The Holy Trinity of John Hartford by Dustin Ogdin - Blog Post

My friend Dustin Ogdin has written a wonderful piece on his blog about three quintessential albums of John Hartford.  Here's the opening picture and first paragraph:

John Hartford is one of the most unique and creative artists in American music history. Frankly, I consider a distaste for John Hartford bordering on a character flaw. Among other things, I look at the venerable fiddler, banjoist, and songwriter as a unifying force for traditional music fans of differing generations. In a recent post, I wondered if bluegrass music might be defined too narrowly, possibly in danger of limiting its audience and longevity. I certainly heard some strong opinions (and even some personal insults) from those who feel traditional bluegrass is sacred ground whose strength lies precisely in its preservation of tradition. I've found, however, that even the most staunch traditionalists typically revere and respect Hartford, even if they would never call his music bluegrass. This is because even though Hartford was a pioneer in Newgrass and experiments that veered even further than that, he was a true historian, advocate, and torchbearer for traditional American music....

To read the rest of this wonderfully written account of Hartford and his musical muse, go here.  After you've read this, be sure to bookmark Dustin's blog and go there frequently.