Willard Watson at Tommy Jarrell's, 1981

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2 жыл бұрын

In 1981, Margaret Martin and Wayne Martin, from the North Carolina Arts Council, brought a video crew to the home of Tommy Jarrell in Toast, NC. They also brought Willard Watson, legendary flatfoot dancer, banjo picker, wood carver, story teller, and state-sponsored moonshiner from Watauga County, NC. The dancer who joins Willard at 3:08 is Julie Lyons, Tommy's younger sister. Tunes are "Old Jimmy Sutton" and "Reuben."

Пікірлер: 23

@shanereynolds5380 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Heath .... only stumbling upon this now .... fantastic.

@michaelharrison2948 10 ай бұрын

Good as it gits!!!

@user-gj9qs6us5v 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much from Hiro. In addition to Willard's dance, this is an unexpected and valuable video from Tommy's living room and long-haired Heath. I look back many times.

@terryfinley7760 2 жыл бұрын

This is a wonderful recording. So glad it is preserved for future generations!

@susandrydenhenderson6234 9 ай бұрын

What smooth stepping. What a lovely gait!

@susandrydenhenderson6234 9 ай бұрын

How hasn’t this got a million likes!

@joannehack7588 4 ай бұрын

Cause folks don’t like righteous old time music

@Trippykittykat Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video this is my great great grandpa, my mom still has all the toys he made it’s so unreal that I get to see him like this ! Thank you!!

@heathcurdts3800 Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Willard was one of a kind, and it was a thrill to visit with and to play for him. I still have the limberjack he gave me. I did my best to pay him for it, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

@susandrydenhenderson6234 9 ай бұрын

What a talent!

@Backup6Box 2 жыл бұрын

Great to see such good quality video. Thanks very much for putting this up for us all to enjoy.

@susandrydenhenderson6234 9 ай бұрын

Great playing!

@bustercrabbe9767 2 жыл бұрын

WOW!

@Vingul Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much Mr. Curdts. I was here looking for some footage of Jarrell talking about moonshining in the old days, and the trouble they had with the government back then. I can't find it in any of the Les Blank footage, do you know where to find it? It's been a few years but I'm almost certain I'm not misremembering.

@nozecone 2 ай бұрын

I've heard that too, somewhere - so it is out there ... !

@Vingul 2 ай бұрын

@@nozecone I found it again some time after posting the above comment, it's in Alan Lomax's "Appalachian Journey" documentary!

@gmsmithucdavisedu Жыл бұрын

Great video and sound. Are there more from that era?

@heathcurdts3800 Жыл бұрын

Hi Gary. There's some more footage from this same shoot, but it's just Tommy and me playing the same tunes without Willard dancing.

@gmsmithucdavisedu Жыл бұрын

@@heathcurdts3800 Too bad there aren't more tunes. Thanks.

@paulanastasio1103 Жыл бұрын

@@heathcurdts3800 Just?

@kylieh916 Жыл бұрын

@@heathcurdts3800 The fiddlers would love to hear the non dancing ones!! It's all incredibly valuable! Easier to make out how to learn the tune by ear. Thank you so much!