KRUTZ STRINGS AND AN AMERICANA LEGEND

Years ago, luthier & founder of KRUTZ Strings, Anton Krutz made adjustments ona Krutz fiddle that the Americana legend - singer/songwriter/musician, John Hartford owned, performed and recorded with. And while he was in the shop, John and and his band jammed in the shop then went to perform a concert in the Kansas City metro. As he left the shop to go perform, he hooked elbows with Anton, instead of a hug or a handshake; a signature good-bye move that John had for quite awhile.

Around the same time frame, John Hartford released The Speed of the Old Long Bow: A Tribute to Ed Haley - an album of traditional American fiddle music, released in 1998. It is a tribute to the legendary Kentucky/West Virginia old-time fiddler Blind Ed Haley. On the cover of this album features that same Krutz fiddle John came through Anton’s shop with!

There are many ways to remember someone and carry on a legacy; fast forward 20 something years and John’s daughter Katie Harford Hogue is doing just that. After John’s passing in the early 2000’s, some of the belongings left behind included an extensive collection of original fiddle tunes, to which not one, but two albums to show them off and bring the music to a whole new audience. The latest effort, Julia Belle: John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Vol. 2 features the very same Krutz fiddle John brought into Anton's shop years ago.

This particular project includes a collaborative group of musicians including Megan Lynch Chowning, a Nashville based acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who currently holds the Hartford owned Krutz fiddle in her posession and uses it in recording, live shows and performance camps. That same fiddle still has a little red bow tied on, indicating it was a favorite instrument of John’s.

We were also able to meet with and speak to John’s daughter Katie at a coffee shop in Nashville, TN recently to hear more about this collaborative effort.

Q: I know you mentioned finding that the audience for your Dad's fiddle tunes was a bit more niche - I think it truly is a cool opportunity to open up a whole new audience like you mentioned outside of his career as a singer/songwriter/historian of sorts - do you have any specific hopes with carrying on your Dad's musical legacy, in a different light?

A: I think ultimately this fiddle music is about community. Our goal with the tune project is to make these tunes available to everyday folks who are learning the instrument, and to encourage creativity.

Q: How did you connect with all the women musicians on the Julia Belle project? I love that it highlights so many amazing women musicians!

A: Sharon, Megan, and I all knew folks that we wanted to tap for this project. We made a big list, and still did not get to everyone that we had wanted. There are so many incredibly talented women musicians out there!

Q: Why do you think out of all the instruments your Dad had, he decided to keep the Krutz fiddle as the last man standing so to speak?

A: I don’t know that Dad was thinking about the fiddle being his last one, he just played the instrument that served him for what he was doing at the moment. He always tied a red bow around the neck of his favorite fiddles, and we’ve left the ribbon on the Krutz fiddle for that reason.

Q: What do you think inspired your Dad to create so many fiddle tunes and not tie that in deeper as part of something he highlighted live and/or recorded during his career?

A:  Again, we would like to build community with this project. One of my favorite things is to hear that folks are gathering around this music; there was even a group started during the pandemic where several musicians decided to learn all the tunes in the book as a project. I really couldn’t ask for anything more than knowing that the music is bringing people together to learn, grow, and celebrate.

For more info on KRUTZ Strings, John Hartford Fiddle Tunes Project & all involved, please visit the links below!https://www.krutzstrings.comListen to the latest John Hartford Fiddle Tunes Project: https://open.spotify.com/album/4LL4t4RTmkSHfpC5KJW7rx?si=HbQcqhsZQvGGb6mSWHTvgg

https://www.hartfordprojecttour.com

https://www.fiddlestar.com https://www.nashvilleacousticcamps.com