Norman Solomon was a Texas contest fiddler and one of four Solomons on the Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame roll. The Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame inducted him in 1992, the same year it inducted Vernon Solomon, the first Grand Master Fiddler champion. In 1993 he won the Senior division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho. His playing survives on the 1966 County Records album Texas Fiddle Favorites, which he shared with Major Franklin and Louis Franklin.
Why Solomon matters
Texas contest fiddling was built by a few families who traded tunes and variations at contests for decades. The Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame roll carries five Franklins, four Solomons, and three Rileys. Norman Solomon’s recorded tracks show the long-bow Texas style as it sounded in the mid 1960s, before Mark O’Connor and the modern contest era.
Life and career
The Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame in Hallettsville, which began honoring Texas fiddlers in 1977, inducted Ervin Solomon in 1981, Norman and Vernon Solomon together in 1992, and Betty Solomon in 2005.
In 1966 County Records released Texas Fiddle Favorites, catalog number 707, with liner notes by Charles Faurot. The album split its 14 tracks among three fiddlers. Norman Solomon played Wagoner, Smith’s Reel, Miller’s Reel, and Kaw River. Major Franklin and Lewis Franklin, spelled Louis on this site, played the rest.
In 1993 Solomon traveled to Weiser, Idaho, and won the Senior division of the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest. The University of Idaho’s champions list records the win under the spelling Norman Soloman, Texas.
Playing style
Solomon played Texas style, the contest style that Eck Robertson, Benny Thomasson, and the Franklins shaped. In that style the bow moves in long, smooth strokes that tie several notes together. The melody changes on each pass through the tune, and tempos sit below bluegrass breakdown speed so the variations can be heard. A guitar plays closed chords and walking bass lines underneath.
His four tracks on Texas Fiddle Favorites are all reels and breakdowns. Wagoner is a Texas contest standard, and Kaw River and Smith’s Reel are less common tunes.
Influences and legacy
Solomon shared the 1992 Hall of Fame class with Vernon Solomon, and the two names sit beside Benny Thomasson, Eck Robertson, Major Franklin, and Orville Burns on the Hallettsville roll. His record with the Franklins ties him to the second great Texas fiddling family. His 1993 Weiser win came in the Senior division, the same division Benny Thomasson won in the 1970s.
Signature tunes and songs
Wagoner Smith’s Reel Miller’s Reel Kaw River.
Essential recordings
Texas Fiddle Favorites, with Major Franklin and Louis Franklin (County, 1966)
Awards and honors
Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame (1992) National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest, Senior division champion (1993)
What to learn from Solomon
Learn Wagoner from the County record. It is the Texas contest standard, and Solomon’s 1966 track is an early recorded version. The technique to steal is his long bow. Play the A part of Wagoner with as few bow changes as you can, slurring groups of three and four notes, and keep the tempo moderate. Texas style lives in the bow, not in speed, and this recording is a clear place to hear that.
Sources
Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame, Fiddlers’ Frolics Champions, National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Collection, University of Idaho Library Major Franklin, Lewis Franklin, and Norman Solomon, Texas Fiddle Favorites, Discogs Past winners, Grand Master Fiddler Championship
Related players
See the fiddle players hub and the bluegrass fiddle guide for more Texas fiddlers. Solomon entered the Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame with Vernon Solomon and recorded beside Major Franklin and Louis Franklin. Benny Thomasson won the same Weiser division before him.