Ohio River (1839)

Comment by Wes Merchant on February 27, 2015 at 12:48pm

I could dance to that and I don't live anywhere near the water!

Comment by Mara Eagle on May 21, 2015 at 2:46pm

Hey Mark, where is this arrangement from? Its very nice.

Comment by Mark Weems on May 21, 2015 at 2:54pm

G.P. Knauff's Virginia Reels, published in 1839. I'm transcribing most of this collection to banjo right now. Should be out next year sometime. www.earlybanjotraditions.com

Nice to see you back on the site.

Comment by Mara Eagle on May 21, 2015 at 3:33pm

cool, I hope you record them! Is Billy in the Low Grounds a part of that collection?

Comment by Mark Weems on May 21, 2015 at 4:04pm

yes!

Comment by Mara Eagle on May 21, 2015 at 7:46pm

I'm extremely curious to hear it when you're done. 

I hope you don't mind I learned this tune from your recording today. You've made a very nice banjo piece of it!

Comment by Mark Weems on May 21, 2015 at 8:12pm

Not at all! It's nice to know someone is interested. The most interesting thing about this piece is that Dan Emmett claimed to have written it (Boatman's Dance that is) in 1843. And here it is published 4 years earlier in a collection of fiddle tunes collected around Farmville, Virginia. Many other tunes that comprise early minstrel repertoire as well as southern old-time tunes still played today are first found right here in Knauff. He collected them as fiddle tunes then published them as piano arrangements. So I've had to re-arrange them back into banjo - a challenging process at times. If you have the free Tabledit viewer, I can send you my actual tab.

Comment by Leonidas (Lee) Jones on May 22, 2015 at 1:11pm

I am very interested in the final product, it should be a great resource.

Comment by Ian Bell on May 23, 2015 at 9:01am

Nice setting of that tune! What are you playing it on?

Comment by Mark Weems on May 23, 2015 at 12:38pm

Thanks Ian. Spun-over with nylguts.

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