Jamie Hartford – Part Of Your History: The Songs Of John Hartford

When a son pays tribute to his departed father, a decent amount of mawkishness can be expected. But on Part Of Your History, Jamie Hartford sounds almost unsentimental, although hardly apathetic; his voice blends a Buck Owens twang into a John Doe flat affect. The elder Hartford’s legacy encompassed both Glen Campbell and the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and Jamie approaches it with clarity, tapping into the essence of folk and country charmers such as “Today”, “Tall Buildings”, and of course “Gentle On My Mind”. Even the stoned chuckle of “Holdin'” rolls with the pleasurable restlessness here. None of the illustrious guests (including Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, and Nanci Griffith) keep Jamie from giving a subdued nod of respectful acknowledgment to the old man.