Some “Fancy Fiddle” from an Ohio champion
THE CD: “Fancy Fiddle” (CNT Tri-Agle-Far CDTR7 
PERFORMER: Curly Herdman
WHERE: Available from CNT Tri-Agle-Far Records, P.O. Box 4112, Dayton, Ohio 45401. Or from this site.
This album from Curly Herdman, the late Ohio contest fiddler was recorded in 1967. Among the backup musicians is younger brother Troy Herdman. The guitarist helped to judge the Vandalia gathering contests for many years. Herdman was born and raised in Jackson County in 1918, started fiddling at age 9 and grew up playing local square dances. He worked in radio in the 1930s, inlcuding a stint at the Renfro Valley Barn Dance.
Herdman was a prolific composer of fiddle tunes. Six of the 12 selections here are originals. As befitting a former Ohio state champion, Herdman is firmly rooted in the contest style, with lots of fancy bow work and rich tone. “Rachel” gets a pretty good workout, as does the very familiar sounding “Run, Rabbit, Run.” (According to Ivan Tribe’s liner notes, the latter tune is an original.)
“Dixie Hoedown” and “Big Tracy” feature some nice three-finger banjo counterpoint from Joe Tanner. “Running Bear” has some wonderful long bow pulls and notey passages that end right on time! “Rocus’s Reel” gives the whole band a chance to trade breaks.
For lovers of contest fiddling, this CD is a nice look back at an early standard bearer. The transfer to CD sounds like it came from the original vinyl LP, not tape, and sounds just fine.
— By Paul Gartner
