The Fiddle Collection – Special Edition: Benny Martin

CMH Records this month released “The Fiddle Collection – Special Edition: Benny Martin,” an out-of-print album from 1977 that showcases Martin’s powerful, innovative fiddling.This, the first CD version of the classic fiddle album, includes bonus tracks featuring the late John Hartford, who had collaborated with Martin on some of his own classic off-the-wall albums.

The release has been re-mastered from the original studio tapes, according to CMH.

Included are classics such as “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “The Fiddler’s Dream,” “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Lara’s Theme” and “Beautiful Dreamer.”

Round and robust Martin, who died in 2001, was known as “Big Tiger” or “Big Tige” among his bluegrass family, knicknames he garnered for his exuberant stage presence.

According to All Music Guide’s biography of the famous fiddler, Martin performed with many legends, including Bill Monroe, Hank Williams Sr., Roy Acuff, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Don Reno and Tom T. Hall.

In 2005, the International Bluegrass Music Association posthumously indicted Martin into its Hall of Honor.

The Jim & Jesse Story: Special Edition

Also released this month by CMH is another album reissue of “The Jim & Jesse Story: Special Edition,” which gives a song-by-song look at the McReynolds’ brothers careers. It also has been digitally remastered and includes four bonus tracks from the original vinyl release.

Known for its “Pickin’ On …” series of CD tributes to popular artists of all genres, CMH also just released a similar project,entitled “The Gospel According to Hank Williams: The Bluegrass Gospel Tribute.”

Details about the new releases and CMH’s extensive bluegrass-oriented catalog can be found at www.cmhrecords.com