Mother Nature might have made for challenging conditions last Saturday, but those who attended the Fourth Annual International String Band Festival were treated to some of the finest traditional string music heard here in many decades.

Held in conjunction with More than a Taste Of Calhoun, which was cancelled due to severe weather forecasts, the String Band Festival went on without a hitch, and delivered exactly as advertised, if not more.

This Festival was begun in 2007 to raise awareness for Gordon County's rich musical heritage, in the form of influential recording artists Andrew and Jim Baxter and the Georgia Yellow Hammers, who recorded sides for several labels in the late 1920s. Their music is still very much played today, and held in high esteem by those who are knowledgeable of their importance to American Roots Music.

The Harris Arts Center hosted this event and provided plenty of indoor space, as well as the covered porch, to both performers and jammers. The New Coosa Valley Boys, led by Mr. Gene Chastain, started off the day with a fine performance of Bluegrass, in the Community room, followed by Bluetastic Fangrass, a group headed by Chattanooga's Lou Wamp. This pairing of bands yielded a wonderful contrast of the traditional sound with the more modern forms of “Hot-Picking” bluegrass stylings.

The banjo and fiddle competitions followed, allowing a break between band performances. Judy Adams Robinson of Atlanta won 1st Place fiddle and Jim Pankey of Chatsworth took 1st honors on banjo. Ribbon Metals were awarded to 1st , 2nd, and 3rd place, and were of the traditional old-fashion engraved type, and were donated courtesy of Mr. Mick Kinney, who not only judged the contests, but is the fiddle player for both the Groundhawgs and the Georgia Crackers, and an Old Time Fiddle teacher in Atlanta. Many folks may know of his brother, Kevin, of Atlanta's “Drivin' and Cryin'” fame.

Live performances then kicked back off with The Groundhawgs, a very popular area band led by brothers Clayton and Clark Jones, that often features their sister Julie on vocals. The Groundhawgs have recently added both Laney House of Adairsville on banjo and Kevin Osborn of Rome on Standup Bass, and who collectively kicked out a set of that great blend of traditional and original string music they are famous for. These fine musicians cook up a most delicious tuneful stew.

Taking the stage next were the New Binkley brothers from Chattanooga, featuring Daniel Binkley, whose grandfather was in the well-known original 30s band of that name. Fiddler Matt Downer, with Daniel on guitar and banjo, proceeded to grace those attending with an exemplary set of some of the finest Old Time selections ever heard in these parts, done in as authentic a style as one could imagine. Mat recently revived the Chattanooga Fiddling Convention, held a few weeks ago, with the original events drawing upward of 5,000 attendees back in the gathering's 1920s heyday.

A historical presentation was then offered by Joseph Evans, dealing with the importance of the string band tradition to modern music, as well as anecdotal material having to do with this development. Joseph accompanied himself on guitar, singing many of the tunes discussed with such skill as to clearly demonstrate his standing as one of the finest flat-top pickers in this part of the country.

The much-anticipated evening performance then kicked off ay 7 p.m., with The Little Country Giants, whose alt country style is quite well known from Athens to Rome and Nashville to Knoxville, where their songs can be heard on WDVX, a station that also net-casts. Russell and Cameron Cook led their band through a quite pleasant suite of excellent tunes, in a variety of styles, but anchored solidly within the roots music that this festival seeks to honor. Their performance demonstrated such craftsmanship and artistry as is rarely experienced in this burg, and with the high standards associated with much larger venues.

Taking the stage to end this great day of our roots music was the Georgia Crackers, hailing from the Atlanta area, playing as a trio, with fiddler Mick Kinney, Kenneth Johnson on guitar, and Chip Corbitt on banjo. These nattily-hatted gentlemen proceeded to not only demonstrate their great Old-Time musical virtuosity, but identified themselves very quickly as both fans and historians of our great Gordon County recording artists of the 1920's. The Cracker's entire hour-long set was comprised of titles written by Bud Landress, Bill Chitwood, Phil Reeve, Earnest Moody and Clyde Evans of the Georgia Yellow Hammers as well as Resaca's Fate Norris, who played with Riley Puckett's Skillet Lickers.

Like their new CD, this is 100 percent Georgia music, and these Crackers are proud to deliver it in the style that it is intended to be played as well as sharing much in the way of essential information on the great men who wrote this quite influential form of our Old-Time American Southern Roots music that so influenced the later forms of bluegrass, country and rock.

This event was made possible by the generosity of sponsors LGE Community Credit Union, Old Hat Records, and Coppedge & Evans, PC.

The torrential rain may have dampened attendance in numbers, however it did nothing to reduce the appreciation and enthusiasm for all the fine performances enjoyed throughout this day. The Annual International String Band Festival was begun to celebrate and honor our important local musical heritage, and this Fourth installment certainly did this, and more. Look for No.5 next year, on a different date. Y'all come, rain or shine!