Edsell Terry: My Great Pleasure and Privilege

Subject: Folklore: It Was My Great Pleasure and Priviledge
From: Janie
Date: 27 May 04 - 10:56 PM

Folklore seems to be the best category for this, but if a clone thinks it should be BS or another topic, please feel free to change it.

It was my great pleasure and priviledge to attend a remarkable and informal gathering of musicians and folklorists this evening, and I just want to share a little bit.

If I understood this correctly, Edsell Terry, a fiddler from northern Durham Co., NC, was the first person Alan Jabbour field recorded and documented for the Library of Congress in the 1960's. Alan is a Duke alumnus and has ties to this area. Peter Kramer is a friend and professional collegue of mine, who is also a well-known local musician. Peter and his wife, Susan Gladdin, have a wonderful knack for bringing people together. Peter knew that Alan would be in the area on his way to Union Grove. He invited Mr. Terry and Alan to dinner, to meet again after all these years. They both accepted, and Peter invited me to the small music party that followed.

I followed the sound of fiddle and banjo to the music building that Peter and Susan had built on their farm. As I stepped through the screen door I saw Mr. Terry, four of his younger male relatives, Alice Gerard and Peter jamming in the middle of the room. Before long Alan picked up his fiddle and joined in. In awhile, Jim Watson showed up and added his mandolin, as did Carl Jones.   

They all made such good music, and had such a good time doing it. I just soaked up all that music. It transported me back home to my younger years. Truth to tell, I felt a little homesick. And this old hillbilly woman felt like she was among the giants of the old-time music revival.

It was a pleasure. It was indeed a priviledge.

Janie