Brad Leftwich
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Brad Leftwich (born June 30, 1953) is a prominent
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
old-time fiddler,
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
player, singer and teacher of traditional old-time style. He is originally from
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
but has resided in Bloomington, Indiana for most of his life. He performs solo and with his long-time musical partner and wife, Linda Higginbotham, and with his band, The Humdingers, which also includes Sam Bartlett and Abby Ladin. Since the 1970s, Leftwich has performed and taught at numerous folk festivals, concerts, and music camps, written books on both fiddle and banjo, released instructional old-time fiddle videos and written articles on traditional fiddling. He also maintains a youtube channel which offers some of his original field recordings.


Early life

Leftwich grew up in a musical family. His mother played piano and sang in church, and he first learned to play some old-time guitar from his father when he was 8 or 9 years old. But probably his greatest musical influence was listening to his grandfather Rush Leftwich on banjo and great uncle George Leftwich on fiddle. Originally from
Carroll County, Virginia Carroll County is a United States county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one fifth of the county lies in the Virginia Piedmont region, while the rest is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The coun ...
, Rush and George played the traditional style of old-time music that was common in their area. Though Rush and George died before Leftwich was a teenager, they had already shaped his desire to learn to play
old time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combination ...
. Leftwich asked for his first banjo when he was 15, and fiddle when he was 17. By the time he left to study at
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...
, he had developed some proficiency in bluegrass
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
, as well as some
clawhammer Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music. The principal difference between clawhammer style and other styles is the picking direct ...
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
and a bit of
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...
.He also had made contact with some of the local old-time musicians still playing in Oklahoma. While in college, Leftwich traveled during summer breaks to old-time fiddle conventions to learn more about the musical style. It was during one of these summer breaks that Leftwich and a friend first visited noted old-time fiddler Tommy Jarrell at his home in the Mount Airy region of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
. Tommy took a liking to Leftwich that was enhanced by the discovery that Brad and Jarrell's wife were distant relatives. Tommy Jarrell became Brad's main old-time music mentor, alerting Brad to a traditional style of playing that used deliberate bowing patterns. This style is characterized by beginning musical phrases on the down-bow, or pulling the bow away from the fiddle, among other features.Brad also continued to seek out and learn from other traditional musicians still living in the Ozarks, the Mid-west, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina and particularly cites Melvin Wine, John Dee Kennedy, T Fuller and Violet Hensley as sources of inspiration.


Career


Music

Since the 1970s, Leftwich has played with a range of musical acts and been a founding member of several including the Plank Road String Band, the Humdingers, the Hogwire Stringband, and Tom, Brad & Alice, a group formed with Tom Sauber and noted bluegrass musician
Alice Gerrard Alice Gerrard (born July 8, 1934) is an American bluegrass singer, banjoist, fiddler, and guitar player. She performed in a duo with Hazel Dickens, and as part of The Strange Creek Singers (with Dickens, Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz, and Lamar ...
. Leftwich has also made several recordings with his wife Linda Higginbotham. Leftwich's recordings have also been used as a reference for Slippery Hill, an educational website maintaining a massive archive of source recordings for traditional American fiddle tunes. He has recorded for June Appal,
Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...
,
County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
, Copper Creek, Marimac, and his own label Dark Train Records. Shortly after graduating from
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...
in 1975, Leftwich moved to the musically active community of
Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
where he co-founded the Plank Road String Band. After recording two albums, Leftwich moved to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
to pursue advanced studies in anthropology. After a couple of years, Leftwich moved to
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
to take courses in
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...
's Folklore and Ethnomusicology program. In his new home, Leftwich met Linda Higginbotham, an active member of the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group. After somewhat of a hiatus from fiddling, Leftwich's return to an active old-time community, and encouragement from Higginbotham, who he taught to play
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
and
banjo uke The banjo ukulele, also known as the banjolele or banjo uke, is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. The earliest known banjoleles were built by John A. Bolander and by Alvin D. Keech, bot ...
, brought about his permanent return to old-time music.


Teaching and scholarship

In addition to Leftwich's recording and performance career, he has been a much sought after teacher at numerous music camps nationwide and in Europe. He has written articles on fiddling for Fiddler Magazine and for the Old-Time Herald, which he helped found. His Mel Bay books on Round Peak fiddling and banjo playing, as well as his teaching videos for Homespun, have also contributed to an increased appreciation for traditional old-time music and its subtleties.


