Missouri Ridge Runners

??-??-1956
John Hartford's Home - University City, MO
Media Type:
FLAC
Source:
reel to reel
Comments:
3 tracks of John Harford (later Hartford) at age 19

Paul Breidenbach - Lead Guitar & Dobro
John Hotze - Second Guitar
David Zeff - Bass
John Harford - Banjo & Vocal
Set 1:
Bells of St.Mary's
Will You Be Lonesome Too
Theme song


Show Notes:
2-15-2004 - by John Hotze

One of my personal reel to reel tapes was captured directly to PC Hard disk from an Otari MX5050. A small amount of clipping that is on the master tape is heard in parts but do to the value of hearing what John sounded like at the young age of 19 is well worth it. I want to thank Keith Kreider for the valuable advice he gave to me on this project along with encouragement from many other GoodleDays Forum members.

This is about a four minute segment of a reel to reel taping done at
John Hartfords home in University City, Missouri. I don't have the specific date but
it was sometime in 1956. The recording was done in mono on a reel to reel tape
recorder. As far as I know from my friendship with John at the time, the Missouri
Ridge Runners was John's first group in which he performed more or less
professionally for a radio station. I'm afraid that Jeff Mankin will have to
correct the introductory writeup on the GoodleDays forum to state "from his
Missouri Ridge Runners era" rather than the "Ozark Mountain Trio" which came a
couple years later. He did do some music performing earlier with his cousins but
not on the radio.The people that made up the Missouri Ridge Runners varied some
over time. As far as I know, Paul Breidenbach performed the most with John during
this period. I spent a bit of time with John accompanying him with my guitar while
he practiced the fiddle or banjo. I'm sure Paul did as well.