KC musician bridges the generations – with a fiddle
Julie Denesha | KCUR
Local musician Betse Ellis is known for a fiery style of fiddling that spans multiple genres of music. But her interest in roots music — specifically the Ozark roots of her native Arkansas— was sparked more than 10 years ago by a chance meeting at Silver Dollar City, with 97-year-old fiddler and fiddle maker Violet Brumley Hensley.
The two share a friendship and a passion for foot-stomping rhythms. Each year, they meet in Mountain View, Arkansas, at the Ozark Folk Center for an annual concert to perform the songs Hensley remembers from the square dances of her youth.
‘Buffalo Nickel’ is a tune that Ellis and Hensley have played with gusto over the years. Ellis is a regular at the Rural Grit Happy Hour Monday nights at The Brick in Kanas City, and she opens her set with the song.
“Anybody that knows me, knows that Violet Hensley is a really important person in my life. She’s a 97-year-old fiddler from Arkansas,” said Betse Ellis, Fiddler and Folk Musicologist. “She’s known as the ‘Whittling Fiddler’of Arkansas. She’s also been designated an Arkansas Living Treasure, but she’s a treasure of the universe to me.”
From the kitchen table where she has carved violins, Hensley plays ‘Buffalo Nickel’ in her home in Yellville, Arkansas.
“I am Violet Hensley. I’m called the ‘Whittling Fidler’ because I’ve made 73 fiddles and play fiddle,” Hensley said. “I wanted to play the fiddle I guess because we didn’t have anything else to do. But we didn’t have television or radio and Dad played it and I guess it just struck me that I wanted to play.”
“And I can’t read. I’m not a musician,” Hensley continued. “If I can’t put it in my head, I can’t put it on the fiddle. When I was about teenager, like, I could just about copy just about anything I heard that’s the reason I learned it so well.”
Ellis rehearses ‘Rabbit, Where’s your Momma’ at home in the Westside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.
“When I fell in love with fiddle music, I fell so hard and I turned away from pretty much all genres of music for years,” Ellis said. “It was only a few years into that first flush of loving traditional fiddle music that I met Violet. I didn’t have that many inspirations who were female and meeting Violet, and this really strong lady, who pretty much never met a stranger in her life, that first meeting was so impactful, and she was so welcoming.”
“And she cared enough to spend time with me if I asked her to play this section again,” Ellis added. “She was so patient and would spend this time with me as many times as I wanted and go over it and go over it and never got tired. of taking that time. to share those little special moments with me. So how could I not have a lifelong friendship with her.”
Onstage at the The Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Ark., Ellis and Hensley perform at an annual concert together. “I like this lady right here,” said Hensley reaching for Ellis’ hand. “She’s a great friend of mine.”
“I love you Violet, absolutely,” said Ellis. “I feel like our friendship is…”
“We’ve been friends all our life,” interrupted Hensley. “We just didn’t know it until we met about 10 years ago.”
“That’s right,” said Ellis laughing.
The two share a friendship and a passion for foot-stomping rhythms. Each year, they meet in Mountain View, Arkansas, at the Ozark Folk Center for an annual concert to perform the songs Hensley remembers from the square dances of her youth.
‘Buffalo Nickel’ is a tune that Ellis and Hensley have played with gusto over the years. Ellis is a regular at the Rural Grit Happy Hour Monday nights at The Brick in Kanas City, and she opens her set with the song.
“Anybody that knows me, knows that Violet Hensley is a really important person in my life. She’s a 97-year-old fiddler from Arkansas,” said Betse Ellis, Fiddler and Folk Musicologist. “She’s known as the ‘Whittling Fiddler’of Arkansas. She’s also been designated an Arkansas Living Treasure, but she’s a treasure of the universe to me.”
From the kitchen table where she has carved violins, Hensley plays ‘Buffalo Nickel’ in her home in Yellville, Arkansas.
“I am Violet Hensley. I’m called the ‘Whittling Fidler’ because I’ve made 73 fiddles and play fiddle,” Hensley said. “I wanted to play the fiddle I guess because we didn’t have anything else to do. But we didn’t have television or radio and Dad played it and I guess it just struck me that I wanted to play.”
“And I can’t read. I’m not a musician,” Hensley continued. “If I can’t put it in my head, I can’t put it on the fiddle. When I was about teenager, like, I could just about copy just about anything I heard that’s the reason I learned it so well.”
Ellis rehearses ‘Rabbit, Where’s your Momma’ at home in the Westside neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri.
“When I fell in love with fiddle music, I fell so hard and I turned away from pretty much all genres of music for years,” Ellis said. “It was only a few years into that first flush of loving traditional fiddle music that I met Violet. I didn’t have that many inspirations who were female and meeting Violet, and this really strong lady, who pretty much never met a stranger in her life, that first meeting was so impactful, and she was so welcoming.”
“And she cared enough to spend time with me if I asked her to play this section again,” Ellis added. “She was so patient and would spend this time with me as many times as I wanted and go over it and go over it and never got tired. of taking that time. to share those little special moments with me. So how could I not have a lifelong friendship with her.”
Onstage at the The Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Ark., Ellis and Hensley perform at an annual concert together. “I like this lady right here,” said Hensley reaching for Ellis’ hand. “She’s a great friend of mine.”
“I love you Violet, absolutely,” said Ellis. “I feel like our friendship is…”
“We’ve been friends all our life,” interrupted Hensley. “We just didn’t know it until we met about 10 years ago.”
“That’s right,” said Ellis laughing.
Julie Denesha introduces us to Violet Brumley Hensley, a 97-year-old musician and fiddle maker known as the "Stadivarius of the Ozarks, and examines her mentorship relationship with bluegrass fiddler Betse Ellis.
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Betse Ellis and Violet Brumley Hensley hold hands on stage after a performance.
Violet Brumley Hensley playing fiddle in her kitchen.