Biography
Marvin Gaster of North Carolina occupies an uncommon position, having moved between two markedly divergent chapters in the story of Appalachian music. He once guided a mule across farmland and supplied music for gatherings where laborers sought relief from their labors. In the 1970s he earned a history degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, an environment then richer in old-time music than most mountain communities. Later, in middle age, he joined the circuit of folk festivals and high-fidelity studio sessions. Banjo authority Bob Carlin of Winston-Salem has called him “the last in a line of Lee County two finger banjo pickers.” Although best remembered for his partnership with the late John Hartford, Carlin produced a Rounder CD of Gaster’s playing in 1995.
Gaster was not the first musician in his line. Fiddlin’ John Morris Francis Gaster, who died in 1942, preceded him. Big John Gaster, however, despised music; his fiddling son therefore retreated to a farm-building roof to practice unheard. Marvin’s own father played guitar, yet the decisive influence arrived when his parents sought work elsewhere and left him with childless relatives. There his uncle, Henry Perry, became the central figure. Perry had performed professionally into the 1920s alongside brother Lacy Perry and cousin Everton Spivey, both fiddlers. He had acquired his style from Abner Crutchfield and Bascom Caviness, a Civil War veteran. With Perry, musical occasions were woven into necessary labor; “frolics” followed corn shuckings or land clearings, dancers continuing until sunrise before returning to the fields. Gaster recalls fiddler John Williams who carried his instrument in a flour sack and the dry-cleaner bag that held his own first banjo, purchased for thirty-six dollars. Only then did he discover that Uncle Henry also played the banjo.
Switching between banjo and fiddle, Gaster absorbed the instruments from local players while electricity arrived and the frolics gave way to dances in town halls. Larger, louder spaces prompted fingerpicks, and the style of Uncle Henry began to fade. Fiddler W. Earl Wicker guided him toward greater professionalism; together they won contests, performed weekend events, many of them benefits, and appeared on two Sanford radio stations in the 1940s. Gaster experimented briefly with a third finger before returning to the older technique. Still in high school, he earned roughly twelve dollars a night alongside Alton Williams. The 1950s brought a long hiatus while he raised a family amid shifting times.
In the late 1960s he resumed playing with full commitment, joined by fiddler Lauchlin Shaw and guitarist-harmonica player Wade Yates for weekend dances around Chapel Hill. That locale proved advantageous as the 1970s unfolded and interest in old-time music revived. Regular sessions at several community homes, including Shaw’s, generated new bands and introduced Gaster to fiddler Norm Boggs, who became a steady collaborator. The 1980s found him immersed in fiddle gatherings, festivals, contests, and jams. Retirement from teaching in 1993 freed still more time. Brother Harry Gaster then took up the bass and began traveling with him. Mid-decade brought the chance to record a full Rounder album, uniting Boggs, Yates, and Harry; the disc, dedicated to Uncle Henry, received enthusiastic notices. Gaster remains a familiar presence at southern fiddlers’ conventions, most often beside fiddler J.P. Fraley or banjoist Will Keys, whose approach mirrors his own, and he particularly enjoys performing with younger players who carry the tradition forward.
Gaster was not the first musician in his line. Fiddlin’ John Morris Francis Gaster, who died in 1942, preceded him. Big John Gaster, however, despised music; his fiddling son therefore retreated to a farm-building roof to practice unheard. Marvin’s own father played guitar, yet the decisive influence arrived when his parents sought work elsewhere and left him with childless relatives. There his uncle, Henry Perry, became the central figure. Perry had performed professionally into the 1920s alongside brother Lacy Perry and cousin Everton Spivey, both fiddlers. He had acquired his style from Abner Crutchfield and Bascom Caviness, a Civil War veteran. With Perry, musical occasions were woven into necessary labor; “frolics” followed corn shuckings or land clearings, dancers continuing until sunrise before returning to the fields. Gaster recalls fiddler John Williams who carried his instrument in a flour sack and the dry-cleaner bag that held his own first banjo, purchased for thirty-six dollars. Only then did he discover that Uncle Henry also played the banjo.
Switching between banjo and fiddle, Gaster absorbed the instruments from local players while electricity arrived and the frolics gave way to dances in town halls. Larger, louder spaces prompted fingerpicks, and the style of Uncle Henry began to fade. Fiddler W. Earl Wicker guided him toward greater professionalism; together they won contests, performed weekend events, many of them benefits, and appeared on two Sanford radio stations in the 1940s. Gaster experimented briefly with a third finger before returning to the older technique. Still in high school, he earned roughly twelve dollars a night alongside Alton Williams. The 1950s brought a long hiatus while he raised a family amid shifting times.
In the late 1960s he resumed playing with full commitment, joined by fiddler Lauchlin Shaw and guitarist-harmonica player Wade Yates for weekend dances around Chapel Hill. That locale proved advantageous as the 1970s unfolded and interest in old-time music revived. Regular sessions at several community homes, including Shaw’s, generated new bands and introduced Gaster to fiddler Norm Boggs, who became a steady collaborator. The 1980s found him immersed in fiddle gatherings, festivals, contests, and jams. Retirement from teaching in 1993 freed still more time. Brother Harry Gaster then took up the bass and began traveling with him. Mid-decade brought the chance to record a full Rounder album, uniting Boggs, Yates, and Harry; the disc, dedicated to Uncle Henry, received enthusiastic notices. Gaster remains a familiar presence at southern fiddlers’ conventions, most often beside fiddler J.P. Fraley or banjoist Will Keys, whose approach mirrors his own, and he particularly enjoys performing with younger players who carry the tradition forward.
Albums