Welcome to Spring Fed Records
SFR-DU-33007
Just Fine Fiddling
By J.T. Perkins
with
Algie Surratt …. Guitar
Grant Strickland …. Bass
1. HOWDY FORREST’ERS HORNPIPE
2. LITTLE JOE
3. THE JIG
4. FORKED DEER
5. WHISTLER’S WALTZ
6. SOLDIER’S JOY
7. HARRISON’S HORNPIPE
8. RACHAEL
9. MARTIN’S WALTZ
10. WHISTLIN’ RUFUS
11. BILLY IN THE LOWGROUND
12. GRASSY
J.T. Perkins, like most “natural
born” fiddlers, comes from a fiddling family. His maternal grandfather,
Henry Forrester who emigrated from South Carolina to North Alabama, was
a fiddler as well as his late father, Luther Perkins. Several uncles on
both sides of the family were fiddlers and other old time musicians.
J.T. was born in 1927 in the little rural community of Grassy on the outskirts
of Arab, a small North Alabama mountain town located 50 miles either way
between Birmingham and the Tennessee state line.
GRASSY, a Perkins’ original tune included on this album was named for
the little community where he still lives and works as a bricklayer. There
are two other original tunes included: HARRISON’S HORNPIPE and HOWDY FORRESTER’S
HORNPIPE which are outstanding examples of J.T.’s unusual creative talent.
GRASSY is based on ELEPHANT WALTZ which was played by his father.
Luther Perkins was a very good fiddler and an oddity among his fellow
fiddlers around Arab when J.T. was growing up. Prior to World War I, Luther
enrolled in a mail order fiddle music course with the U.S. Music School.
He learned many tunes not commonly known in his area. Luther’s excellent
playing along with his wide repertory gained from the music course, brought
fiddlers from far and near to his house. There is no doubt that Luther
Perkins disseminated more “new” fiddle tunes in his area than any other
fiddler. However, in recognition of J.T.’s great natural talent, he refused
to teach him to read music.
Before J.T. was ten, Luther had to go to the hospital for an extended
stay. When he returned J.T. was playing his fiddle extraordinarily well
for one of his age. Although his grandfather Forrester had taught him
to play the mandolin, he taught himself to play the fiddle.
Then when he was about eleven an exciting thing happened to him. Riley
Puckett traveling with a “Smokey Joe” Jenks visited Grassy. They came
to visit Leamond Forrester, J.T.’s uncle, who played guitar in medicine
shows with Jenks. During the visit Puckett decided to make a series of
personal appearances in the North Alabama area with Jenks and Forrester.
Then the thrill of a lifetime happened to eleven year old J.T. Perkins.
After hearing J.T. play the fiddle, Puckett decided to take him along
as part of the show. Forrester asked Puckett if they would need to make
out a program for their young fiddler. To this day J.T. vividly remembers
Riley Puckett’s relpy: “Naw. Let the boy play what he wants to in any
way he wants to. We’ll just follow him.” It was Puckett’s guitar work
behind his fiddle that, as J.T. puts it: “set me afire to really play
the fiddle.”
A few years later J.T. started competing with Luther in local fiddlers’
contests and, as he progressed, frequently won over his dad. Luther wasn’t
used to losing very often, expecially to his young son, and an intense,
yet friendly rivalry developed between the two.
In his late teens J.T. set out on a period of wild oats sowing in which
the firey, locally made moonshine played a part. With a chuckle, he recalls
getting into a Saturday afternoon fight in Arab during one of his sprees
and landing in jail. He sent word to Luther to come and get him out. Luther
showed up at the jail and assured J.T. he would get him out . . . on Sunday
morning after a local fiddlers’ contest was held! The usual nip and tuck
fiddle battle between father and son wasn’t staged that night. Luther
won and, wearing a wide grin and proudly showing his first prize, he arrived
at the jail with J.T.’s bail.
Although J.T. developed into one of the best fiddlers (if not the best)
in Alabama, he laid aside the fiddle in favor of the electric bass when
interest in old time fiddling waned in the late 40’s and 50’s. He started
fiddling again when the 1967 formation of The Tennessee Valley Old Time
Fiddlers’ Association reawakened interest in the area. Since that time
he has honed and developed his style and playing skill to the point of
being nationally recognized and respected as a top fiddler.
While Arthur Smith exerted considerable influence on his playing, Big
Howdy Forrester and Kenny Baker have influenced him more than all other
fiddlers. He has been honored and thrilled to meet and play with these
two most influential fiddlers of all time on several occasions recently.
HOWDY FORRESTER’S HORNPIPE is J.T.’s tribute to this great fiddler.
He has strongly emerged as one of America’s best contemporary fiddlers
in the last three years. His list of contest wins during this period is
quite impressive. He won the Tennessee Valley Championship at Athens,
Ala. In 1972 and scored many important victories in 1973. These include
the Renfro Valley Grand Championship, Championship of the Cumberlands
in Smithville, Tenn., Grand Championship at the annual Florence, Ala.
Convention and the Mid-South Championship at Memphis. But his most important
victory was his second place win at the 2nd Annual Grand Master’s Fiddlers’
Contest at Opryland in June, 1973. This event is invitational in which
25 of the best fiddlers in the U.S. and Canada compete.
I think you will agree with the judges in the above contests when you
listen to this outstanding fiddler bring forth showers of notes as he
plays SOLDIER’S JOY and FORKED DEER. And his smooth, beautiful renditions
of WHISTLER’S WALTZ and MARTIN’S WALTZ. His versatility is apparent as
he goes from hornpipe to breakdown; from Texas swing to waltz. All of
this plus the exciting improvisations he puts in all of the tunes he plays
bring the enjoyment of fine fiddling to new heights.
Bill Harrison
January 24, 1974
Produced by
Steve Davis & Bill Harrison
Engineer
Bill Trigg