Here’s one we missed when it was released in April, a recording by John Hartford, Tony Rice and Vassar Clements in 1988, with Roy Huskey Jr on bass and Mark Howard on mandolin.
Titled simply Hartford, Rice and Clements, the album features these legendary performers, two of whom have since passed on, in a jam-like environment running through a set of bluegrass and old time classics. The tracks were recorded in John’s basement with a pair of microphones, straight to two-track, and were only “discovered” in 2010.
Here’s a taste, Hartford and Clements singing a Gospel favorite.
Heavenly Sunlight: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/heavenly_sunlight.mp3]
What a treasure! The CD is available from the official John Hartford web site, in iTunes, or wherever you find bluegrass CDs or downloads for sale.
There is also news this week about a documentary film being prepared on the life of John Hartford by the AereoTwang Musical Preservation Project, a 501(c) (3) educational organization formed for this purpose. The film will be taken from a wealth of archival footage, photos and interviews collected by the Project.
Producers Marcy Cochran & Sheila Nichols have released a trailer, along with a request for funding assistance in order to complete the film.
If you are able to contribute to this worthy endeavor, there is a donation page online, or you can contact the producers by email or phone.
