Cotton Patch Rag (1)

 COTTON PATCH RAG. Texas Style, Old-time; Country Rag. USA, Texas. C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB' (Silberberg): AA'BCC' (Phillips): AABCDEA (Brody). A tune by this title was composed in the 1st decade of the 20th century, during the 'Ragtime Craze'. Many believe "Cotton Patch Rag" was originally a Texas fiddle tune. Bluegrass fiddler Byron Berline relates: "I used to go to fiddle contests with my dad, but I never heard 'Cotton Patch Rag' played anywhere except in the states Texas and Oklahoma" (Frets Magazine). However, it has also been attributed to popular Grand Old Opry star, Tennessee's Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (1898-1971). Moreover, "Cotton Patch Rag" was the name of one of two sides (with "Spanish Fandango") recorded in March,1929, by Atlanta, Georgia, guitarist John "Seven foot Dilly" Dilleshaw, and released on OKeh records (two other pressings from the session were not released). In Texas-style fiddling the tune uses 'figure-eight bowing' in the 'B' part, while an added fourth part to the tune features 'double-shuffle' bowing. Sources for notated versions: Lewis Franklin (Texas) [Brody, Phillips, Reiner & Anick]; Glenn Berry [Silberberg]. Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 75. Frets Magazine, "Byron Berline: The Fiddle," March 1983; p. 46. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 34. Reiner & Anick (Old Time Fiddling Across America), 1989; p. 141. Silberberg (93 Fiddle Tunes I Didn't Learn at the Tractor Tavern), 2004; p. 10. American Heritage 515, Benny Thomasson- "You Be the Judge." Caney Mountain Records CLP 228, Lonnie Robertson (Mo.) - "Fiddle Favorites," c. 1971-72. County 707, Lewis Franklin- "Texas Fiddle Favorites." Elektra EKS 7285, The Dillards with Byron Berline- "Pickin' and Fiddlin.'" OKeh 45328 (78 RPM), John Dilleshaw 1929 (North Georgia). Omac 1, Mark O'Conner- "A Texas Jam Session." Rounder 0068, Mark O'Conner- "Pickin' in the Wind." Stoneway 148, Earl Garner- "Fiddle Hoedown." Voyager 304, Herman Johnson- "More Fiddle Jam Sessions." Voyager 309, Benny & Jerry Thomasson- "The Weiser Reunion: A Jam Session" (1993). See also listing at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources.

X: 1 T:Cotton Patch Rag C:Trad S:Byron Berline M:C| L:1/8 Q:100 Z:http://wind.prohosting.com/mrnelson/bluegrass/tunes.txt K:C e e^f|"C"g^faf gecd|eged ceAG|"F"FEFG AFAB|cdcB A2dc|"G"BdcB ABA^F| GABc dcBd|"C"cBcd edce|g^fga baga| eg2a gecd|eged ceAG| "F"FEFG AFAB|cdcB A2dc|"G"BdcB ABA^F|GABd g2ef|gbag edBG|"C"+E4c4+|| %EG+GA+G +GA+E_E=E|+GA+G+GA+E|

 '''© 1996-2010 Andrew Kuntz. All Rights Reserved.''' Engraver Valerio M. Pelliccioni