Fiddler Buddy Spicher was one of country music's most prolific studio session players of the 1960s and '70s -- it's hard to pick up a Nashville album of that era and not see his name in the credits. Spicher played on countless records, including many of his own solo albums. Here's a quick look at his work...
Buddy Spicher "Buddy Spicher's American Sampler" (Flying Fish, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Michael Melford)
Spicher emerges from the studios into the solo-artist spotlight with this far-ranging set that mixes standards, oldies and newer material, including the ragtime of Scott Joplin, jazz tunes such as "Take The A-Train," Stephen Foster's "Old Kentucky Home" and Appalachian airs such as "Jennie Lynn..." In this authoritative survey of American popular music, Spicher unfortunately had to cover disco-y contemporary tunes such as "Fly Robin Fly," as well as a spin at John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" and Stevie Wonder's "Sunshine Of My Life." Can't say I'm all that into the rock-pop stuff, but I think Spicher was: those songs sound particularly cheesy, but his performances are exuberant and cheerful. A mixed bag, but of course it was meant to be.
Buddy Spicher "Yesterday & Today" (Direct Disk, 1977) (LP)
Buddy Spicher & Buddy Emmons "Buddies" (Flying Fish, 1977) (LP)
Buddy Spicher "Me And My Heroes" (Flying Fish, 1978) (LP)
Buddy Spicher & Benny Martin "The Great American Fiddle Collection" (CMH, 1981) (LP)
Buddy Spicher "Fiddle Classics, v.1" (Flying Fish, 1978) (LP)
Buddy Spicher "Front Porch Fiddle" (Sector, 2000)
Buddy Spicher & Vassar Clements "Runaway Fiddle" (OMS, 2004)
