James Henry Neel Reed (April 28, 1884 – February 8, 1968) was an American fiddler and banjoist in the Appalachian music tradition.
Reed became known for his fiddle tunes only after Alan Jabbour and the Hollow Rock String Band spread his music.
Reed grew up in Monroe County in a large extended family and spent most of his life in the surrounding area.
[1] Reed spent the next few years working at the Appalachian Power plant and raising his family, which eventually grew to twelve children.
As the band played Reed's tunes at more shows he became more of a public figure, and eventually began to be recognized for his music.
Freeing up his left hand made it possible for him to achieve notes in the third position which included keys like a high D or C. Reed also had a particular way of holding the bow at the frog rather than choking it up higher like other fiddlers do.
Alan explains why he created this fund by expressing his desire "to provide support for initiatives benefiting folk artists and taping the collections of the American Folklife Center.