Personal life

Leftwich lives in
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
with his wife Linda Higginbotham.


Discography


Recordings

* 2021 - ''At Home in the Parlor''. Brad Leftwich & Linda Higginbotham. Old-Time Tiki Parlour * 2020 - ''Rise and Bloom Again.'' Brad Leftwich and The Humdingers. Dark Train Records *2013 - ''The Lost Child''. Leftwich and Higginbotham. Dark Train Records *2011 - ''Rascal Fair''. Brad Leftwich and the Hogwire Stringband. Dark Train Records *2005 - ''The Humdingers''. Brad Leftwich and The Humdingers. Chubby Dragon *2005 - ''Carve That Possum''. Tom, Brad, and Alice.
Copper Creek Records Copper Creek Records is a record label based in Roanoke, Virginia specializing primarily in bluegrass and old-time music. History Spurred by his interest in the music of the Stanley Brothers, Gary B. Reid launched Copper Creek in October 1978. T ...
*2001 - ''Die in the Pigpen Fighting''. Tom, Brad and Alice.
Copper Creek Records Copper Creek Records is a record label based in Roanoke, Virginia specializing primarily in bluegrass and old-time music. History Spurred by his interest in the music of the Stanley Brothers, Gary B. Reid launched Copper Creek in October 1978. T ...
*2000 - ''Holly Ding''. Tom, Brad and Alice.
Copper Creek Records Copper Creek Records is a record label based in Roanoke, Virginia specializing primarily in bluegrass and old-time music. History Spurred by his interest in the music of the Stanley Brothers, Gary B. Reid launched Copper Creek in October 1978. T ...
*1999 - ''Been There Still''. Tom, Brad and Alice.
Copper Creek Records Copper Creek Records is a record label based in Roanoke, Virginia specializing primarily in bluegrass and old-time music. History Spurred by his interest in the music of the Stanley Brothers, Gary B. Reid launched Copper Creek in October 1978. T ...
*1996 - ''Say, Old Man''. with Linda Higginbotham.
County Records County Records was a Virginia-based independent American record label founded by David Freeman in 1963. The label specialised in old-time and traditional bluegrass music. History Old-time music collector David Freeman started the County Record ...
*1993 - ''A Moment in Time''. with Dan Gellert. Marimac Records *1984 - ''No One to Bring Home Tonight''. Leftwich and Higginbotham.
County Records County Records was a Virginia-based independent American record label founded by David Freeman in 1963. The label specialised in old-time and traditional bluegrass music. History Old-time music collector David Freeman started the County Record ...
*1983 - ''Buffalo Gal''. Leftwich and Higginbotham. RedBud Records *1978 - ''Plank Road''. Plank Road Stringband.
June Appal Recordings June Appal Recordings is a record label that was founded by Jack Wright and established by Appalshop to record and distribute music of and from central Appalachia. Artists with June Appal include Buell Kazee, Morgan Sexton, Lee Sexton, Carla Go ...
*1976 - ''Plank Road Stringband''. Plank Road Stringband. Carryon Records


Selected anthologies

*2009 - ''Rounder Fiddle''.
Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Ali ...
*1995 - ''Carrying on the Traditions: Appalachian Fiddling Today''. Fiddler Magazine Video *1986 - ''A Tribute to Tommy Jarrell''. Heritage Records


Instructional books and DVDs

*2011 - ''Old-Time Fiddle Round Peak Style''.
Mel Bay Publications Mel Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997) was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'' remains a bestseller. Biography Early life Melbourne E. Bay was bo ...
*2004 - ''Learn to Play Old-Time Fiddle Volume 1 & 2''. Homespun Tapes *1999 - ''Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo''.
Mel Bay Publications Mel Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997) was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'' remains a bestseller. Biography Early life Melbourne E. Bay was bo ...


References


External links


Brad Leftwich HomepageSlippery Hill's Milliner-Koken Anthology Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leftwich, Brad 1953 births Appalachian old-time fiddlers Old-time musicians Musicians from Oklahoma American banjoists Musicians from Bloomington, Indiana Living people Place of birth missing (living people)