The life of recent Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee Arnold Shultz is memorialized by Nashville singer and songwriter LaTresa Smith, who has written and recorded a song in his honor. Shultz was a major influence on a young Bill Monroe, and in fact gave him his first paying gig.
Ode to Arnold Shultz is the result of LaTresa’s consideration of his contributions to bluegrass.
“Arnold Shultz’s story is one that needs to be told, and his name should be mainstream. His innovative guitar picking style is woven into the very fabric of the music we love, and with Ode to Arnold Shultz, I wanted to give voice to that legacy and celebrate the beauty and resilience of his journey. Music is a language and experience with the power to connect us, and this song is my way of highlighting a true creative pioneer.”
Despite his induction this September, Smith says that the seed for this song was planted more than a decade ago.
“I was teaching guitar to international newcomer students around 2012, and emphasizing the important contributions of immigrants to Americana/bluegrass music. In focusing on the African origins of the banjo or ‘banjar’ of particular interest to my African students, I ran across the name of a black guitarist that I had never heard before.
Arnold Shultz was the son of a slave, who came to be known as the ‘greatest’ in Western Kentucky for his unique thumb picking style and ability to bridge racial divides with his music. It was amazing to me how many well-known accomplished musicians were ultimately influenced by him, including Bill Monroe, yet he seemed relatively unknown to most people.
The controversy and folklore surrounding his death fascinated me, too. In 2014, I was finally able to visit the Bell Street Cemetery (formally known as the ‘colored’ cemetery) in Morgantown, Kentucky, where Arnold was buried in an unidentified grave, but the city had erected a monument at the entrance of the cemetery in his honor.
I committed that day to write about this under-appreciated trailblazer! A photograph from that visit became the cover art for the single and part of the music video. This song is my small contribution in telling his greater story.”
In addition to the single release for Ode to Arnold Smith, LaTresa has now released a music video to further celebrate his legacy.
Ode to Arnold Smith is available from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.
