Howdy Forrester - The MGM Recordings

County Sales says: "In the early days of LPs (the late 1950s and early 1960s), when there were only a relative handful of Bluegrass LPs and not too many more in the country & western field, this album appeared on the market, and quickly became a classic and essential fiddle album (it was possibly the first 12-inch country fiddle album ever released). It didn’t stay in the catalog very long, and since that time the original MGM album has become a highly sought, high-dollar collector’s item. A quick look at the tunes reminds us just how influential this album was among a whole generation of fiddlers: along with Howdy’s versions of old standards like LEATHER BREECHES, SALLY GOODIN’, GRAY EAGLE and DOG IN THE RYE STRAW, you will find his signature tunes—RUTLAND’S REEL, SAY OLD MAN, HIGH LEVEL HORNPIPE, BRILLIANCY, CRUEL WILLIE, and CLARINET POLKA. Backing Howdy on this record were Pete Kirby (Brother Oswald) and Ray Edenton on guitars and Junior Huskey on bass. Forrester is deservedly considered one of the very best of the country fiddlers—he played a considerable amount of Bluegrass, but was best known as Roy Acuff’s fiddler for over 20 years. Acuff, a fiddler himself and a real fan of great fiddling, was responsible for getting Howdy the opportunity to cut this 1958 recording for MGM (which was closely associated with the giant Acuff-Rose enterprise). It should be pointed out that Acuff had previously recorded an 8-tune, ten inch LP for Columbia in the late 1940s that featured another fiddle great, Tommy Magness! This album is nicely packaged with over a dozen photos. It is still a wonderful and essential fiddle record!