Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Cotton eyed Joe--Soldier's joy--Cider mill--Rockingham Cindy--John Brown's dream--Sally Ann--Too young to marry--Lee County blues--Arkansas traveller
Track Information:
101 Cotton Eyed Joe / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
102 Soldier's Joy / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
103 Cider Mill / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
104 Rockingham Cindy / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
105 John Brown's Dream / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
106 Sally Ann / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
107 Too Young to Marry / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
108 Lee County Blues / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
109 Arkansas Traveler / Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Banjo,Guitar.
Local Numbers:
FP-RINZ-7RR-0745
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Mount Airy (N.C.), United States, North Carolina, September 10, 1967.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
This collection contains 73 open reel tapes, made by Eric H. Davidson between 1958-1984, featuring the traditional music of Southern Appalachia.
Scope and Contents:
The Eric H. Davidson audio recordings consists of 73 open reel tapes dating from 1958-1984, featuring field recordings made by Davidson and his colleagues (including Caleb Ellicott Finch, Paul Newman, Lyn Davidson, and Jane Rigg) featuring the traditional music of Southern Appalachia. The recordings were collected primarily in Grayson and Carroll counties in Southwestern Virginia, and adjacent counties in North Carolina.
Arrangement:
The Eric H. Davidson audio recordings are arranged in chronological order. Each open reel tape was assigned a unique number by Eric Davidson.
Biographical / Historical:
Eric H. Davidson was born in 1937, in New York City. He was primarily known as a pioneering developmental biologist, who revolutionized the research of and theoretical framework behind "the gene regulatory networks that perform complex biological processes, such as the transformation of a single-celled egg into a complex organism. His work helped to reveal how the DNA sequences inherited in the genome are used to initiate and drive forward the sequence of steps that result in development." (1)
Davidson's work in biology began at the age of 16, when he began conducting research with cell physiologist L. V. Heilbrunn, a family friend, at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He began as a dish washer at the MBL, but was informed by Heilbrunn that he was also expected to have a research project. This project resulted in a published abstract in the Biological Bulletin on clotting in sand dollars.
Davidson earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958 and his doctorate from Rockefeller University in 1963. After working as a postdoctoral researcher and faculty member at Rockefeller, he moved to Caltech, where he would spend the rest of his career, beginning as a visiting assistant professor. He was named Norman Chandler Professor of Cell Biology in 1982 and remained there until his death.
His interest in old time music arose at nearly the same time as his interest in biology. His father, a well-known abstract painter, and mother were connected to several people who were hired to do research for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the late 1930's and 40's. At 14, he began to play the 5-string banjo after being introduced to the instrument through his exposure to recordings of Southern Appalachian music recorded as a part of the WPA, held at the Library of Congress.
In college, he played music in cafes. He also got a hold of the log of WPA recordings that were so influential to him. He began to stick pins in maps wherever the recordings were made, and began to notice that most of the pins were clustered in two counties in Southwestern Virginia--Grayson and Carroll counties--and adjacent counties in North Carolina.
In 1956, he began to take trips down to these areas during breaks from school to record musicians that had learned songs and skills through oral tradition, as opposed to the radio or records. He continued to go every year for many years, until the last person he knew had learned by oral tradition passed away. He formed close relationships with many notable musicians during these trips, including Wade Ward (from whom he learned the clawhammer banjo playing technique), Tommy Jarrell, Paul Joines, Glen Neaves, Vester Jones, Ed Spencer, Glen Smith, Cullen Galyean, and Bobby Harrison. He often recorded with his longtime collaborators Caleb Ellicott Finch, Paul Newman, Lyn Davidson, and Jane Rigg. Many of these recordings were released by Moses Asch as Folkways Records albums, produced by Davidson and his collaborators between 1962-1986.
Davidson was interested in the personal, musical, structural, traditional, and historical aspects of Southern Appalachian music. His fieldwork style was to continue to record a musician until they got tired or he'd run out of tape. Then he'd come back the next day, and the next year, and the year after that, until he had recorded everything that musician knew. This gave his work the characteristic of what he described as, borrowing from his scientific background, a longitudinal study. He was able to observe changes in the musical tradition of the region: the transition of traditional ballad singing from a cappella to string band accompaniment, the incorporation of the guitar into the string band ensemble, and the shift from clawhammer to three-finger banjo picking. In an oral history interview with Davidson conducted by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife and Collections in 2015, Davidson said that in his research, he could see how "ballads combine and recombine like genetic organisms in biology."
Davidson was also an accomplished banjo musician in his own right. He formed the Iron Mountain String Band together with Caleb Finch (fiddle), and Peggy Haine (guitar), releasing an album (FA 2473) on Folkways Records in 1973 consisting of songs and tunes learned from his many recording trips into Grayson and Carroll counties.
Eric Davidson died on September 1, 2015 at the age of 78.
1. "Developmental Biologist Eric H. Davidson Passes Away," Caltech News, September 4, 2015, accessed January 5, 2016, http://www.caltech.edu/news/developmental-biologist-eric-h-davidson-passes-away-47772.
Disclaimer:
Please note that some language in this collection is culturally insensitive or offensive to viewers. It is presented as it exists in the original material for the benefit of research and the historical record. The material reflects the culture and context in which it was created and not the views of the Smithsonian Institution.
Shared Stewardship of Collections:
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://doi.org/10.25573/data.21771155.
Related Materials:
An oral history with Eric H. Davidson was conducted by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections on April 26, 2015. Both the video and transcript is available for researchers. Contact archives staff for information.
Provenance:
Donated by Eric H. Davidson.
Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Fiddle tunes -- Appalachian Region, Southern Search this
Folk music -- Appalachian Region, Southern Search this
Banjo music -- Appalachian Region, Southern Search this
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 28, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 28, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 24, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Tommy Jarrell and group--unk--Old Jimmy Sutton--Say darling say--I love somebody/ Soldier's joy/ Pay day in the Army--Backstep Cindy--remarks; Peggy Yocom (MC); John Jackson--Key to the highway--My bucket's got a hole in it--Narrative of mother and father--Guitar rag--I'm a bad, bad man--Too tight rag--talking
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0059
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 24, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Tommy Jarrell group--June apple--Old Joe Clark--interview--Let me fall--John Hardy--Pretty little Indian--John Brown's dream--When sorrows encompass me round--Arkansas traveler--Susannah gal--Sallly Ann
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0064
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 25, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
John and James Jackson--talking--Dust my broom--Police dog blues--Red lips--I'm a bad, bad man--Matchbox blues--It's alright mama--John Henry; Tommy Jarrell et. al--Dance all night--Walking in my sleep--Lonesome day
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0068
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 26, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Tommy Jarrell group--Old buck-- Sail away ladies--Devil in the strawstack--Flatwoods--Cumberland Gap--Molly put the kettle on--Sally Ann; Dan Womack--Search me Lord--Where he leads me, I will follow--I love the Lord (frag)
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0069
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 26, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
John and James Jackson--Diddy wa diddy--John Jackson breakdown--Candy man--Going down the road feeling bad; Tommy Jarrell--Fortune--Backstep Cindy--New Backstep Cindy--Boll weevil and story--Riley and Spencer--Breaking up Christmas--Backstep Cindy/ Old Joe Clark--Tater patch
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0073
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 27, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1981 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Tommy Jarrell et. al--Sugarfoot rag--Kitty Cline--Sweet sunny south--Old bunch of keys
Local Numbers:
FP-1981-7RR-0074
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 27, 1981.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
The Irish Tradition--Two copper pipes--My lovely Irish maid--Frye's britches/Miss Walsh; Lado burn/ Small hills of Offaly; Joe Heaney--Oro so do bheatha bhaile; Tommy Jarrell, et.al.--Soldier's joy--story--Sugar hill--unk--Molly put the kettle on--Bravest cowboy
Track Information:
101 Irish Music / Irish Tradition (Musical group), Andy O'Brien, Brendan Mulvihill. Guitar,Accordion,Fiddle.
102 Irish Music / Joe Heaney.
103 Appalachian Fiddle Music / Alice Gerrard, Andy Cahan, Tommy Jarrell. Guitar,Fiddle,Banjo.
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0068
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 24, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Tommy Jarrell- Sally Ann--Down in the stillhouse to get a little cider; J.C. Burris--Love affair blues--Gone so long--unk.--Inflation blues--Highway blues--Evening sun--Mr. Jack's dance--River of life--Willlie and the hand jive
Track Information:
101 Appalachian Music / Alice Gerrard, Andy Cahan, Tommy Jarrell. Fiddle,Guitar,Banjo.
102 Blues Harmonica / J.C. Burris. Harmonica.
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0069
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 24, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Dan Sheehy (MC); Tommy Jarrell et.al.--Old bunch of keys--Old Reuben--unk--Let me fall--John Brown's dream--Ida Red--Going down this lonesome road; Irish Tradition--Smash the window/ Fred finn's/ The Boygne hunt; The Johnny jump up--Muenster grass/ The echo
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0073
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 25, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Tommy Jarrell et.al.--Sugar hill/ Fisher's hornpipe--Bravest cowboy--Backstep Cindy--Forked deer--Bonaparte's rereat--Boll weevil; Joe Heaney and the Irish Traditions-- Mayor Harrison's fedora/ Man of the house; The hills of green moor--Drops of brandy/ To Phillip McCue--Paddy's green shamrock shore
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0084
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 26, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Tommy Jarrell, et.al.--Piney wood gal--Dance all night (with a bottle in my hand)--Lonesome day--Cacklin hen--Sail away ladies--Devil in the strawstack--Old Buck--Silly Bill--Walking in my sleep--Texas gals; Irish Tradition--unk
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0095
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 27, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Tommy Jarrell, et.al--Breaking up Chritmas--John Henry--Ground hog--Pretty little indian--Old Reuben--Drunken hiccups; Irish Tradition--Queen of the fair/ Ed Reavy--I will leave this town--Reels by Paddy O'Brien
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0106
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 28, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Bessie Jones--Lullaby--unk--Amen; Georgianne Robinson; Tommy Jarrell--Breaking up Christmas--John Brown's dream--Drunken hiccups; Joe Heaney--My dark little rose
Local Numbers:
FP-1982-7RR-0146
General:
CDR copy
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, July 3, 1982.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
