There is an entire side of the bluegrass universe that owes its existence to John Hartford. Hartford’s name is a focal point of the bluegrass and newgrass canon and his musicianship, on both the banjo and fiddle, has now been the object of fascination for generations. In 2020, a whole new cast of musicians led by Matt Combs dug deeper into Hartford’s captivating world—specifically into the 2000-plus fiddle tune charts found in file cabinets under the late musician's desk—to create the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Volume 1, a Grammy-nominated album full of the string band world’s A-list players.
And now, John Hartford’s family has announced the upcoming arrival of the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Volume 2. Still in production, Volume 2 draws, as Volume 1 did, from Matt Combs, Greg Reish, and Katie Harford Hogue’s book, John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes, and celebrates some of the most beloved artists in today’s scene: Rachel Baiman, Phoebe Hunt, Missy Raines, Ginger Boatwright, Natalie & Brittany Haas, Allison de Groot, Della Mae, The Price Sisters, Uncle Earl, Deanie Richardson, and many more. Produced by Hogue, Sharon Gilchrist, and Megan Lynch Chowning, Volume 2 will arrive in early 2025.
To jump-start fundraising for Volume 2, the Goodle Family, which is what the greater Hartford musician collective has come to be known, is hosting an in-person and live-stream event to drum up excitement and bring more fans of Hartford into the fold. On October 7th, a community of Hartford lovers will descend on Nashville’s American Legion Post 82 for a night of music and camaraderie led by de facto musical hosts—and major Hartford devotees—Brittany and Natalie Haas. Performing a Mammoth fiddle-a-thon of sorts, the Haas sisters will play their way through all 176 fiddle tunes from the Mammoth Collection book and be assisted by an ace house band of musicians from Vol. 1 and Vol 2. All money raised will go towards funding Vol. 2.
Additionally, the John Hartford Estate has just launched a Patreon page, giving fans a chance to support these Hartford legacy projects while enjoying an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into both upcoming album projects and the Hartford archive, helping fund their mission to ensure the continuation of Hartford’s legacy for many generations to come. The Patreon will be a happy corner of the internet serving as HQ for the Hartford archives, exclusive content, sheet music, unheard, high-quality show recordings, interviews with Hartford scholars, fiddle tutorials, and so much more. “When we found the fiddle tunes that became The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, we also found mountains of other cool stuff that we think you might enjoy hearing, seeing, and learning about,” says Hogue. “The $5 per month donation that we hope you’ll opt into will exclusively go to help us continue to put out quality Hartford creatives, whether that be records, books, or whatever else we find and think you might like.”
To join the Goodle Family, and to be kept in the loop on the progress of Vol. 2 with special behind-the-scenes content, tasty fiddle treats, general Hartford lore, and more, sign up for the Hartford Patreon here.
For more information, please visit johnhartford.com.
More About John Hartford: One of the most respected musicians in Nashville history, John Hartford is considered a cornerstone of the newgrass movement due to his 1971 masterpiece, Aereo-Plain. He won a career four Grammy Awards, including two for his 1967 recording of “Gentle on My Mind,” a third for his 1976 album Mark Twang, and a fourth for his contributions to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack in 2000. He was posthumously inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 2010, was awarded the Americana Music Association President’s Award in 2005, and the Folk Alliance “Spirit of Folk” award in 2011.
