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Show Page THE HERALD. Provo. Utah. Wednesday. November 36A - ' 1. 1978 Familv Life Ldition ' People Just Don't Know Senator Byrd.. he Blue Grass Fiddler 51 - ft J WASHINGTON il'PIi On his legislative and histrionic skills alone. Robert Byrd may already have earned star biihng in the cast of political actors who have strutted across 190 years of Senate theater. But there's another dimension to the often dour, ducktail-coiffeSenate Democratic leader. He is an accomplished b'uegrass fiddler, and the musical recording he has just made may take its place with the political record he has compiled during 32 years of representing West Virginians. County Records of Floyd. Va . is releasing an album called "Mountain Fiddler." featuring the onetime butcher from Sophia. W.Va., playing and singing away on 14 tunes ranging from "Turkey in the Straw" to Kris Kristofferson's "Come Sundown.' Because it is close to Appalachia and has had a disc jockeys, the nation's capital also has been a center of bluegrass music in recent years. Although still known by some as "hillbilly music." bluegrass is one of the fastest growing and most popular music forms Its boom in Washington has been supported by white collar professionals government officials, lawyers, scientists, journalists who stomp their feet in bluegrass taverns and buv recordings with the same ardor and cash that teenaged girls give John Travolta. "We've got a college audience now," says Gary Henderson, who runs weekend bluegrass programs on a Washington educational station. "They're very sophisticated " The most popular bands he explained, "have tried to overcome the mountain subtleties and get away from the nasal sound." three Top groups such as the Country Gentlemen of whom accompany Byrd on his album and the Seldom Scene have a big following for their harmonizing and modern lyrics as well as their instrumental proficiency. Byrd. however, does not have commercial success d t jr SENATE DEMOCRATIC leader Robert Byrd is an accomplished bluegrass fiddler. A musical recording he has just made may take its place with the political record he has complied during 32 years of representing West Virginians.) UPI Telephoto) he learned from a tape recording His thin right arm bowing in precise directions and his lelt fingers dancing across the uppei strings Byrd fights selfconsciousness in front of a photographer and reporter The tunes he plays are more of the mountain sound than the rampaging infused with bagpipe strains Blossom Special.'' of say "Orange bluegrass style which is to a fiddler's convention what "Melancholy Baby" is to a piano bar I wouldn't take time to learn it You just make a lot of sounds like a train." Byrd says derisively, f whis plucking the E string as if to emulate a - far-of- 0 o p ? i 0 0 0 QUARTER 3 0 0 0 POUKR 0 0 WE PUT EVERYTHING ON g o 0 THAT OUGHT TO GO ON'.o 0 0 but mi ii n 0 0 0 J0 TOMATOES For WITH CHEESE) A limited Time o PROVO 0 Mustard 0 0 Catsup & ON k TOASTED Only! SESAME SEED BUN ! A 0 0 OREM oSPRINGVILLE O JJ PICKLES O (85 0 0 0 J! MAYOKXAJSE OKJONS 0 0 jj LETTUCE AM. FORK "WHERE YOUR MEAL IS WAITING TO BE MADE NOT MADE TO BE WAITING I 1 I r 1111 J II II Ir 1 m I J 0 0 0 "V C ( LOOK TO THE FUTURE.. o o o o iwi o o in mind. c 0 c He begins "Turkey in the Straw." instead Classified as old time." the piece is harder to play than the difficult "Orange Blossom Special." Byrd says proudly That's real fiddle playin '." he says When Byrd performs on stage, it won't be performing for the masses who take their bluegrass with generous amounts of beer Distractions bother him "If they're making noise or talking. I won't play. I won't play background music." Playing is a hobby." he explains. "It gives me relaxation It's therapeutic and enjoyable to me, and " many others enjoy it o oo0 d "To me it's already a success in that it is a preservation of the music I play." he said in a recent interview in his office near the Senate floor. "That was why I did it. I doubt it will be a huge commercial success." But he adds quickly with pride, "It's a very good album, a very professional album." The 14 numbers represent a variety of musical e and pop hoedown, Scotch-Irisstyles says producer Barry Poss. The album, recorded on weekends last February, came about at the suggestion of Alan Jabbour, a fiddler who heads the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center. Byrd previously recorded some of his tunes for the Library, and Jabbour suggested to his friend Poss that an album might be in the offing. "I thought it was completely off the wall," recalls Poss. "Our market is really interested in southern string music. The whole idea of him being a prominent figure was not enough. But he was better than I thought he would be." Byrd overcame a beginner's unfamiliarity with a recording studio and worked well with the Gentlemen, Poss says. "They were so professional and solid in their backup work that it allowed him freedom to go where he wanted. It was exciting for them and their playing inspired him. He's really energetic and sort of visually exciting. He flings his arms ail around." Poss says Byrd became every bit the perfectionist there that he is on the Senate floor, insisting on doing as many as 12 takes before getting a tune down right. Byrd, who started playing when he was 10, now has eight violins, each one numbered. "Maybe I ought to give them names," he muses, as he takes No. 6, made in France, out of the case for a demonstration. Each violin is pretuned so he can play certain songs on certain fiddles. This one is tuned for "Black Mountain Rag" and a Scotch tune tle o o o 0 e e I REAL ESTATE, INC. o o o old-tim- msxm x 188 E. Center, Provo 373-665- J o 0 o 0 o o o o o o o o o 0 0 o o 0 o o o Over 30 years of Real Estate experience in Utah serving Valley. 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