John Jacob Niles

John Jacob Niles
John Jacob Niles
Born	Template:Birth date; Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	March 1, 1980 (aged 87); Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Composer, vocalist, folk ballad archivist
Years active	1910s–1970s
Known for	American folk music revival, compositions such as "I Wonder As I Wander" and "Go 'Way From My Window"

John Jacob Niles (April 28, 1892 – March 1, 1980) was a prominent American composer, vocalist, and folk ballad archivist. Often referred to as the "Dean of American Balladeers," Niles played a pivotal role in shaping the American folk music revival during the 1950s and 1960s. His compositions were embraced and recorded by influential artists such as Odetta, Joan Baez, Burl Ives, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Bob Dylan.

Biography

Originating from Louisville, Kentucky, Niles received his initial music education from his mother and began collecting folk songs during his teenage years. From 1910 to 1917, while employed at the Burroughs Corporation in eastern Kentucky, he gathered and transcribed Appalachian folk melodies directly from oral traditions. After sustaining injuries while serving in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I, he pursued advanced music studies in France—first in Lyon and subsequently at the Schola Cantorum in Paris—before returning to the United States in 1920 to continue his education at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Ralph Lyford. Niles performed operatic works in Chicago and presented folk songs on early radio broadcasts prior to relocating to New York City in 1925, where he engaged in various roles within the entertainment sector. Throughout the 1930s, he toured both Europe and America alongside contralto Marion Kerby, appeared at the White House in 1938, and made occasional appearances at the Newport Folk Festival during the following decades.

During the 1920s, Niles released published musical works and embarked on four extensive field trips into the southern Appalachians as an assistant to photographer Doris Ulmann. During these excursions, he transcribed traditional ballads including "Pretty Polly", "Barbara Allen", and "He's Goin' Away". His documentation also encompassed songs performed by African American communities and fellow soldiers throughout World War I.

As a songwriter, Niles was highly productive, frequently drawing inspiration from traditional material. Among his well-known compositions are "Venezuela" and the holiday favorite "I Wonder As I Wander". The piece "Go 'Way From My Window," composed when he was only sixteen but first presented publicly in 1930, was later recorded by Marlene Dietrich and cited by Bob Dylan in his song "It Ain't Me Babe". His original tune for "Black Is the Color (Of My True Love's Hair)" had a lasting impact on the folk revival movement. In later years, he composed classical-style pieces such as choral arrangements and art songs, including the Niles-Merton Songs, which set poetry by Thomas Merton to music.

Beginning in 1938, Niles produced numerous recordings of his own works as well as transcriptions. His performances were distinguished by a unique high falsetto voice he described as the "electrifying effect of the male C# alto," often accompanied by Appalachian dulcimers that he crafted himself.

In 1936, Niles wed Rena Lipetz; together they established their home on Boot Hill farm located in Clark County, Kentucky, where they raised two sons: Thomas Michael Tolliver and John Edward. He passed away on March 1, 1980, in Lexington, Kentucky at age 87. His final resting place is St. Hubert's Episcopal Church in Clark County. The University of Kentucky honors his legacy through the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music, which safeguards many of his hand-crafted traditional instruments.

Discography

Early American Ballads (1938, RCA Victor 78 rpm album)
Early American Carols & Folk Songs (1940, RCA Victor 78 rpm album)
The Tradition Years: I Wonder as I Wander (1958, Tradition Records; reissued 2006, Empire Musicwerks)
American Folk & Gambling Songs (1956, Camden Records LP)
Sings American Folk Songs (RCA Camden LP)
50th Anniversary Album (RCA Camden LP)
An Evening With John Jacob Niles (1959, Tradition Records LP; reissued 2002, Empire Musicwerks)
John Jacob Niles Sings Folk Songs (1964, Folkways Records LP)
The Asch Recordings, 1939 to 1945 – Vol. 2 (1967, Folkways Records)
No Direction Home (Bob Dylan documentary DVD) – includes "Go 'Way From My Window"
Mister Lonely, directed by Harmony Korine (2008) – features "The Maid Freed from the Gallows"
The Boone–Tolliver Recordings (2012, Living Music Duplication)

Books by Niles

1929 One Man's War; The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille (co-authored with Bert Hall)
1929 The Songs My Mother Never Taught Me (with Douglas Moore)
1934 Songs of the Hill Folk
1950 The Shape Note Study Book
1961 The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles
1968 Singing Soldiers
1969 The Black Dress
1977 Brick Dust and Buttermilk

Scores

1929 Seven Negro Exaltations
1935 Ten Christmas Carols from the Southern Appalachian Mountains
1945 The Anglo-American Ballad Study Book: Containing Eight Ballads in Current Tradition in the United States of America

Films

1978 John Jacob Niles. Whitesburg, Kentucky: Appalshop.

External links

Official John Jacob Niles website – extensive discography and streaming audio
The John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at University of Kentucky
Discography on Folkways
The Gambling Songs of John Jacob Niles, recollections by his son John Edward
Brief biography
Guide to Josephine Geritz collection on John Jacob Niles at University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections
Digitized images from Max Morris collection on John Jacob Niles at University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections
Guide to John Jacob Niles Papers, 1905–1984 at University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections
Guide to Dorothy Frisch collection on John Jacob Niles at University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections