"Old Joe Clark" is the ubiquitous, quintessential old-time fiddle tune, most often played as a 'learning piece' or introduction to the old-time music. Samuel Bayard (1981) thinks it was originally a song tune that later (or in parallel) became a fiddle standard and play-party tune. Alan Jabbour states he has not found any 19th century examples of the tune in printed collections, nor is it mentioned by name in any 19th century texts, and he believes it is no older than the late 19th century or the early 20th century. The earliest reference appears to be in the Journal of American Folklore, XXV, 152, where it is noted that "Old Joe Clark" was "sung by East Tennessee whites, 1905." It is also one of the first tunes every old-time banjo player learns. It's also the first modal tune for most players (mixolydian). As with many folk songs, many verses are floaters from other songs, including "Cindy" and "Bile Em Cabbage Down". Like everyone else, I learned it from Pete Seeger's How to Play the Five String Banjo (1962) and his recording Darling Corey / Goofing Off Suite. I play this in a medley with Cripple Creek in this section.