A community is a beautiful thing. The individual is forsaken for a greater whole as minds become unified in a search for a singular power. The scope for looking out for one another elevates above the weekly barbecues and distant waves from the property line. If one person is in dire straits, the group creates footing underneath to provide a path to stability.

Perhaps the greatest communal relations lie within the village of music. For example, when Johnny Cash came down with Parkinson’s Disease, musicians from every tangent - from Dave Matthews to Wyclef Jean — came together for a night of musical supremacy. The Man in Black had a glossy tint in his eye as he saw musicians of every genre lend their voices and chords to a great cause.

I witnessed this epidemic of team spirit spill over into the local scene when I received a press release for the first annual Fiddle Aid, a benefit for local fiddler David Bass. The musician is a member of the Freight Hoppers old-time string band, an outfit that has solidified WNC’s reputation as a powerhouse in old-time music. David is in need of a heart transplant, which entails a mammoth amount of financial help. On March 18, local musicians will descend upon Diana Wortham Theatre to help one of their own.

“The purpose of Fiddle Aid is for the old-time music and dance community to help take care of those in our community who need help,” said organizing member Ira Bernstein in a press release. “Many of the musicians of the local music scene live on the edge financially. Through their music they have given much to the community. We want to be able to help those in need of immediate, short-term help due to unforeseen emergencies. We aim to offer help, as well as services provided by fellow musicians and friends in a ‘neighbor-helping-neighbor’ fashion.”

Here’s a list of some of David’s esteemed neighbors:

° David Holt: Perhaps the greatest challenge of a writer is to find a description of “chameleon-like” musicians. To date, I have yet to find an accurate portrayal of the gifted musician/storyteller/historian/television host. David’s mug and voice is splashed all over television and radio series. The entertainer is the host of PBS’s “Folkways,” a show that travels through the Southern Mountains in search of traditional craftsmen and musicians. Not one to be pigeonholed, David also hosts “Riverwalk: Classic Jazz From The Landing.” The show combines stories of jazz stalwarts told by Holt with traditional jazz music of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band.

Mr. Holt is in constant transformation on stage and in the studio. He plays 10 acoustic instruments and has released albums and storybooks of all kinds. His most recent CD, “An Evening with Doc Watson and David Holt,” captures a molten live show that will have any picking guru salivating.

Accolades have been frequent visitors as Dave has picked up Grammys for his unique contributions to tasteful entertainment. In 1996 “Stellaluna,” a collection of bat stories and facts, won the Grammy award. In addition, “Grandfather’s Greatest Hits,”(1992) “Why The Dog Chases the Cat: Great Animal Stories” (1995-with co-teller Bill Mooney), and “Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends” (1999) have all been nominated for Grammys.

Holt is a three-time winner of the Frets magazine readers poll for “best old-time banjoist.” In addition, Esquire Magazine selected Holt for its first “Annual Register of Men and Women Who Are Changing America” in 1984. Notables included Steven Spielberg, Sally Ride and Meryl Streep. All were selected due to personal vision, originality and service to others.

° Frank Lee and Rayna Gellert: Former members of The Freight Hoppers, Frank and Rayna are curators for traditional songs and instrumentals from the rural South. They have gathered material from field recordings and 78 rpm records. Close your eyes and you’ll hear rhapsodies from yesteryear’s as the duo explore fiddle and banjo numbers, fluid country harmonies, and haunting ballads.

Frank has been playing and teaching banjo for over 20 years. He has made three albums with The Freight Hoppers as well as an instructional video on Homespun. Rayna honed her chops in a dorm room at Warren Wilson. This solitary picking has led to stints around the world, including Chile and Europe. She was inducted into the Old Time Fiddler’s Hall of Fame and was recently a fiddle instructor at the Swannanoa Gathering. Her first album, “Ways of the World” was released this past spring.

° Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers: Blizard is an icon in fiddle circles. Old-time connoisseurs revere him for his gorgeous “Southern Appalachian Longbow” fiddle style. His band, The New Southern Ramblers, explore the scope of Appalachian music from traditional fiddle tunes to early country songs.

° Ira Bernstein: The art of percussive street dancing (clog, tap, and step dancing) takes on an almost deity status when Bernstein gets his talented feet going. Ira refers to his art as “Ten Toe Percussion,” where he is the drummer, his feet are the rapid sticks, and the floor is the drum. His “drumkit” has influences from Appalachian flatfooting, English clogging, Irish step dancing, Canadian step dancing, and (take a breath) South African boot dancing. His “drum sticks” have a plethora of “sheaths” including tap shoes (metal and wooden taps), leather-soled shoes, wooden-soled clogs, fiberglass-tipped shoes and rubber boots with bells.

His gifted pedals have shared the stage with such foot masters as Gregory Hines, Lon Chaney, and Benoit Borque, as well as with noted ensembles such as the American Tap Dance Orchestra and Manhattan Tap. His awards are fathoms deep, with the most recognizable being a repetitive first place finish in the Mount Airy Fiddler’s Convention old-time flatfooting competition.

If you’re lucky enough to be in attendance, you’ll feel a pluralized goodness. Not only are you helping out an outstanding musician, but also you’ll see a rare conglomeration of some of the best acoustic players in the world. It’s also a chance to discard the outsider status and become an internal contributor to a community that uses the elemental language of jam sessions and woeful ballads to heal the downtrodden.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News