Guitarists Bryan Sutton and Kenny Smith reunite on “Three Star Hornpipe,” the latest duet in Sutton’s From Roots to Branches series.
Sutton said he met Smith soon after moving to Nashville, when Smith was already established there and doing work with Gallagher Guitars in Wartrace. A visit about one of Sutton’s guitars soon led to a playing session, and the two have remained connected since.
Moreover, Sutton said Smith’s approach to fiddle tunes made him a natural fit for the piece. He praised Smith for keeping melody at the center of his playing and for bringing what he described as a refined, understated sound.
“I love the way Kenny is so reverential towards fiddle tunes,” Sutton shared. “He really finds the sweet spot in his guitar artistry, but you hear the melody, and it’s such a classy sound. I found this old tune that I heard at a jam session in western North Carolina, and sent it to him and said, ‘What do you think? Here’s one that neither of us have ever played.’ He didn’t know it, but he was game to learn!”
Although “Three Star Hornpipe” has a memorable melody, it has appeared only rarely on record. Here, however, Sutton and Smith give it a clear, measured reading that highlights both the tune’s warmth and their long musical rapport.
“I didn’t necessarily want to do an obvious low-hanging fruit kind of fiddle tune,” Sutton added, “and here was a newer tune that he was game to do. So that’s how we got into that tune, and I just love what he did with it.”
“That’s one of the more mellow tracks on the record,” Sutton said, “and I love it because, again, it really features this beautiful melody. Kenny always puts tone and melody first, and when I hear qualities like that in players, I think, ‘I want more of that — I want to hear that in me,’ and that’s what I love about Kenny Smith’s playing.”
Author: World Music Central News Room
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