Search - Hobart Smith :: Portraits: Hobart Smith

Finally, the recordings of this true master are available!

Nobody important | 10/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you consider yourself even a passing fan of old-timey, Appalachian, blues, or bluegrass music, do not pass this one up. Hobart Smith was a distinctive and unsurpassed banjo player and fiddle player, a fine piano and guitar player, and had a much more accessable singing voice than many of the old-time banjo players. Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, etc. were fine musicians, but their voices were acquired tastes, so if you are looking for old-time music with a much more accessable voice, Hobart Smith should be right up your alley. Don't try to pigeon-hole him with Dock and Roscoe, though. Stylistically, Smith ran the gamut of American folk music through to his death in 1965, drawing equally from white and black traditions. Whatever he played, though, he played with soul and energy. As an added bonus, the liner notes are fantastic, providing information about the man, his styles of playing, and the songs themselves.If you are looking for more music in this tradition, Dock Boggs' "Country Blues," and Roscoe Holcomb's "High Lonesome Sound," are fantastic recordings, but their voices are, as mentioned earlier, an acquired taste (particularly Dock Boggs). Much easier on the ears is Doc Watson, another amazing multi-instrumentalist who played in many styles, and is the father of modern bluegrass guitar. Fans of Hobart Smith should make sure they own his self-titled album, and "Old-Timey Concert." John Hartford carried the tradition of energetic multi-instrumentalists in the old-time tradition through the 70s, 80s and 90s, and "Mark Twang" is somewhat like this album, but "Aereo-plain," and, "Morning Bugle," are also particularly worth owning. Norman Blake, of course, played a lot with the late Mr. Hartford, and "Whiskey Before Breakfast" is a true classic. If you are feeling truly adventurous, try listening to Alvin Youngblood Hart's "Territory," on which the nominally "blues" musician covers a range of American musical styles, old and new, on a range of instruments with a vitality that puts to shame those who play traditional styles for scholarship rather than for the sake of the music."

Hard-hitting Americana, not smoothie country-pop

Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 03/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are no two ways around it, this is an excellent collection of performances by one of the true mountain masters, Hobart Smith. First off, if for no other reason, get this disc for his rendition of Cuckoo Bird. This continues to be the single most intense banjo playing ever applied to this excellent tune. Hobart's playing is full of fire and drive and will certainly shake you up. An absolutely incredible piece for comparing/contrasting with other excellent versions such as those on the Black Banjo Songsters Of North Carolina & Virginia cd, Clarence Ashley's Greenback Dollar disc, etc... Last Chance is another banjo masterpiece that isn't far behind Cuckoo Bird. Unlike one of the previous reviewers, I'd say that I prefer Dock Boggs' voice to Hobart's but that's just splitting hairs. They are both two of the greatest musicians to ever attack the banjo. Although Hobart does hold a certain distinction for being such a great musician on so many instruments, of which this collection includes him on banjo, fiddle, piano, and guitar. I'm not a huge fan of the several piano pieces though, except for Dixie, which is probably my favorite version of this tune that I have ever heard. Still though, in my opinion, Hobart's magic came predominantly on the solo banjo tunes (and/or banjo & vocal), and secondarily on the fiddle, particularly solo fiddle tunes. He has excellent tone and just... well, he puts the notes where they need to be.With the ever-growing dominance of style-over-substance in American culture, a disc such as this means even more to me. For quite a while the hills really were alive with the sound of music. Now those sounds are the echoes of fading memories, more often than not."