The late John Hartford was an American original, an artist who followed his muse from Mississippi riverboats and Hollywood to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Of uncompromising artistic integrity, Hartford used the financial rewards from his popular song, "Gentle on My Mind," to pursue the old-time and bluegrass music he heard as a young man growing up in Missouri.
When Hartford passed away in 2001, he left a legacy of about 30 albums and a shelf of Grammy Awards he had won in three different decades. He also left behind the John Hartford Stringband. Asheville native Chris Sharp (guitar and producer) and Lexington resident Bob Carlin (banjo), along with Matt Combs (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin) and Mark Schatz (bass) make up the brilliant quintet.
With "Memories of John" (Compass Records), the band pays tribute to the master with a 15-track collection of well-known and rare Hartford gems. The former include the Ed Haley fiddle tune, "Three Forks of Sandy," the Johnny Bond country standard, "Love Grown Cold," and the pre-Civil War ballad, "Lorena."
