Tim Stafford

I believe that Tim came up with the idea of he and Kenny doing a guitar duet and they could not have chosen a more suitable tune. This old time melody is wonderfully suited to the acoustic guitar and is one with which many flatpickers are familiar. Guitarists can enjoy the interplay between two gifted pickers and note the subtle differences in each man's approach. All fans of good acoustic music will enjoy the simplicity and the beauty of the arrangement and the clarity of the recording.

Tim and Kenny went over the tune once backstage at a festival and then finished working it up in the studio at Doobie Shea while Tim Austin was getting things ready to record. Tim played in D with a capo over the
first five strings, leaving the low E untouched while Kenny played in C with the capo at the fourth fret. The different chord voicings and melodic choices that ensued from the two of them playing in different positions adds a richness to the arrangement.

Tim Stafford and Kenny Smith at Doobie Shea

The modified chord progression at the end with the nice moving bass line was something that Tim dreamed up. Instead of playing it himself, though, he showed it to Kenny who played it against the melody Tim had in mind.

An interesting aside: both Tim and Kenny used guitars that were "on loan" to record this project. Kenny had an old Washburn short scale and Tim played an odd hybrid guitar that was put together by Dan Lashbrook. It has the neck from a 60's Gibson Snakehead on the body of a 70's curved-back Guild. Dan also reshaped the top braces and installed one of his scalloped nuts. With his reputation for these bizarre creations, Tim has taken to calling Dan the "Frankenstein of luthiers."

"It was a joy working on the project - and Ronnie Stewart's fiddle. This was my first chance to record with Tim Stafford and I really enjoyed it."

Kenny Smith

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