ADAM HURT: Insight

Adam Hurt

Insight

© 2006 Adam Hurt (783707375304)

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Elegantly innovative clawhammer banjo

tracks

1 Poplar Bluff
2 Garfield's Blackberry Blossom
3 Fair Morning Hornpipe
4 Sandy River Belle
5 Cumberland Gap / Johnny, Don't Get Drunk
6 Chinese Breakdown
7 Kansas City Rag
8 Old Dangerfield
9 Catlettsburg
10 Hell Among the Yearlings
11 Rebel Raid / Temperance Reel
12 Camp Chase
13 June Apple
14 Bonnie Prince Charlie
15 L & N Rag
16 Durang's Hornpipe
17 Big Scioty
18 Sally Ann
19 Lost Girl

notes

Deemed a "banjo virtuoso" by the Washington Post, Adam Hurt draws on diverse musical influences from the North Carolina piedmont, the mountains of central West Virginia, the Ohio River Valley, and beyond to create his own elegantly innovative clawhammer banjo playing. At age 24, Adam has already placed in or won most of the major old-time banjo competitions including Clifftop, Mount Airy, and Galax, and won the state banjo championships of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, as well as the state fiddle championships of Virginia and Maryland. A gifted and respected teacher, Adam has conducted banjo workshops at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Augusta Heritage Center, and Appalshop, among other venues around the country.

In 2006, Adam released his second CD, "Insight," on the Ubiquitone label. This recording highlights Adam's innovative banjo playing both in solo settings and with accompaniment by Cathy Fink (guitar, banjo, bouzouki), Beth Hartness (guitar), Marcy Marxer (guitar, mandolin, uke), and Jarred Nutter (fiddle). The selections found on this CD represent a surprising diversity of traditional Appalachian music, running the gamut from Round Peak stalwarts to stringband rags, from a Bill Monroe original to three Ed Haley tunes recorded on clawhammer banjo for the first time.


Discography:

solo projects
-"Insight" (Ubiquitone, 2006)
-"Intrigue" (Copper Creek Records, 2002)


anthologies
-"Old Time Banjo Festival" (Rounder Records, 2007)
-"Banjo in the Clawhammer Tradition" (Jim Lloyd Productions, 2007)
-"Clifftop--Best of 2005" (West Virginia Division of Culture and History, 2006)
-"69th Annual Old Fiddlers' Convention" (Heritage Records, 2005)


participation on other projects
-debut CD by fiddler Chance McCoy (release expected in early 2008)
-CD by fiddler Jerry Correll (release expected in early 2008)
-"Banjo Talkin'" by Cathy Fink (Rounder Records, 2007)
-"Time Machine" by Dakota Dave Hull (Arabica Records, 2007)


Selected appearances:

-The Birchmere--Alexandria, Virginia (2007)
-Brandywine Friends of Old-Time Music--Newark, Delaware (2007)
-Folk Music Society of New York--Brooklyn, New York (2007)
-Folklore Society of Greater Washington--Rockville, Maryland (2007)
-Appalachian String Band Music Festival--Clifftop, West Virginia (2006)
-Strathmore Hall--Rockville, Maryland (2006)
-FOOTMAD Fall Fling--Beckwith, West Virginia (2004, 2005, 2006)

reviews

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  • Hello From Alabama
    author: Bob Tedrow

    Got the CD spinning right here while I build concertinas, I hope some of the good music sticks to my work! Good on yer Adam! Bob Tedrow Tedrow Concertinas

  • Insight
    author: Jim

    When a musician can redefine an approach to the music as Adam Hurt has done on ‘Insight’ it takes your breath away. It did that to me anyway and he has done it with such grace that the bridge between the established and the new doesn’t seem like a bridge at all. This is a remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable work well deserving of its title. Many thanks Adam and company.

  • A rising star
    author: Spencer Gay

    Love the piano on Lost Girl The Clawhammer is ethereal but grounded A must download for Old Time fans Truly a rising star

  • Beautiful modern clawhammer
    author: Donald Ridgway

    These are lovely renditions of mostly old fiddle tunes and songs by a young player who brings a new sensibility to the pieces. I've been hearing elistist, insider, more-rootsy-than-thou nonsense like John's review for decades. Not soulful enough, too slick, etc. Phooey. If you want the originals, get those. This is delightful music.

  • Easy Listenin'
    author: John

    I had the pleasure of listening to Adam's new CD recently and found it to be well crafted, and well produced. The playing has a certain initial sparkle about it that lends itself to a broad audience. (Unlike the traditional Appalachian tunes he plays.) As an avid listener of traditional Appalachian music, I do however find that some of the essential (at least for me) subtleties of the music are stripped down and refined into a smooth, bouncy ride that maybe is to slick for those used to the true masters who have come before. A perfect example is the treatment of "Rebel Raid." At first listen it echoes the melody first collected by Alan Lomax back in 1937 from Kentucky fiddler William H. Stepp... but with closer examination, Adam's version destroys the neutral and naturalized tones in favor of a more standardized scale. Those not familiar with Stepp's version and its "other world" invocations may deem it justifiably worthy. As the CD progresses, I do sense that Adam is calculating his playing like a high speed computer processor and what at first seems to be melodic clarity turns into a muddy melody line. One of the most soulful fiddle tunes to emerge from the Appalachian tradition, "Big Sciota" is rendered in a fashion that flaunts technical prowess over the dirt and soul that West Virginia fiddler Burl Hammons gave to the piece. Despite my "picki-ness," I can appreciate the fact that Adam has respected the music enough to process it into something beautiful and palatable to modern ears. If you're into "easy listenin" forms of traditional American music, then this is the disc for you. If a more organic and heartfelt sound is your style, then there are plenty of other great and technically efficient players of the ancient style of clawhammer to choose from.

