With a career spent working with some of bluegrass music’s top talents such as Del McCoury and the Bluegrass Cardinals, North Carolinian Tim Smith has released numerous albums devoted to his brand of fiddling. His latest effort, Old Fiddles, brings together Tim’s original tunes alongside standard pieces that are most commonly heard on the fiddle.
Good News Hornpipe is one of several tunes written by Smith. With its lilting melody and melodic groove, it kicks the album off at a nice pace. The musicians accompanying Tim all throughout the recording include Alan Bibey on mandolin, Jeff Huffman on guitar, Rick LaFleur on banjo, and Zachary McLamb on bass.
Red Bird has a strong old time feel and features just Tim and his fiddle. While there are several tracks that spotlight Smith in a solo context, this is the most upbeat of them all. Other tunes like Be Thou My Vision and Ave Maria present a more sensitive side to Tim’s instrumentalism.
The title track, Old Fiddles ,as well as Just A Skosh, are both great examples of Tim’s ability to play harmony lines on the fiddle. With overdubbed parts from Smith, the fiddling on these two tunes is sublime.
Sweet Georgia Brown is a track showcasing Tim’s ability within the swing idiom. It’s one of those pieces that allows every musician on this project their own chance to shine.
Froggy Morn is another Smith original where he is accompanied by his son Andrew on guitar. It’s a gentle piece that displays the smooth, beautiful tone that Tim can get out of the fiddle.
Old Fiddles is another great representation of who Tim Smith is as a musician. With plenty of original compositions and excellent interpretations of tunes from across the musical spectrum, there’s plenty here to keep the listener interested and the budding fiddler inspired.
