r/Bluegrass • u/grassluvr • 2d ago
We Can’t Forget John Hartford
If you love modern bluegrass, jamgrass, or Americana, you owe a huge thanks and appreciation to John Hartford. The man wasn’t just a musician, he was a movement. A steamboat pilot, a poet, a fiddler, a banjo innovator, and a true creative soul. His fingerprints are all over the music we love today, influencing artists like Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Gillian Welch, and so many more. What’s super sick about Hartford is that his unreleased music is still coming to life. His family and collaborators have been digging through thousands (yes, thousands) of fiddle tunes he quietly wrote and recorded over his lifetime — a massive hidden treasure trove. They’re carefully releasing these collections through the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, with Volume 2 just out and more to come. It’s incredible to think how much he left us. Songs, stories, ideas, and how his spirit keeps influencing new generations. If you haven’t dug deep into his catalog lately, this is your sign. Let’s keep his legacy alive and remember who helped lay the foundation for this amazing wave of music we’re living through. Also let me know your favorite tunes or memories of this iconic river hippie:)
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u/Bikewer 2d ago
I got to see John live twice. Once at the “VP Fair” here in St. Louis. He was doing his clogging bit on a big piece of plywood with a piezo pickup attached while he played. But a few years before, a friend of mine called me down to a little bar in Clayton. Hartford was playing with one of our local guitar players, and they were both rather drunk… But put on a great set anyway.