The Double-Stop King and the Ultimate Bluegrass Fiddler

I jumped the gun yesterday, commemorating the birthday of bluegrass fiddle great, Kenny Baker, a day early! I think, subconsciously, I was just looking for an excuse to post more of Baker’s wonderful work.

I talked yesterday about how Baker broke the mold of bluegrass fiddling. He brought to it the flavor of some of his influences, like western swing genius, Bob Wills, and French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli – both of whom were distinctive stylists in their own right.

You’d think with a sound as unique as that, Baker would have had a little trouble twinning with other bluegrass fiddlers, but the opposite is true. Baker was an outstanding fiddle partner, as he demonstrates here with double-stop king, Bobby Hicks, on a Bill Monroe instrumental entitled, “Panhandle Country”.