Court Square Stage, Saturday

Jim Lansford
Fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo

Kim Lansford
Piano and guitar

Jim and Kim Lansford are rare gems in the world of traditional music. Not only are they two very gifted instrumentalists, but they are also among the finest practitioners of the old-time style of duo singing to be found.

Jim’s prowess on fiddle, guitar, banjo, and mandolin is superbly complemented by Kim’s innovative and meaty guitar playing.And when they sing, their voices blend together to provide a feast for the ear as well as the heart. The Lansford’s have been performing together for over 20 years, and their love for what they do is evident at every turn. They combine taste, ability, and passion to make music worth remembering.

Many signposts have marked the Lansford’s musical passage. These remain rich, persistent sources of inspiration: the songs and tunes gathered by Missouri and Ozark collectors; old-time fiddlers and the tunes that reflect southern and mid-western traditions; field recordings of Lomax and many others; and finally, the commercial recordings of old-time country duets, southern string bands, country blues, and traditional bluegrass.

Biographical information:

Jim and Kim Lansford live on a small farm in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri near Galena, in Stone County. Since 1980 they have performed together at festivals, concerts, workshops and dances across the country. The Lansford’s performances feature an abundance of primal and powerful early country duet singing including songs from the Stanley’s, Delmore’s, Monroe’s, Louvin’s and others. Kim and Jim have also long been devoted to the continual pursuit of expanding their unique repertoire of little-known songs and fiddle tunes gathered both from published and unpublished collections and recordings of traditional music from the Ozarks, Midwest and South.

Jim Lansford - fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals
Jim Lansford has played across the country for over three decades in various old-time and traditional bluegrass contexts and venues. Music of all varieties, unceasing development as an instrumentalist, and a devotion to collecting vintage instruments remain his dominant passions. An accomplished fiddler with southern and mid-western influences, Jim has acquired a large repertoire of tunes from printed, recorded and living sources. His skills as a musician are evident in his tasteful and thoughtfully rendered accompaniments on finger-style and flat-picked guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Jim’s high tenor singing intensifies the powerful voice of his wife Kim, on the close harmony duets that highlight their performances.

Kim Lansford - guitar, vocals, piano
For over thirty years, Kim Lansford has artfully chosen and compellingly interpreted traditional songs. A life immersed in the culture and study of old-time music has resulted in an oeuvre strongly rooted in tradition yet devoid of slavish imitation. Indeed, Kim’s research into American primitive music has uncovered a trove of old songs for which new harmonies and new instrumentation bring about a new appreciation of the message. Rich and nuanced, Kim’s voice perfectly suits the commanding primitive bluegrass songs and the old-time country duets for which she and Jim are well-known.

Kim is also an accomplished instrumentalist and is known to be the favorite back-up guitarist of many an old-time fiddler. Equally adept at piano accompaniment, Kim blends the traditional Missouri piano style with ornamented Canadian effects. Her innovative piano playing is heard in many of the mid-western tunes which form a unique part of Jim’s fiddle repertoire.

Jim and Kim Lansford
521 First Street
Galena, Missouri 65656
klansford@inter-linc.net
417-357-6387
web: kimandjim.com