Vassar Clements along with The Del McCoury Band on All Star Bluegrass Celevbration II DVD. Recorded on April 2nd 2003 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN
I love going back and watching these videos of Vassar. He was like a grandfather to me, and seeing all the videos of him playing his ass off makes me feel like he's still here. Miss him a lot.
I was blessed to get to sit around a campfire with Mr Clements and others at the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival at Mole Lake, Wi. in the early 70's, what a great time that was! Thx for posting this video.
On Vassar's fiddle dvd, "The Fiddle According to Vassar," he states that he wrote this tune for someone else and years later Charlie Daniels adapted it for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Apparently there were a few versions of what was originally Vassar's tune. Like the gentleman he was, he was happy to let others adapt and create without claiming priority. Those I know who payed with him have nothing but good things to say about him.
Vassar was as good as it gets. Got to meet him in Dallas in the 80's. Smoked a pipe. Would put it lit into his pocket-play-take it out and puff.Great. He ,Chubby Wise, Benny Martin and others grew up in Depression. Would play bluegrass one night, formal dance the next. They had to be versatile to eat. Loved them all, but Vassar was and is still my favorite. Get lucky once in a while and hit one of his unique licks. It's so easy that it's almost impossible.
One of the best. When they get to that level it’s kind of what you’re in the mood for. Vassar,Byron Berline, Kenny Baker, Benny Thomason, Stuart Duncan, etc etc.
@@fentonjames Charlie D. (like Geo Harrison) was somewhat noted for that sort of thing. John D Loudermilk did sue him (I think) for Long Haired Country Boy, which was almost JDL's Bad News. Don't recall if he won.
Ya know gang, alot of fiddle tunes sound alike. Charlie daniels just compiled a few of them to make his music. Nothing new here. I been playin fiddle for 40 years now and once in awhile i mistake one tune for the other. And yes, I did have the chance to meet Vassar Clements in FT. Collins Colorado. A fine ,gentle figure of a man. He let me hold his fiddle to check it out. Iit was nice. The Advice he gave me was"Never quit playin or get discouraged with the fiddle" God rest his soul! Dont Hate!!
@acefiddle No body is hating on Charlie Daniels! BUT he did take Devil went down to georgia from this mainly. BUT that was the point, so I don't dis him at all. All of the tunes he put into that song he put in deliberately. By adding all of those traditional fiddle tunes to his song he made it an instant classic. He did a GREAT job of it. You are right a lot of fiddle tunes sound a like, but he chose the MOST recognizable ones to make his song rise to fame quickly.
Sorry, there's no such Intellectual Property ruling. BTW: Daniels never gave Vassar a nod; never even would talk to him personally about it. Like someone posted here, Vassar was a Gentlemen, Charlie not so much.
I love going back and watching these videos of Vassar. He was like a grandfather to me, and seeing all the videos of him playing his ass off makes me feel like he's still here. Miss him a lot.
I was blessed to get to sit around a campfire with Mr Clements and others at the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival at Mole Lake, Wi. in the early 70's, what a great time that was! Thx for posting this video.
One in a dozen lifetimes fiddler.
On Vassar's fiddle dvd, "The Fiddle According to Vassar," he states that he wrote this tune for someone else and years later Charlie Daniels adapted it for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Apparently there were a few versions of what was originally Vassar's tune. Like the gentleman he was, he was happy to let others adapt and create without claiming priority. Those I know who payed with him have nothing but good things to say about him.
I love to see people doing what they love and lifting our spirits up as well
What a great fiddler and human being he was. Thank you Vassar for all the music and inspiration you left us all.
Vassar was as good as it gets. Got to meet him in Dallas in the 80's. Smoked a pipe. Would put it lit into his pocket-play-take it out and puff.Great. He ,Chubby Wise, Benny Martin and others grew up in Depression. Would play bluegrass one night, formal dance the next. They had to be versatile to eat. Loved them all, but Vassar was and is still my favorite. Get lucky once in a while and hit one of his unique licks. It's so easy that it's almost impossible.
finally the original version
Vasser was the greatest
Simply inspiring!
Vassar and Chubby Both one of a kind
very very veeeerrrry nice music =) wow, damn, i like it
YEE HAW!!!!!!!!! I love it!!
Amazing musicianship!
I don't think they're hating, I mean, it worked that Charlie took Lonesome Fiddle for that song because Vassar DOES play like the Devil!
we miss you Vassar
Vassar Clements - best there ever was?
Certainly one of the top 3!
One of the best. When they get to that level it’s kind of what you’re in the mood for. Vassar,Byron Berline, Kenny Baker, Benny Thomason, Stuart Duncan, etc etc.
Sounds exactly like "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" without lyrics. Thanks Brewhead.
that's because charlie stole it.
@@fentonjames And still denies any "correlation"
@@fentonjames ouch
Charlie is in hell now right where he belongs
@@fentonjames Charlie D. (like Geo Harrison) was somewhat noted for that sort of thing. John D Loudermilk did sue him (I think) for Long Haired Country Boy, which was almost JDL's Bad News. Don't recall if he won.
Ya know gang, alot of fiddle tunes sound alike.
Charlie daniels just compiled a few of them to make his music. Nothing new here. I been playin fiddle for 40 years now and once in awhile i mistake one tune for the other. And yes, I did have the chance to meet Vassar Clements in FT. Collins Colorado. A fine ,gentle figure of a man. He let me hold his fiddle to check it out. Iit was nice. The Advice he gave me was"Never quit playin or get discouraged with the fiddle" God rest his soul!
Dont Hate!!
Fiddle players do it entirely by ear. RIP Vassar Clements.
holy crap, you're so right; i just noticed thanks to you... dwdtg is still a great song
Me thinks that CDB more specific Charlie Daniels may have borrowed a few licks for The devil went down to Georgia.
Read the wikipedia article on the CDB song.
@acefiddle No body is hating on Charlie Daniels! BUT he did take Devil went down to georgia from this mainly. BUT that was the point, so I don't dis him at all. All of the tunes he put into that song he put in deliberately. By adding all of those traditional fiddle tunes to his song he made it an instant classic. He did a GREAT job of it. You are right a lot of fiddle tunes sound a like, but he chose the MOST recognizable ones to make his song rise to fame quickly.
I think I know what inspired the fiddle in the devil went down to Georgia
He borrowed a couple of fiddle songs to create it.
I think Charlie took just under the 4 bars or whatever the copyright limit is, so it was legal.
Sorry, there's no such Intellectual Property ruling.
BTW: Daniels never gave Vassar a nod; never even would talk to him personally about it.
Like someone posted here, Vassar was a Gentlemen, Charlie not so much.
holy crap, ray charles can play
@acefiddle so you must know Eric Levine then?
his bow is really loose?!
Your not anyones grandson much less Vassar's.
Yes. Doc Watson is blind.
Phoe, there are quite a few false tones in his playing...
Is this early rave music ?
Dumm-Tiss-Dumm-Tiss-Dumm-Tiss-Dumm-Tiss-Dumm-Tiss-