John Jacob Niles

John Jacob Niles is a portrait of the adding machine repairman who came to Eastern Kentucky in 1909 heard the songs his father sang and became a muchnoted arranger expander collector recorder and performer of traditional Appalachian ballads Niles played an important part in the national discovery of Appalachian folk music He describes how he travelled with the photographer Doris Ulmann through the 1920s and 30s she taking pictures of the people and he learning their songs The film shows Niles in concert at home at work arranging his music and explaining the historical place of balladry in American music