Crystal
Clear
1. JIGS
- The Dandy (J.H.)
- - - - - - JH1
- The Black Rogue
(trad) - - -JH2
- Lakeview Drive
(J.H.) - - - JH2
Jerry's two original
tunes fit seamlessly around a traditional Irish jig.
During the 1930s, An Rógaire Dubh (The Black
Rogue), was recorded on 78 disc by Leitrim flute
player John
McKenna.
Jerry heard it in Boston as a teenager from Bill Lamey
at his Cape Breton dances.
2. STRATHSPEYS &
REELS
- Glasgow
Strathspey and Reel Society (Angus Fitchet, MCPS) -
strathspey - JH2
- Mrs. Greig's
(trad) - strathspey - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - JH1
- Pottinger's (Tom
Anderson, MCPS) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - JH2
- A Winston Tune
(trad) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -JH1
- Inverness Lasses
(Simon Fraser, p.d.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -JH1
Jerry learned this
memorable set of tunes from John Campbell's first LP
(Rounder 1975).
3. IRISH
HORNPIPES
- The
First of Spring
(Eddie Poirier, MCPS) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JH2
- Cooley's
Hornpipe (Paddy O'Brien, IMRO) - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - JH2
A couple of
Irish-style hornpipes. The first was written by Eddie
Poirier, a New Brunswick musician who is at home with
many fiddle styles and instruments. Cooley's Hornpipe
is a popular Irish session tune. The composer, Irish
button accordionist Paddy O'Brien, made many
influential 78 recordings. In his later years Paddy
became a prolific composer. He wrote this hornpipe in
appreciation of another well-loved Irish box player,
Joe Cooley.
4. JIGS
- Katie Ann
Cameron (J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JH2 -
- - - abc
- Stan Chapman's
Jig (J.H.)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-JH1
- Father Hanley's
(Tommy Sullivan, p.d.) - - - - - -JH2
Jerry composed the
first tune, Katie Ann Cameron, for a woman with a
great love of Cape Breton music. Stan Chapman's was
made in appreciation of the efforts Stan has given to
the many beginning fiddlers he has taught. Jerry
learned his setting of Father Hanley from a Frankie
Gavin recording. It was first published in Boston, in
a book titled Irish Folk Dance Music by Jerry O'Brien
(1950).
5. AIR
- A Walk Through
the Ruins (Paul S. Cranford, SOCAN) - - - - - - - -
LC
Jerry fell in love
with this lament the first time he heard it. Composed
in the early '80s, it was intended to reflect the
style of a cappella singers traditional to the west
coast of Ireland.
6. STRATHSPEYS and
REELS
- Christy
Campbell's (trad) - strathspey - - - - - - - - -
-DG
- Anthony Murray's
(trad) - strathspey - - - - - - - - - -
DG
- Bridge of Bamore
(trad) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DG
- Arrochar Bridge
(trad) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DG
The Christy Campbell
Medley is the most famous grouping of traditional Cape
Breton raised-bass tunes. The fiddle is tuned in
fourths, which like other open tunings, give a solo
fiddle added resonance and colour. Complete historical
notes and traditional scordatura settings to these
tunes are found in The DunGreen
Collection.
Jerry's scordatura settings will be added to this site
during February 2001.
7. STRATHSPEYS AND
REELS
- The Blackthorn
Strathspey (trad) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-JH2
- The Braes of
Marr (trad) - strathspey - - - - - - - - - - - -
-JH2, DG
- John Allan
Cameron's Reel (J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JH1
- Wild Alf
McConnell (J.H.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- JH2
The two strathspeys
are unique versions of tunes which Jerry learned from
Mike MacDougall. The first is a strathspey setting of
an Irish reel. John Allan Cameron was instrumental in
forming the Cape Breton Symphony. When Jerry was only
18, John Allan invited him to join the group. This
experience inspired the teenage Jerry to continue
developing his music as well as his eventual move to
Cape Breton. Alf McConnell is a sponsor and concert
promoter of Celtic music in the Chicago area. He
recently published Jerry's album, Fiddler's Choice, on
the Odyssey label.