  • virtuoso clawhammer playing
    author: ian mccann

    An interesting selction of tunes played with great artistry and sensitivity. Clawhammer banjo at its best.

  • Not much to add to all the superlatives already heaped on this album
    author: Dave Arthur (Rattle On the Stovepipe)

    It's tricky giving anything a 5 out of 5 'awsome' marking because it leaves you with nowhere to go when something truly 'awsome' comes along, either from Adam, who, I'm sure, is capable of becoming genuinely awsome, or from some other young up and coming player. At the moment he's just a terrific player, who is still young and developing his technique. He has superb, touch, tone and timing, and that extra dash of inventiveness that raises some players above the crowd. What he mustn't do is to make technique a substitute for soul. For me the difference, generally, between bluegrass and Old Time banjo is that one is from the head and one is from the heart. I'd personally rather hear poor broken down Morgan Sexton's beautiful 'Shady Grove', Obray Ramsay's perfect 'Little Margaret' or Roscoe Holcomb's driving, up-picked, 'Little Birdy' than any half dozen technically perfect bluegrass players. There are as many styles of banjo playing, all with their own beauty and value, as there are banjo players, and Adam has found a niche for himself with his flowing melodic clawhammer, and sounds like no-one else, he is musically his own man, and one destined to lay down the bench mark for other young, and not so young, players to live up to. It's definately one of my favourite banjo albums of the last few years, although I do find listening straight through to nineteen tracks, however accomplished, of banjo music, a labour of love as much as a pleasure. That being said, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know what good Old Time banjo can sound like when sprinkled with a pinch of magic dust.

  • Clawhammer banjo at it's very best
    author: Jim Heiman

    Hands down my favorite clawhammer banjo cd. Incredible timing and tone. This is a must have for anyones old time collection. I'm buying a couple more as presents for friends. Encore Adam encore.

  • Excellent Clawhammer Banjo
    author: Ray Finch

    I've been playing and listening to banjo music of all kinds for over 30 years. This CD is in my top 5 albums of banjo work. Some of the best clawhammer playing I've heard.

  • Excellent in every way!
    author: Terry Carstensen

    Fantastic banjo playing with a great variety of songs and sounds. We're awaiting your next CD, Adam!

  • As a Scruggser of 40 tears standing, my picks are off to Adam.
    author: Banjoman

    As a Scruggser of 40 tears standing, my picks are off to Adam. Absolutely amazing taste, tone, and technique. Simply great music.

  • One of the best
    author: Bill Eickmeier

    Wonderful clawhammer playing with excellent phrasing, timing, and touch. Adam has excellent backup fiddle, guitar, and banjo on this CD. In particular, the "Cumberland Gap/Johnny, Don't Get Drunk" and the "Rebel Raid/Temperance Reel" tracks are show stoppers. Cudos to Adam, Cathy Fink, Beth Hartness, Marcy Marxer, and a great young fiddle player Jarred Nutter. Maybe some day I can play with the some of the sensitivity Adam brings to his music.

  • Good job
    author: Banjobyo

    The best Adam Hurt CD so far, a real pleasure. His playing on the 1st album is awesome as well but this is way better produced and mixed. This is modern, creative and traditional at the same time. The old Dobson banjo sounds so sweet and the co-musicians bring nice variety to the album although I'd listen to Adam's solo banjo as well.

  • Listen children, this is how it's done.
    author: William Montague

    Melodic, lyrical, smooth, perfect attack and timing, incredible tone, inventive, lively.... Adam demonstrates amazing talent and skill. This is a "must have" you really must have!

  • AMAZING!
    author: Tory Gallery

    I think this cd really shines. All the musicians on it are so wonderful!

  • Outstanding!
    author: Stan Shapin

    Excellent CD. Adam's old-time banjo-playing is unusually musical,tasteful, and innovative. Album is very well- produced with outstanding accompanying musicians.

  • Fantastic CD
    author: S.Curry Nashville TN

    Get a copy. You got to hear the Fiddle playing on the CD!! This guy is an awsome fiddle player. Banjo is also good!

  • author: B Brown

    Great CD from start to finish!

  • Melodic and very Musical...get a copy today!
    author: John Balch

    Adam’s clawhammer banjo playing is melodic and very musical. His signature style bounces, dances, and soars along with these well-articulated melodies. He skillfully coaxes bell-like tones from some great sounding banjos and even adds a nice version of Lost Girl on the piano to close the cd. There are nineteen traditional tunes on this disc. My personal favorites are: Fair Morning Hornpipe, and Hell Among the Yearlings. Both are fantastic banjo/fiddle duets with Jarred Nutter featuring very tight note-for note unison and harmony playing. Insight is well recorded and tastefully mixed. The banjo is nicely framed in traditional sounding arrangements. I recommend this cd highly…get a copy today!

  • A wonderful CD
    author: Reinhard Gress Germany

    I first heard Adam at Clifftop 2000. He is incredible good now. One of my best oldtime banjo CD's in my collection now.

  • I'm buying another copy 'cause it's awesome.
    author: Kate Somerville

    I heard the tail end of this man play at Mt. Airy in '06 and ran around backstage to ask him his name. Adam Hurt's playing takes one away from a mental drift and calls a listen-up! His smooth sound is articulate, thoughtful and tasty. It's guys like him that make me wonder why they would want to pick up a fiddle (give fingernails a rest?). This banjo CD is good enough for a best friend's birthday present. The tunes and the musicians with him are very fine.

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