Pat Dunford Puritan 5012 SEALED LP

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Pat Dunford Puritan 5012 Original 1978 issue. Still factory sealed.

When listeners think of old-time country music or the early days of bluegrass, the locales that come to mind are states such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, or North Carolina. A Midwestern state such as Indiana might have been overlooked completely as a source of this genre of music if it hadn't been for the efforts of Pat Dunford, who tragically died in his late twenties of unknown causes. He began his music trips around Hoosier country while still a teenager. At this point, his state had been almost completely ignored by collectors and other enthusiasts studying the sources of old-time music and seeking out the original players for interviews and sometimes even revitalized careers. He worked with musician and musicologist Art Rosenbaum on the Folkways album entitled Fine Times at Our House, which presented a wide range of traditional music from Indiana. One of that state's master old-time fiddlers was a man named John W. Summers, and it was this album that introduced him to the new audience that was popping up for this type of music. Other Dunford projects involving his skills as a record producer included a collection of performances from the 1963 Galax Fiddler's Convention on the Kanawha label, a recording of folksinger Arnold Keith Storm on Folk Legacy, and the first release of Franklin George, also on Kanawha. This last recording is another masterwork for which Dunford would receive a great deal of credit. George was a West Virginian player of great talent who, up until the time of this release, had been completely unknown to the old-time music fiefdom. This album was also released in Europe on the British Saydisc-Matchbox label, getting great reviews from old-time music fans across the pond. Like many collectors and record producers in this genre, Dunford played music himself but was certainly much more than a dabbler. He had a fine reputation as a guitarist and a banjo player in the clawhammer style. Backing up George on several tracks was a natural move, and he also recorded and performed with players such as Glen Smith & the Mountain State Pickers. In 1967, following the release of Franklin George's project, Dunford was in such a good position as a respected old-time music producer that he had a variety of possible projects in the pipeline. Unfortunately, a motorcycle accident curtailed much of his activity, combined with some serious health problems. He spent a great deal of the '70s back in his home state working in the capacity of a community organizer in Indianapolis. The lure of old-time music beckoned too strongly and in the last year of his life, he retired from this job and went back into the music scene full-time. That summer, he presented a successful concert series at the Indianapolis Eagle Creek Arts and Music Festival, and had just finished recording a follow-up album for George when he died. His funeral service, to no one's surprise, included performances by many musical friends, some of them Indiana performers whose work had been brought to light by Dunford's tireless efforts. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi