- Tommy Jarrell
Tommy Jarrell (born Thomas Jefferson Jarrell,
March 1 ,1901 Surry County, North Carolina , diedJanuary 28 ,1985 ) was an Americanfiddle r,banjo player, and singer from the Mount Airy region ofNorth Carolina 's Appalachian Mountains.Biography
Although he made his living from road construction (operating a motor grader for the North Carolina Highway Department until his retirement in 1966), Jarrell was an influential musician, eventually attracting attention from
Washington D.C. when he received theNational Endowment for the Arts 'National Heritage Fellowship in 1982.Jarrell's style was notable for its expressive use of
syncopation and sliding ornamentation, and he was adept at singing while playing. His formidable technique and rough timbre continue to influence modern aficionados of Appalachianold-time music and in particular the Round Peak style ofclawhammer banjo.In his later years, Jarrell lived in the small unincorporated community of
Toast, North Carolina . His life is documented in two films byLes Blank , listed below.He got his first fiddle with ten dollars he got from his grandpa. That fiddle is now in the Smithsonian institute.Films
*1983 - "Sprout Wings and Fly". Produced and directed by Les Blank, CeCe Conway, and Alice Gerrard. El Cerrito, California: Flower Films. OCLC|64236970
*1994 - "My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge". Directed by Les Blank. El Cerrito, California: Flower Films. ISBN 0-933621-61-2.External links
* [http://www.oldtimemusic.com/FHOFJarrell.html Jarrell commemorated] in the Old Time Fiddler's Hall of Fame. Includes sound file.
* [http://www.well.com/~dmsml/tommy.html Donny Mussel's Tommy Jarrell page]
* [http://www.fieldrecorder.com Field Recorders Collective] "To find a superb collection of CDs of American traditional styles; including Tommy Jarrell and "Fred Cockerham", music from private collections now made available to the public"
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