Hobart Smith
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Hobart Smith – Railroad Bill
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Biography
He was most notable for his appearance with his sister, Texas Gladden, on a series of Library of Congress recordings in the 1940s and his later appearances at various festivals during the folk music revival of the 1960s. Smith is often remembered for his virtuosic performances on the banjo, and had also mastered various other instruments, including the fiddle, guitar, piano, harmonica, accordion, and organ.
Hobart Smith was born near Saltville, Virginia in 1897, the oldest son of eight children born to Louvine and Alexander King Smith. Hobart believed the ballad-singing tradition in his family dated back at least seven generations to when the Smiths immigrated from England. Both of Hobart’s grandfathers were fiddle players, and his parents were banjo players. When Alan Lomax traveled to Saltville to record Hobart in 1942, he also recorded Hobart’s father playing a version of “Old Joe Clark”. Hobart recalled his family staying up late at night singing hymns and ballads around the fireplace in their home just outside of Saltville. Hobart’s parents bought him his first banjo when was seven, and he learned piano by playing at church revivals in the area.
In 1911, an African-American fiddle player named Jim Spencer began lodging at the Smith house, and taught Hobart how to play the fiddle.
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oldhomehaibane
His singing is rather weak when compared to that of someone like Roscoe Holcomb, but he more than makes up for that with some of the finest banjo playing you're ever likely to hear.
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insomniacme
beautiful
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imec
Wow, I have never heard his version of Cuckoo before; his fingers are insane.
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lethoso
this shit is pretty awesome
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dfkt
Hobart Smith's "Cuckoo Bird" is all serious business and driven, where Clarence Ashley is rather moody and gloomy... both versions compliment each other quite nicely.
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Maarten541
Excellent man
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clayfold
Had this on vinyl back in the early 70's. So glad to find this CD in the library. Simple and heartfelt. Clear, like a drink from a mountain stream.
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jethro1138
Ah, /really/ Classic Rock.
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Maaarrrk
This is as close to the roots of modern rock, country and bluegrass as exists. Maybe even the blues.
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