Tape Spotlight: The Original Bluegrass Festival
Over Labor Day Weekend of 1965, at Cantrell’s Horse Farm in Fincastle, Virginia, Carlton Haney organized what is widely recognized as the first multi-day bluegrass festival. In 1966, he repeated the event at the same location, and our Anonymous Collection Cassette #379 captures a piece of his Second Annual Blue Grass Festival from September 2, 1966. Featuring sets by Buck White, Reno & Smiley, Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, and Jim & Jesse McReynolds, this tape is an absolute treasure, capturing the salad days of the bluegrass festival scene.
Buck White & The Down Home Folks (composed of White and his wife Pat, along with Arnold and Peggy Johnson) lead things off with a short set that has the crowd audibly cheering for, “More!” at the end. Although White and his group had yet to release a commercial recording at this time, they would later go on to greater fame in country music circles as The Whites, with daughters Sharon and Cheryl on board. Don Reno & Red Smiley are up next in a reunion performance, where they are joined by Ronnie Reno, and members of The Shenendoah Cut-Ups (Clarence “Tater” Tate on fiddle, Billy Edwards on banjo, and John Palmer on bass). The duo had amicably parted ways two years prior, due to Smiley’s health issues. There’s no denying their unique chemistry here. “He Will Set Your Field on Fire” features that signature interplay between Smiley’s rumbling baritone and Reno’s high harmony line, and their classic “I Know You’re Married (But I Love You Still)” is some strong proof indeed.
This is followed by Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys (Peter Rowan on guitar, Lamar Grier on banjo, Richard Greene on fiddle and James Monroe on bass). They are joined for much of their set by then ex-Blue Grass Boy Kenny Baker, who adds some serious fiddle fire to several tunes, particularly a breathless “Roanoke.” Monroe has nothing but grand things to say about Baker in his banter, obviously holding him as the gold standard in bluegrass fiddling. This stellar set features a spine-tingling “Lighthouse (Shine on Me),” blazing “Paddy on the Turnpike” and, by audience request, a cheerful “Sitting on Top of the World.” How you gonna top that off? Try a scorcher of a set by Jim & Jesse and The Virginia Boys (Bobby Thompson on banjo, Jim Buchanan on fiddle and Dickie Maudlin on bass). Thompson and Buchanan were featured on many of Jim & Jesse’s classic recordings. Check out Thompson’s lightening banjo picking on “Sugar Foot Rag.”
All these legends draw aces here, which speaks volumes to the joyous environment Haney cultivated. As the MC, his passion and excitement come through in his lively band introductions. Any one who has pitched a tent, picked in a circle or crashed in a lawn chair from Bean Blossom to Telluride, Winfield to Gray Fox – or any of the countless festivals big and small in between – owes something to his musical vision. So raise a glass to Haney while you soak up this recording, essential medicine for those deep winter blues. Puxatawny Phil may have seen his shadow today, but don’t you fret – festival season is just a few months away!
You can read great bio of Carlton Haney here.
Audio
Track Listing
Buck White & The Down Home Folks
2. Jesse James
3. Bill Cheatum
4. John Henry
6. Blue Letters
Reno & Smiley and The Shenandoah Cut-Ups
7. Reno & Smiley Reunion Introduction
8. Are You Waiting Just for Me
9. Won’t You Kiss Me One More Time
11. He Will Set Your Fields on Fire
12. I Know You’re Married (But I Love You Still)
Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys
13. Uncle Pen
15. Big Sandy River *enter Kenny Baker*
16. Roanoke
17. Careless Love
18. The Grey Eagle
22. True Life Blues
23. Used to Be
24. Sitting on Top of the World
25. Little Joe
Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys
27. Ole Slew Foot
29. Sugar Foot Rag
30. I Wish You Knew
31. Swinging Doors
33. Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes
34. It’s a Long, Long Way to the Top of the World
35. Border Ride
36. Don’t Let Nobody Tie You Down
Special thanks to our researcher and historian Mitch Wittenberg.
Fred Robbins Says:
