MINSTREL TUNES IN A SCOTTISH TUNE BOOK

[Ian Bell]

The "Grapevine Twist" that I posted earlier today is the result of going through my pile of 19th century fiddle tune books to see what was there in the way of banjo-type tunes.

In Volume 2 of "Kerr's Merry Melodies For The Violin" - Glasgow mid-1880s, there is a hefty section of what are called "Negro Sand Jigs and Plantation Dances". These include:

1. Billy The Kid
2. Boatman's Dance
3. Butcher's Boy
4. Bob Chadduck
5. Camp Meeting
6. Double Clog
7. Get On The Train
8. Grape Vine Twist
9. Hole In The Wall
10. H____On The Wabash
11. Hoop De Dooden Do
12. Idlewild
13. Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair
14. Knocking Hornpipe
15. Little Diamond
16. Mountain Sprite
17. My Old Kentucky Home
18. Massa's In the Cold Ground
19. Nelly Bly
20. Nellie Gray
21. Negro Sand Jig
22. Nancy Till
23. N_____ In The Pea Patch
24. N_____In The Woodpile
25. Old Mans Dance Oakland Gardens
26. Old Folks At home
27. Phil Isaac's
28. Sand Jigs
29. Sullivan's
30. Tom Brigg's
31. Uncle Tom's
32. Walk Around
33. Yankee Doodle

Though it's from Scotland, I have the feeling that this part of the Kerr collection and similar bits of Ryan's Mammoth Collection may have some common ancestor - possibly involving Elias Howe. I've got a number of Howe tune books in which the settings are very similar and tunes are sometimes found in similar grouping on pages. I'd like to hear about other American tune books from 1850-80.

[Ian Bell]

Wayne - I would check any place that sells books of fiddle tunes - especially Celtic-related stuff. Scottish import stores too, maybe. I haven't actually seen a Kerr's book in a store in Ontario for some years (but then I haven't really been looking) I just replaced my long-gone copy of Volume 2. by ordering online from www.footstompin.com/collections/books/fiddle_music . It only took about a week for this to get to me from wherever in the Britsh Isles it was sent.


Wayne Shrubsall said:

Where would a guy get a copy of the Kerr's here in the States?

WS

[Wayne Shrubsall]

Ian,
I am sure you have the banjo books Joe Ayers reprints for minstrel era banjo, dating from 1855 to 1865. Do you have any of the Septimus Winner "How to Play________" books from the Nineteenth Century? Most of what i have is for banjo, but there are some collections I have from the later 19th century, and almost all are xerox reprints.

[Ian Bell]

All my actual banjo music is either from Tuckahoe reprints or Tim Twiss' amazing library of PDF files on the BanjoClubhouse site



Wayne Shrubsall said:

Ian,
I am sure you have the banjo books Joe Ayers reprints for minstrel era banjo, dating from 1855 to 1865. Do you have any of the Septimus Winner "How to Play________" books from the Nineteenth Century? Most of what i have is for banjo, but there are some collections I have from the later 19th century, and almost all are xerox reprints.