especially on tunes like Sally Goodin' that he recorded in AEAE.
So - not many fiddlers from the region are widely known. Can we chronicle some of those who were respected with in the region.
20 Comments |
 | M-D says:
1/30/2011 10:06:34 AM
Clyde Blair, Earl Blair, Gertie Morrison Branscum, Haydn Burns, Gene England, Red Gillihan, John Hall, Hubert Kendrick, Buddy Lancaster, Seth Mize, Kermit Moody, Fate Morrison, Glenn Morrison, Willie Morrison, Onis Morrison, Frankie Munn, Ulys Pilcher, Merle Reves, Charlie Richardson, Linnie Morrison Rorie, Os Scholes, Herschel Sutton, Jesse Wallace, and Sam Younger.
Just off the top of my head, yet there were so many others. These were all within a 25 mile radius of where I'm sitting right now.
I tried to format this better, but the script wont let me do it. Sorry.
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 | OTJunky says:
1/30/2011 10:30:16 AM
That's great!
How many of those fiddlers got recorded?
--OTJ
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| M-D says:
1/30/2011 10:37:33 AM
I've got Clyde, Earl, a bit of Gertie, a line on some of Haydn, very little of Gene (though possibly a line on some), Red, a little of Buddy (need to talk to his sister), Frankie, Ulys, Merle, Charlie, Os, and Sam.
There is more to be had, but the families wont part with them.
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| OTJunky says:
1/30/2011 10:50:25 AM
You mentioned a couple of years ago that the folklife center has a bunch of recordings archived but unavailable?
--OTJ
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| M-D says:
1/30/2011 10:56:05 AM
You mean the Ozark Folk Center? Yes, they do, and yes, it is unavailable.
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| OTJunky says:
1/30/2011 11:41:00 AM
Is a catalogue of the content available?
--OTJ
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Bud says:
1/30/2011 11:45:27 AM
How could you forget John Hartford?
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| OTJunky says:
1/30/2011 12:02:13 PM
Well, Hartford was born in NYC and grew up in St. Louis. His "first instrument" in the first half of his performing life was arguably Bluegrass banjo. And while I'm a big fan of Hartford's playing, his fiddling doesn't sound much like what I usually think of as Ozark fiddling.
That said, I think he claimed Gene Goforth as his fiddling mentor. Goforth was from Eminence, MO and probably should've been listed among the well known Ozark fiddlers above. In fact, Hartford was instrumental in making Goforth well-known.
So, all that said, I probably wouldn't call Hartford a traditional Ozark fiddler - though I don't mind if somebody else wants to.
--OTJ
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| M-D says:
1/30/2011 4:31:05 PM
Far as I know, there is no such catalogue available, though there surely is some type of list, or . . . ? Even if, I dont think the material is available. There's a long story to this, but it's too much to explain for this setting.
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 | Elliott says:
2/18/2011 7:49:40 PM
Gordon McCann in Springfield, MO probably has the most complete list of Ozark fiddlers but here are a few more to add to the list.
Fate and Willie Morrison had a sister, Dolly Gilbert who played the fiddle. Faye Green of Newark was an especially fine fiddler and influenced quite a few up and coming fiddlers including Frank Ellis. Cotton Combs was a bit of a legend in the 60s and 70s. Maybe he still is. Art Galbraith of Springfield, MO probably should also be listed here.
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| M-D says:
2/18/2011 8:33:06 PM
Good to see you here, Elliott! Yes, Gordon definitely has the most complete list of Ozark fiddlers. As you may know, his collection of recordings is being digitised, and will be available on line at MSU's web-site.
I should have included Faye, for sure, as I have a considerable number of recordings of her.
Cotton was a legend, and so are all the stories about him. LOL You should relate some of those some time. :o)
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| Elliott says:
2/19/2011 1:47:17 PM
I wish my memory had not been crammed full of unimportant stuff and had saved room for the stories about Cotton and the stories that Sam used to tell for that matter. I think that Cotton's brother is still living. Someone in northwest Arkansas should see what he has to say about Cotton.
Frankie Kelly is another fiddler who should probably be included in any list of Ozark fiddlers. His style is more swing than old time but when I heard him a few years back he was truly exceptional.
As for the Folk Center archive, the recordings are now in the Arkansas History Commission collection in Little Rock. There was talk of cataloging and digitizing but I have no idea where that now stands.
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| M-D says:
2/19/2011 2:15:06 PM
Billy Mathews may know of Cotton's brother, since Billy used to run around with Cotton and a friend of his who drove a Cadillac convertible. Caint recollect the friend's name at the moment, though I've heard Billy mention it a dozen times.
Sam sure has lots of stories. LOL
Frankie could play any style that he chose to play. He was very versatile, and played all of it at that high level for which he was renowned. I know he had some recordings out there, but suspect they're not him playing any traditional style. I first met him back in '80, when he was playing with Snuffy Smith, in Springdale.
Glad to know where the recordings went. Perhaps they'll make them available, but I'm not holding my breath.
Thanks for the input, Elliott. :o)
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| Elliott says:
3/1/2011 8:26:04 AM
Eldon Combs is Cotton's brother. I got the name from Jonathan Trawick a little over a year ago and just now remembered to check old emails. I think J. J. Curry was the guitar player and friend who used to drive Cotton to contests and such. Cotton was married the last time I saw him and I think his wife may still be living.
The History Commission also has the W.K. McNeil personal library which he left to the Folk Center when he died. That is valuable for recordings and printed material. I do think that the resources will be available to researchers who travel to the facility in Little Rock. I also know that the Commission had a grant and had employed someone to work on cataloging. I do not know if the project was completed.
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| M-D says:
3/1/2011 8:41:23 AM
Excellent, Elliott! Yeah, it was J.J. Curry.
That's the last I'd heard on all that, too. Perhaps one day it will be available, though in the digital age I dont understand why it's not to be readily available on line.
Guess I need to call down there.
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| OTJunky says:
3/1/2011 9:30:15 AM
Yes, you do... ;-)
--OTJ
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| M-D says:
3/1/2011 9:46:42 AM
Yeah, I do, and it's BS, too. :o)
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 | Noel Scott says:
7/23/2021 7:31:29 PM
Why don’t you come spend a week or two here in the Ozarks and we will remind you. What it was all about It’s moor about hospitality than music
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| Noel Scott says:
9/10/2021 4:12:25 PM
Lonnie Robertson? Does anyone remember him besides me I think he was one of the best. What about you
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| Noel Scott says:
9/10/2021 4:21:04 PM
Lonnie Robertson? Does anyone remember him besides me I think he was one of the best. What about you
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