Art Stamper - The Lost Fiddler

(County CO-779) 1982
Reissued on CD (County CO-CD-2712) 1994.

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This was Art Stamper's first fiddle album, after he returned to professional music playing with The Goins Brothers in 1979. He had of course played with The Stanley Brothers in 1952-53 recording some of the seminal Mercury tracks, as well as their final Rich-R-Tone session. After a two-year stint in the army he returned briefly to The Stanley Bothers in 1955 and then joined Red Allen & the Osborne Brothers. After he got married later in 1956, he quit professional music and then ran his own beauty salon "The Way Of Art" in Louisville, Ky for more than 20 years.^[1] The album title 'The Lost Fiddler', is therefore derived from his long absence from professional music, although Art had still kept up his fiddling in this period, and did occasional session work. For example, he appears as a session musician on two of the Stanley Brothers King LPs: Sing The Songs They Like Best (1961) & The Remarkable Stanley Brothers... (1964), and Goins Brothers In The Head Of The Holler (1971).

Backing on the 'Lost Fiddler' album includes Danny Jones (who was then playing with Art in The Goins Brothers), Art's son Blake Stamper, and JD Crowe on 6 tracks. Harry Bickel, a Kentucky State Old-Time Banjo Champion & dentist from Louisville, also plays clawhammer on the remaining 6 tracks and provides the liner notes.

About half the tracks on the album are in an old-time style, with The Long Fork Of Buckhorn, Devil On The Stump, The Old Hen Cackled, Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston and Chinqui Pin Hunting being learnt from Art's father Hiram Stamper. All three of Hiram's boys played the fiddle, and a further two tunes, The Lady Of The Lake and Martha Campbell were learnt from Art's brother Charlie.

Other sources included: Midnight On The Water and Bitter Creek which came from Texas fiddler Benny Thompasson; and Red Apple Rag which was learnt from a recording of Arthur Smith. Finally, Owen "Snake" Chapman from Pike County, was the source for Don't Come Home Drunk, Johnnie and the Arthur Smith tune Fort Smith.

Many of the tunes are in old-time cross-tuning, which gives a modal mountain sound. This is apparent on the hypnotic and rather splendid The Long Fork Of Buckhorn, Midnight On The Water, Chinqui Pin Hunting, and Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston. The Long Fork Of Buckhorn is the same tune as The Brushy Creek Of John's Creek, which Art later recorded on his 'Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston' CD.

Devil On The Stump, Lady Of The Lake, Red Apple Rag, Martha Campbell and Fort Smith sound like they're in standard tuning.

Art: "As far as my fiddle style is concerned, it's pretty much a mixture of fiddle players I heard when I was young; the Sumners (Bobby & Marion), Howdy Forrester, Tommy Magness, Chubby Wise. Of course, my dad was probably the first one I ever heard fiddle. My dad and Marion Sumner used to fiddle together."

I associate myself more with Bobby Sumner than I did with Marion; (Kenny) Baker followed Marion Sumner's fiddling a great deal. I think anyone who followed Marion Sumner's fiddling would have pretty good taste and a good touch, because Marion definitely has the best of taste when it comes to arrangements and when it comes to putting things in their own perspective.^[1]

My capacity to enjoy single-instrument themed albums is somewhat limited, but this album did get a good review in 'Bluegrass Unlimited' who concluded: "Art Stamper is - and I've considered this statement carefully - one of the best fiddlers I have ever heard, either live or on record. If this record merely marked Stamper's return to bluegrass it would be an important record, but it's more than that. 'The Lost Fiddler' is an impressive, beautifully executed body of work by a veteran who was there when it all started. Highly recommended."

• Art Stamper: fiddle
• Harry Bickel: banjo (a)
• Steve Cooley: bass
• JD Crowe: banjo
• Danny Jones: mandolin
• Blake Stamper: guitar

NB: (a) clawhammer banjo on The Long Fork Of The Buckhorn, The Old Hen Cackled, Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston, Don't Come Home Drunk, Johnnie, Chinqui Pin Hunting and Martha Campbell.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] 'Art Stamper - The Lost Fiddler' by Marty Godbey, Nov. 1982 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'.