More than gentle

Chicago Tribune
More than gentle
John Hartford displays
his always endearing,
truly relaxed musical expertise
by: David Duckman
(Special to the Chicago Tribune.)

John Hartford could be considered a one-hit wonder, at least as far as the Billboard charts go, and of course he performed that hit Sunday night at the Abbey Pub.

But to only know Hartford as the composer of "Gentle On My Mind" is to miss the essence of this immensely talented, entertaining and always endearing eccentric.

In truth, the idea of Hartford being a big-time, hit-producing star runs counter to the utterly unpretentious image he has always presented in concert. His relaxed stage demeanor puts to shame many singer/songwriters who work very hard to create casual, unassuming personas. Hartford is such a natural entertainer that one gladly succumbs to the illusion that he is not even trying.

Hartford's witty songs and hysterically funny storytelling can disguise the fact that he is an exceptional musician, but Sunday's show brought that side of him out front. Perhaps best known for his one-man act, where his whimsy often carries the day, on this night he enlisted two partners and divided his program evenly between vocal and instrumental numbers, allowing his full range of talent to be savored.

Hartford's gift for constructing ballads both bittersweet, such as "Tall Buildings," and just plain sweet, like "Annual Waltz," generated a feeling of nostalgia without indulging in escapism. One got the sense that he was singing about life, rather than an artist's concept of life.

As an instrumentalist, Hartford displayed a jazzman's sense of daring and exploration, even though his sound was pure backwoods, especially on fiddle, while his banjo picking was full of surprises. In fact, Hartford's short banjo breaks in "Gentle On My Mind" were so fresh and interesting that it made this omnipresent classic sound brand new.

Mandolinist Mike Compton took full advantage of his too-infrequent solo opportunities. His playing in "Try Me One More Time," a jumping blues, revealed an immaculate technique and soulful style. He also perfectly shadowed Hartford's fiddling with unison or harmony mandolin lines, giving several old-time tunes an invigorating rhythmic zest.

Bassist Jerry McCoury anchored the trio with a fat tone and a driving swing, while his harmony vocal on "The First Whippoorwill" furnished this bluegrass masterpiece with an authentic "high lonesome" sound.

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