8. HORNPIPE AND
REEL
- Sean Maguire's
Style (Brendan Mulvihill) - hornpipe - - - - - - -
-JH1
- The Palm Tree
(Billy McComiskey) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - JH2
The composers
represented here are two great friends who for many
years played in a group known as The Irish Tradition.
Brendan has visited Cape Breton many times. Recently
he was here to perform for the annual Celtic Colours
Festival. Jerry has played with Billy on numerous
occasions at festivals and concerts from Washington,
D.C. to Alaska.
9. STRATHSPEYS and
REELS
- Killravock's
(trad) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - JH2
- Munlochy Bridge
(trad) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - -JH2
- Green Grow the
Rushes (trad) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - JH2
- Heather Hill
(Dan R. MacDonald, SOCAN) - reel - - - - - - - - -
HH, WF
- Mourne Mountains
(trad) - reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .JH2
Jerry learned the
first three 18th century Scottish tunes from home
recordings of Bill Lamey. The final two reels come
from a classic Winston Fitzgerald 78 disc. Heather
Hill is one of Dan R. MacDonald's most popular
tunes.
10. JIGS
- January 16th
(J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - JH2
- Francis Aucoin
(Howie MacDonald, SOCAN) - - - - - - - - - - - -
JH2
- Rannie MacLellan
(J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - -JH2
This set is
dedicated to the memory of Jerry's dear friend, the
late John Morris Rankin.
11. SLOW AIR,
STRATHSPEYS & REELS
- The Laird of
Bemerside (J. Scott Skinner, p.d.) - air - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -JH2
- MacBeth's
Strathspey (trad) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - JH1
- Sandy Cameron's
(J. Scott Skinner, p.d.) - strathspey - - - - - - -
- - - - - JH2
- The
Musical Chisholm
Household
(J.H.) - pipe reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - -JH2 -
- - - abc
- House Hunting
(J.H.) - pipe reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - -JH2
Most Cape Bretoners
associate this beautiful Skinner slow air with Angus
Chisholm. MacBeth's Strathspey is an old Scottish pipe
tune which was first recorded by fiddler Little Jack
MacDonald. Skinner himself recorded Sandy Cameron in
1927 on a 78 disc. Jerry's setting of this strathspey
comes from the current Inverness County tradition. In
particular he was influenced by Buddy MacMaster. The
last two pipe reels are recent pipe reels that have
already caught on amongst both fiddlers and
pipers.
12. JIGS
- Larry Reynolds'
Fancy (J.H.)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -
- - - - - - - - - -- - - - JH2
- Francis
Xavier Kennedy
MacDonald
(David Greenberg, SOCAN) - - - - - - - - -
JH2
- The Royal Circus
(trad) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JH2
Over the years Larry
Reynolds has been one of the key people in the Boston
area Comhaltas organization. New Hampshire fiddler
Jack Perron was so enamoured with the tune Jerry made
for Larry that he made an old-style mechanical music
box which plays the melody. Francis Xavier Kennedy
MacDonald is one of David Greenberg's most popular
compositions. The Royal Circus is a traditional
Scottish jig Buddy MacMaster learned from one of the
Gow Collections.
13. STRATHSPEY and
REELS
- Dr.
Shaw (J.
Scott Skinner, p.d.) - strathspey - - - - - - -
JH2
- Dougie and
Johnny (J.H.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- JH2
- The Southwest
Fiddler (J.H.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-JH2
This medley starts
out with a J. Scott Skinner strathspey which was made
famous in Cape Breton by a Bill Lamey 78 disc. Bill
had the knack for finding tasty tunes in old books. He
found Dr. Shaw in The Harp and Claymore (1890). Jerry
titled the first reel because it reminded him of the
style of music he had heard played by Dougie MacPhee
and Johnny Wilmot. The last reel reflects memories of
some of the music played in Southwest Margaree, in
particular dances played by both Cameron Chisholm and
Angus Allan Gillis.
