American Fiddle Tunes

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: 2000
• Total Time: 37:24
• Type: Collection (various artists), Contains explicit content
• Genre: Folk

Review

American Fiddle Tunes presents 28 field recordings (most around one minute long) of usually unaccompanied fiddlers from the mid-'30s through the early '40s, with decent sound quality on most of the tracks. Included on this album that was originally issued in 1971 are many reels and other dance tunes, some of which date back to historical events such as Napoleon's career ("Bonaparte's Retreat") and the Virginia slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1931 ("Run Nigger Run"). These recordings from the Library of Congress' Archive of Folk Song come from across the United States, including several performances each from fiddlers Leizime Brusoe (of Wisconsin), W.H. Stepp, Luther Strong (both from Kentucky), Patrick Bonner (Michigan), and one or two recordings each from ten other fiddlers. The liner notes are amazingly thorough, giving a detailed history of each song, followed by a list of early (often 18th and 19th century) manuscripts and other sources that printed the piece, as well as a list of published and unpublished recordings of the song and related variants. This and the sheer amount of solo fiddle heard here can become an overwhelming amount of fiddling and information to absorb for those who just want some fiddle music! Yet the painstaking detail will bear repeated study and listening that is sure to satisfy dedicated fiddle fans and music historians. ~ Joslyn Layne, Rovi

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