Thomas Jefferson Jarrell (March 1, 1901 – January 28, 1985) was an American

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

player, and singer from the Mount Airy region of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

's Appalachian Mountains.

Biography

He was born in

Surry County, North Carolina Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,359. Its county seat is Dobson, and its largest city is Mount Airy. Surry county comprises the Mount Airy, NC Micropolitan St ...

, United States. 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. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

when he received the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

in 1982. That year's fellowships were the first bestowed by the NEA, and are considered the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Jarrell's style was notable for its expressive use of

syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "place ...

and sliding

ornamentation An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...

, and he was adept at singing while playing. His formidable technique and rough timbre continue to influence modern aficionados of Appalachian

old-time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combination ...

and in particular the Round Peak style of

clawhammer Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music. The principal difference between clawhammer style and other styles is the picking direct ...

banjo. In his later years, Jarrell lived in the small unincorporated community of

Toast, North Carolina Toast is a census-designated place (CDP) in Surry County, North Carolina, United States, just west of Mount Airy. The population was 1,922 at the 2000 census. A post office called Toast has been in operation since 1929. The name "Toast" was sup ...

. His life is documented in two films by

Les Blank Les Blank (November 27, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians. Life and career Leslie Harrod Blank Jr. was born November 27, 1935 in Tampa, Florida. He atten ...

, listed below. Tommy Jarrell died in January 1985 from a heart attack in his home, at the age of 83.

Legacy

Jarrell's first fiddle, which he bought for $10, is now in the collection of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. He was the subject of two documentaries produced by

: ''Sprout Wings and Fly'' and ''My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge''. He also featured in the 2002 DVD ''Legends of Old Time Music''. An annual festival, established in 2002 as the Tommy Jarrell Celebration, is held in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Selected discography

*1976 - ''Sail Away Ladies''. Tommy Jarrell.

County Records County Records was a Virginia-based independent American record label founded by David Freeman (music historian), David Freeman in 1963. The label specialised in old-time music, old-time and traditional bluegrass music. History Old-time music co ...

*1986 - ''Been Riding with Old Mosby''. Frank Bode with Tommy Jarrell and Paul Brown.

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

References

External links

Jarrell commemorated
in the Old Time Fiddler's Hall of Fame. Includes sound file.

''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
at

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

''Appalachian Journey'': PBS film with a segment on JarrellTribute by David Holt to Jarrell as a mentor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrell, Tommy 1901 births 1985 deaths People from Surry County, North Carolina American fiddlers American banjoists National Heritage Fellowship winners Appalachian old-time fiddlers Old-time musicians 20th-century American violinists