Whenever discussions arise regarding a musical genre's revival, friction frequently emerges between preservationists favoring scholarly, concert-hall renditions and enthusiasts intent on restoring the music's original exuberance. During the 1970s resurgence of Appalachian old-time string band traditions, even the most rigorous folklorists and collectors derived genuine pleasure from performance, yet no group embodied audience enjoyment more fully than the Highwoods String Band. Banjoist Mac Benford often described their ethos as "all about fun -- fun for us and fun for our audiences."
The late-1960s San Francisco music environment is commonly associated with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Santana, yet street-level performances formed an equally vital component of Bay Area culture. Busking ensembles included All-Skate, whose stilt-walking lineup featured fiddler Bob Potts; Dr. Humbead's New Tranquility String Band, whose banjo role belonged to New Jersey-born Benford; and the Busted Toe Mudthumpers, anchored by New York native Walt Koken on fiddle and banjo. After these groups disbanded concurrently, Potts, Benford, and Koken united as Fat City, concentrating on vigorous fiddle-and-banjo material drawn from early country artists such as the Skillet Lickers and the Georgia Yellow Hammers. The rare presence of dual fiddlers, combined with Potts and Koken's contrasting yet interlocking styles, distinguished Fat City within the regional scene, while the trio's dry, humorous stage presence heightened its appeal.
Visibility beyond California increased following their 1971 appearance at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C. Koken's return to Ithaca, New York, in 1972 prompted Potts and Benford to relocate shortly afterward. The transformation into the Highwoods String Band occurred with the addition of guitarist Doug Dorschug and bassist Jenny Cleland, who supplied a robust rhythmic foundation. Although guitar accompaniment had long existed in old-time music, Dorschug's approach, as later observed by New Lost City Ramblers member John Cohen, incorporated ragtime inflections that further enriched the ensemble's power. Cleland's driving bass, meanwhile, represented a notable innovation, given the instrument's rarity in traditional Appalachian households. This blend of attitude, presentation, technique, and value resonated with former 1960s counterculture listeners who had grown weary of rock and heavy metal.
As events such as the Brandywine Mountain Music Convention proliferated nationwide, the Highwoods String Band served as a central attraction throughout most of the 1970s, until touring fatigue and domestic obligations led to their dissolution at decade's end. Benford subsequently established the Backwoods Band, recording for Rounder Records before its 1981 breakup; he later directed Mac Benford's Old Time Band and, in 1990, launched the Woodshed All-Stars, touring extensively through the 1990s. Koken issued solo banjo albums on Rounder in the early 1990s, then partnered with Benford to form Mudthumper Music and released the solo album Finger Lakes Ramble in 1998. By 1999, all five original Highwoods members resided in the Ithaca area and convened informally for occasional performances. Their principal contribution lay in attracting numerous young listeners to old-time music through both instrumental excellence and evident enjoyment. Reflecting on their 1970s peak, Walt Koken remarked, "Ironically, the more well-known we became, the less necessary we were to the growing old-time music scene, since one of the messages is to do it yourself -- unplug it, and take it home!"
