DESCRIPTION:
This unusual version of Garfield's Blackberry Blossoms comes from the fiddling of Dick Burnett, partner of Leonard Rutherford (though not in this recording). Another blind fiddler, Ed Haley (also from Kentucky) is said to be the source of this tune, though I've read that Burnett may have learned it from a secondary source. It's much different from Ed Haley's, which John Hartford and Adam Hurt have both recorded excellent versions of.

Here's the story of this Burnett version, as stated by Ed Haley's biographer, Brandon Kirk: "Inspired by the find, I read up on some history behind 'Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom' in Jean Thomas’ Ballad Makin’ in the Mountains of Kentucky. According to Thomas, a French harpist named Christopher Columbus learned the tune from General Garfield in the Big Sandy Valley during the War Between the States. Upon returning home, he told his wife, 'Americkee, I’ve learnt another tune! I ketched it from General Garfield his own self. The General whistled it a heap o’ times as he rode ahead of our troops right off yonder at the mouth of Big Sandy.'

According to Thomas’ account, General Garfield heard Christopher Columbus play the tune on a harp one night at camp.

'One night I was sent to his headquarters with a message and whilst I was waitin’ for orders I set down on the far end of the stoop and played a tune. I had not played the piece oncet through till I hear-ed behind me a heavy tread and the clickin’ of sword agin’ boot top. I poked my harp in my pocket quick as I could and riz to my feet in salute. For there stood General Garfield his own self lookin’ down at me. ‘Let’s hear that tune again,’ said the General, as friendly as a private, ‘that’s my favorite tune though I can’t recall the name of it.’ With that, he [the General] let fly a stream of tobacco juice into a clump of blackberry bushes growin’ nigh the foreyard. The amber splattered all over the snow white blossoms on the bush and from then on we called the piece Blackberry Blossom.'"

My "homework assignment" from Adam was to seek and arrange another Garfield's Blackberry Blossom after he taught me his beautiful version. I'm actually reminded of the traditional Blackberry Blossom during the first few measures of Burnett's. I can't conclude that there's no relationship between the two, but I can say it's been an interesting lesson!