14. MARCH,
STRATHSPEY & REELS
- Moladh Maureen
Nic Coinnich (John MacLean, SOCAN) - march - - - -
JH2
- Tom
Dey
(J. Scott Skinner, p.d.) - strathspey - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -JH2
- The
Mortgage Burn
(Gordon MacLean, SOCAN) - reel - - - - - - - - - -
LC
- Kentucky
Mandolin
(John Morris Rankin, SOCAN) - reel - - - - - - - -
- -JH2
John MacLean is a
Cape Breton piper from Dartmouth. Jerry and John
recorded a duet on the new Celtic Colours CD. The
strathspey Tom Dey was one of Jerry's father's
favorite tunes. The Mortgage Burn is a popular tune
from pianist Gordon MacLean. John Morris' soulful reel
was composed after he was given the gift of a Kentucky
Mandolin.
15. JIGS
- A.J. and
Jeanette Beaton's (Doug MacPhee, SOCAN) - - - - - -
- JH2
- The Bees Knees
(Robert Stubbert) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - BS
- The Piano Summit
(Doug MacPhee, SOCAN) - - - - - - - - - - - -
-JH2
New Waterford, Cape
Breton piano player Doug MacPhee composed the first
jig for his dear friends A.J. and Jeanette Beaton of
Troy, Cape Breton. He made the final jig after
performing with six other Cape Breton pianists at the
Judique Piano Summit on the 21st of April 1999. Jerry
feels that these two jigs are of the same character as
some of the earliest live music he heard as a
youngster in Boston. The middle tune, The Bees Knees,
is an Irish-style jig which comes from Northside
fiddler Robert Stubbert.
16. WALTZ
- Margaret and
Archie Neil (J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JH2
Archie Neil Chisholm
was a fiddler and great supporter of Cape Breton
music. His brother Angus was a major influence on
Jerry's music. Archie Neil's wife Margaret lives in
Margaree Forks.
17. MARCHING AIR
& REELS
- J.O. Forbes of
Corse (Peter Milne, p.d.) marching air - - - - - -
- WF
- Grant's (trad) -
reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - JH2
- Charlie Hardie
(J. Scott Skinner, p.d.) - reel - - - - - - - - - -
- - - -WF
Jerry learned the
first tune from a home recording of Winston Fitzgerald
which was given to him by his good friend Dave
MacIsaac. Angus Chisholm introduced Grant's Reel to
Cape Breton. He had learned it from a mid-'60s Sean
Maguire LP. Charlie Hardie is a popular Skinner tune
that was first published in The Miller O'Hirn
Collection (1880).
18. JIGS
- Falcon Bigney
(J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JH2
- Kinnon Beaton
(J.H.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -JH2
- Little House
Under the Hill (trad.)- - - - - - - JH2
Falcon Bigney is a
young musician from Utah. Her older brothers formed
the wonderful group Kirkmount. Kinnon Beaton is one of
Jerry's favorite Cape Breton composers and dance
players. Jerry thought he might like the character of
this tune. Little House Under the Hill is Jerry's
personal setting of an old Irish jig.
19. STRATHSPEY &
REELS
- Merry Miss Mary
B. (David Greenberg, SOCAN) - strathspey - - -
-JH2
- Fin Fever (Paul
S. Cranford, SOCAN) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - LC
- Johnena's Fine
Mincemeat Pie (J.H.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - -JH2 - - - - abc
These two reels
tastefully complement each other. One night, when
preparing for this recording, Dougie MacPhee dropped
in for a visit and a few tunes. Jerry was looking for
a strathspey to suit the character of the reels and
Dougie immediately suggested this Greenberg
original.
20. REELS
- Meeting Gigi
(J.H.) - reel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - JH2 - - - - abc
- Minnie
Adams' House
(Scott Macmillan, SOCAN) - reel - - - -
-JH2
Jerry broadcasted
these two tunes with Scott Macmillan live over the
internet last March for the CBC radio series The Nova
Scotia Kitchen Party. Meeting Gigi was composed while
Jerry was in Gig Harbour, Washington, visiting
guitarist Mike Saunders and his wife Gigi. Minnie
Adams' House was first published in Scott's own book
Scoobie Tunes (1996).
