In support of the mammoth project inspired by John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes, published in 2018, The Violin Shop of Nashville hosted a “Mammoth Marathon” event at American Legion Post 82 in Nashville on October 7 from 6:00 until after 10:00. Brittany and Natalie Haas, supported by a host of musicians, sight-read through all 176 tunes from the collection. The event served as a benefit for the IBMA Foundation in response to the Hurricane Helene devastation.
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Vol. 1, was released on March 13, 2020. The album featured an all-star cast of bluegrass instrumentalists including Sierra Hull, Alison Brown, Mike Bub, Noam Pikelny, Tim O’Brien, and Ronnie McCoury. The project earned a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021.
Megan Lynch Chowning, co-producer with Sharon Gilchrist and Katie Harford Hogue, of the upcoming Volume 2, served as emcee for the evening. Chowning initially became involved with the project as a copy editor for the book and playing fiddle on three of the tracks of Vol. 1. Wanting people to play these tunes, Hogue encouraged Chowning to set up live shows, so she put together a trio with Tristan Scroggins and Adam Hunt. Because Vol. 2 will feature all women, Chowning retooled the trio, with Sharon Gilchrist and Rachel Baiman joining her to take the new project on tour.
For the Monday night fiddle marathon, with Brittany Haas on fiddle and Natalie Haas on cello as core performers, dozens of musicians took the stage, sight-read every tune in the book chapter by chapter. A flipbook of numbers kept the audience apprised of how far into the tune list the musicians had reached.
Chowning noted that Hartford had written over 2000 tunes, from which the 176 were selected for publication, in an effort to teach himself to write in standard notation. The book, with the tunes in Hartford’s hand, attest to his success in doing so beautifully. He did not, however, add chords to the music, so some of the participants for the evening, including Darol Anger and the Haas sisters, helped to create chord charts as well.
Prior to the event, a dozen or so back-up musicians were assigned to each chapter. Anyone who played on Volume 1 or 2 was invited to attend or participate. John Fabke played bass on several of the sets. Matt Combs, one of the editors of the book, and his family played through one of the chapters together.
The tunes cover every possible type of fiddle tune–rags, reel, and jigs, as well as fast and slow waltzes. They bore witness to the many regions and cultures influencing the compositions–Irish, German, Cajun and more.
Noting that the “Tennessee Politics” (#47) had become a favorite, Chowning invited on stage anyone who had learned to play the tune, drawing a crowd from age six up. Vickie Vaughn, fresh from her second consecutive win as IBMA bass player of the year, joined for some of the chapters, along with fiddler Wilhemina Frankzerda or Paper Wings, who sang the lyrics to “The Waltz of the Golden Rule” (#146).
Also sharing the stage, filled by the end of the evening, were Tyler Andal, Kristin Andreassen, Adam Chowning, Chris Eldridge, Ellie Hakanson, Jack McKeon, Joe Newberry, Forrest O’Connor, and many more. None had seen the chorded sheet music beforehand.
The last song of the night–and from the book–was Hartford’s iconic “Gentle on My Mind,” written for his wife Betty. Douglas Waterbury Tieman, a fiddler on the General Jackson, joined the musicians on stage and sang the lyrics to the song to close out the evening.
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2 will feature Rachel Baiman, Phoebe Hunt, Ginger Boatwright, Brittany Haas, Allison de Groot, Della Mae, The Price Sisters, Uncle Earl, and many more. The album is available for pre-order now and will be released in January 2025, with vinyl options as well.