I have always gravitated towards acoustic guitar music. The vastness of the tone captivates me—the rich warmth and deep resonance of beautiful tone woods magnified by the crisp, tight grains of the top. But the guitar, no matter the quality of the woods and the mastery of the luthier, does not produce the sound on its own.
The player is the one who knows the guitar and how it responds to different techniques. Anyone can pick up a guitar and learn a few chords, but there are few players who can open a guitar to its true potential.
Courtney Hartman is one of the few guitarists who has mastered not only the techniques of the guitar, but also the ability to bring out its full potential, with wisdom of the characteristics of the instrument.
Hartman has a long musical history rooted in folk and bluegrass music. Coming from a large musical family, the Colorado native has a well-developed musicianship that translates into a breathtaking guitar style and resonant vocals, both unparalleled in modern folk and bluegrass.
After leaving Colorado for the eastern United States, Hartman joined Della Mae, where she released three albums and toured extensively. Her Tony Rice-influenced bluegrass guitar style gave Della Mae the depth of instrumentation needed to bring tradition and innovation to the modern bluegrass scene through original songs and bluegrass classics.
While Hartman was able to showcase her bluegrass skills with Della Mae, her true musicianship rings clear in her solo work and collaborations with other artists. Her 2016 EP “Nothing We Say” is filled with intuitive lyrics and her unique guitar style. Her arrangement of the traditional “Cumberland Gap” is a showcase of her fine-tuned guitar skills with complex picking patterns giving support to the jubilant traditional melody ringing through the layers of sound. “Take Me Back Colorado” from the same release is a letter home.
Hartman is longing for home, for what is familiar from a very unfamiliar place. Accompanied by her gentle guitar, the lyrics elicit a sense of longing for a familiar place, wherever that may be. Hartman is able to leave room in her music for listeners to make their own unique personal connection to the stories she tells.
While Hartman has shown that she can bring originality to a folk and bluegrass world rooted in tradition, she has not lost the ability to pay tribute to the musicians who influenced her most. Her collaboration with Texas piano man Robert Ellis to create their 2017 album “Dear John” is a beautiful tribute to a very influential musician. “Dear John” is a collection of songs written by the late John Hartford and given a new voice by Ellis and Hartman. Hartford has influenced almost every musician in the modern folk and bluegrass scene. Hartford embodied the traditions and values of true American folk music and has passed that on to many musicians.
With both Hartman and Ellis on guitar and their voices resonating with each other, John Hartford’s songs are alive and breathing once more. Hartman and Ellis captivate listeners with their arrangement of “Gentle on My Mind,” one of Hartford’s most well-known songs. “Dear John” also pays tribute to the old-time river music Hartford was known for through songs like “Old Time River Man” and “Delta Queen Waltz.”
Hartman has also collaborated with other musicians in the studio and on stage. Her 2018 collaboration album with Taylor Ashton, “Been on Your Side,” showcases her prowess as a guitarist and her thought-provoking lyrics.
Hartman is a well-rounded musician who excels as both a member of a group and a solo musician. No matter where she is playing or who she is playing with, Hartman consistently enthralls listeners with her genuine and innovative music.
