For more than 40 years, fans of the late, great Mike Humphreys have wanted a professional recording of Mike's music. Until now, all they had was what was captured on little tape recorders. While Artist with the Bow is not the result of a professional recoridng session, it has come about from the restoration of those home recordings

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"Legendary" is an over-used term, but it's the only one that applies to the late fiddler Mike Humphreys, who today is cited by hundreds of Appalachian masters as being one of their primary influences.

Mike was born in 1919 on Wills Creek, near Elkview, W.Va., the son and grandson of musicians, and grew up to be friends with the famed Clark Kessinger, widely proclaimed the grandfather of traditional fiddling.

Many West Virginians today still recall Mike Humphreys' performances on radio and early television.

"I first met Mike Humphreys when I was 16 years old," says fiddler Bobby Taylor. "I had seen Mike on 'The Sleepy Jeffers Show' and I recognized him standing on Sumers Street in Charleston, W.Va. I went over in my excitement and asked if he was 'Fiddlin' Mike.' He was ready to catch a bus to go home so I offered to take him. ... I wanted to see and hear him play more than anything in this world and thought that I might get a chance. I had a memorable evening visiting and hearing him play. His willingness to share will always be remembered."

Adds Taylor, "The only way to explain Mike Humphreys is to say he did not read the book of traditional fiddling -- he wrote new chapters for it!"