Jim Crack Corn

[Tim Twiss]

Anybody play this one?

[Paul Draper]

Is that different from the Blue Tail Fly that starts out:  "If you should come in the summertime / to South Carolina's sultry clime / And in the shade you chance to lie / You'll soon find out the blue tail fly / And scratch him with a briar too"?  And if so, do you know if they're related?

[Tim Twiss]

That's it, but it evolved into 2 pretty distinct versions. There is that slinky minor feel of "Blue tail Fly" and then there is the major sound of "Jim Crack Corn" with same lyrics, added chrous that we all sang as kids. The Ethiopian Glee Book gives us a major version. It sounds like a cross between "Get Up In De Morning" and "Lucy Neal". None the less, it is ranked high on the playbill frequency list as stated by Maher in "Burnt Cork Mask".

[Nicholas A Bechtel]

I really love the first version, or what is known as "de Blue tail fly". Tim I like your version. Did you ever tab that version and post it?

[Tim Twiss]

No, I never did. It's funny to sing those lyrics against the major chords after playing it the other way so long.

[John Masciale]

The first version is a tough nut to crack.  It is sooo repetitive, unless you do some thing interesting instrumentally in between.  That is where Camptown Shakers in their rendition, and Tim in his, are so effective.  The second version is probably more mainstream. 

 

I agree with Tim, I have seen it referenced in a lot of places.  It really ought to be part of our repertoire.

[Nicholas A Bechtel]

The copy of the original sheet music by Ditson is in the key of Bflat, and the version I was playing for my fiddle teacher was in the key of C, a version that 2nd Carolina Stringed Band had recorded. So I think I'm playing it in C, even though I start out on the A note. There are no sharps in the version I am playing. So that's C right?

[Nicholas A Bechtel]

I keep going on and on about this one band, The 2nd Carolina Stringed Band. But this group was my first introduction to so many of these songs.  It was their version that is the first I ever heard and and man  it's slick!! In High Cotton, Favorite Camp songs of the Civil War.

http://civilwarband.com/

John Masciale said:

The first version is a tough nut to crack.  It is sooo repetitive, unless you do some thing interesting instrumentally in between.  That is where Camptown Shakers in their rendition, and Tim in his, are so effective.  The second version is probably more mainstream. 

 

I agree with Tim, I have seen it referenced in a lot of places.  It really ought to be part of our repertoire.

[Tim Twiss]

John, do you do this?

[John Masciale]

Tim,

I've never really done the first version to my satisfaction, and the second one is on my to do list.

[Tim Twiss]

Let's do it!

[John Masciale]

You're on!

[Tim Twiss]

I did not know what it meant. Thanks