Jamie and John Hartford
When Jamie Hartford’s young daughter Emily stole and put on the SPPS shirt given to Jamie she asked “who are these people daddy?” Jamie responded with, “those are the people preserving your grand dad’s music”.
Jamie Hartford is a very talented fellow.
His band rocks like a muscle-car, his songs sound like conversation, and his voice feels like an old pair of jeans. But peel back the apparent simplicity and you will find yourself eye to eye with Jamie’s version of something much more complex, the truth.
He is a recognized electric guitar innovator and leader of his own powerhouse roots-rock outfit, the Jamie Hartford Band. He is an extraordinary songwriter and a wonderful singer. He is also a world-class acoustic musician and the living legacy of musical-visionary, John Hartford.
Jamie’s musical history span generations and genres. From high school rock and jazz bands to festival stages with his father. He has toured with the Everly Brothers and Billy Joe Shaver. He grew up surrounded by the music of Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Norman Blake, and Vassar Clements. His close friends and mentors include Guy Clark and “Cowboy” Jack Clement. He has worked with producers ranging from Kyle Lehning and Allen Reynolds, to Pete Anderson and T. Bone Burnett. Along the way, he has released records on labels as diverse as Asylum (Warner Bros.) and Flying Fish (indie).
Even with such a rich musical heritage, Jamie Hartford has always made his own music. Not content to follow in the musical steps of his famous father, Jamie has found his own voice. With it, he has earned a dedicated audience and the respect of his peers in the creative community.
Through its history, the Jamie Hartford Band has featured a who’s-who of Nashville musicians including Darrell Scott, Michael Henderson, Pat McLaughlin, and Ray Flacke. The band’s current lineup of Jamie, longtime drummer Rick Lonow, bass guru David Pomeroy, and harmonica wizard Paco Shipp released STUFF THAT WORKS in 2004.
That same year, Jamie’s creative evolution brought him full-circle to the roots of his musical heritage when he began recording an all-acoustic project featuring songs written by his late father. The thoughtful cross-section of the John Hartford catalog features classic and underground favorites, more in tribute to his songwriting than his instrumental influence. The covers are punctuated by the title cut, “Part Of Your History”, from Jamie’s pen, and tied together by his deft guitar work and subtle vocal interpretations.
Recently completed, the project is produced by John Van Meter for New Sheriff Creative Enterprises.
Musical guests include: Nanci Griffith, Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Norman Blake, Bela Fleck, Kim Richey, Ronnie McCoury, Kathy Mattea, David Grisman, Kenny Malone, Dennis Crouch, Mark Howard, Randy Kohrs, John Cowan, and Emmylou Harris.
