Tommy Jarrell
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Thomas Jefferson Jarrell (March 1, 1901 – January 28, 1985)[1] was an American fiddler, banjo player, and singer from the Mount Airy region of North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains.
Biography
He was born in
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 Appalachian old-time music and in particular the Round Peak style of clawhammer banjo.
Jarrell married Nina Lowe in 1923; she died on February 13, 1967.[4] They had three children: Ardena ("Dena"), b. 1925; Clarence ("Wayne"), b. 1927; and Benjamin Frankin ("B. F."), b. 1933.[4] In his later years, Jarrell lived in the small unincorporated community of Toast, North Carolina. His life is documented in two films by Les Blank.
Jarrell died in January 1985 from a heart attack in his home, at the age of 83.[5]
Legacy
Jarrell's first fiddle, which he bought for $10, is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.[2]
He was the subject of two documentaries produced by Les Blank: Sprout Wings and Fly[6] and My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge.[7] He also featured in the 2002 DVD Legends of Old Time Music.[8]
An annual festival, established in 2002 as the Tommy Jarrell Celebration, is held in Mount Airy, North Carolina.[9]
Selected discography
- 1976 - Sail Away Ladies. Tommy Jarrell. County Records
- 1986 - Been Riding with Old Mosby. Frank Bode with Tommy Jarrell and Paul Brown. Folkways Records
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- ^ ISBN 9780786408764.
- ^ "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1982". Arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Peterson, James (July 23, 2019). "Tommy Jarrell (1901–1985): Fiddler and banjo player from Surry County, North Carolina". Oldtime Central. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ "Tommy Jarrell". The New York Times. January 29, 1985. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- OCLC 10403063.
- ISBN 9780933621619.
- ISBN 9781579409500.
- ^ "Tommy Jarrell Celebration". The Surry Arts Council. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
External links
- Jarrell commemorated Archived October 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine in the Old Time Fiddler's Hall of Fame. Includes sound file.
- Donny Mussel's Tommy Jarrell page
- 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"
- Been Riding with Old Mosby album details[permanent dead link] at Smithsonian Folkways
- Appalachian Journey: PBS film with a segment on Jarrell Archived October 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
- Tribute by David Holt to Jarrell as a mentor