J.P. Fraley
J.P. Fraley
Genres: fiddle
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About J.P. Fraley
J.P. Fraley has lived in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Taught to fiddle as a child by his father, he embraced the old-time mountain music of his heritage, as well as the popular country and swing music of his adult years. Known for his uniquely beautiful tone and his soulful touch on waltzes and two-steps, J.P.'s fiddling can be quite a moving experience. As a coal mining equipment salesman, J.P. not only traversed the Appalachian coal belt, but was sent to such diverse places as Italy, Brazil and Norway. He was exposed to the music of these cultures, too, which has added even more variety to his repertoire. And, as a champion of his local 'liars' contests' J.P. can spin tall tales with the best of them! Fraley's recordings span thirty years, as he and his late wife Annadeene entertained festivals and audiences here and abroad. Two generations of fiddlers have been influenced by his style and repertoire. The Fraley's 1972 "Wild Rose of the Mountain" remains a classic in their collections, and their more recent "Maysville" is sure to follow suit. In 2000 he released a recording of twin fiddling with Betty Vornbrock, entitled Side By Side and featuring a familiar Fraley frolic of waltzes, two-steps, and other old-time numbers. With banjoist Bert Gavin, Fraley was featured on the Rounder anthology of Kentucky Old Time Banjo. He also accompanies cowboy singer Glenn Ohrin at concerts and on the album A Cowboy's Life, also released on Rounder. He also works hard to provide opportunities for his genre of musicians, organizing a regular series of festivals such as J.P. Fraley's Mountain Music Festival in Olive Hill, KY. Fraley received the Appalachian Treasure Award from Morehead State University in 1998.
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