Live In Holland 1987
It was 1987 and Pieter Groenveld of Strictly Country records had brought his recording equipment to a concert in Holland, in order to capture the event featuring three of bluegrass music’s pioneers—Bill Clifton, Red Rector and Art Stamper. Bluegrass Hall of Famer, Bill Clifton, from Maryland, was instrumental in spreading bluegrass and folk music not only across the US and Canada, but with also taking the music to England, Europe and the Far East.
Clifton also organized one of the earliest bluegrass festivals in 1961 at Oak Leaf Park in Luray, Virginia. Red Rector, from North Carolina, was an excellent mandolin player, having performed with many of the early artists, such as the Morris Brothers, Carl Story, Reno and Smiley, Johnny and Jack, and Bill Clifton.
Art Stamper, from Kentucky, was one of the great pioneer fiddle players who also performed with many of the great early groups, like the Stanley Brothers, Jim and Jesse, Bill Monroe, The Goins Brothers, and Bill Clifton.
In 1987 the three friends got together for a European tour and subsequently put on this wonderful concert in Holland which produced twenty-two selections of some great music. The show reprised such classics as “White Dove,” “Tall Pines,” “Before I Met You,” “A Beautiful Life,” “Amazing Grace,” “Mississippi Sawyer,” “More Pretty Girls Than One,” and even “Lara’s Theme” from the movie “Doctor Zhivago.”
Some other offerings included “East Tennessee Blues,” “Are You Washed In The Blood,” “Won’t It Be Wonderful There,” “McKinley’s March,” and a nice fiddle tune medley. The sound quality of this project is excellent as is the mix, with Clifton’s lead vocals backed by Rector and Stamper. Kudos to Strictly Country records for not only capturing this wonderful event but for producing this great live project of three of the best of the pioneers in bluegrass music.
