Annotation:Man Eater
X:1 T:Man Eater S:John Masters (1904-1986, Lexington, Fayette County, central Ky.) M:C| L:1/8 Q:"Quick" N:Field recording by John Harrod c. 1975 F:https://www.slippery-hill.com/recording/man-eater N:https://soundarchives.berea.edu/items/show/3464 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz R:Reel K:D a2|f2f2 fgaf|g2g2 gb2g|f2f2 fgaf|edcB A2ag| f2A2 fgaf|g2g2 gba2 |{e}fedd ed c2|d2dd d2:| A2-|A2dB AFED |FFBF A2 ED|FAdB AFED|F2[A,2E2]A,C D2| [D2A2] dB AFED|FFBF A2 ED|EFAB cdeg|fe [F2d2][Fd][Fd] [F2d2]| ABdB AFED |FFBF A2 ED|FAdB AFED|F2[A,2E2]A,C D2| [D2A2] dB AFED|FFBF A2 ED|EFAB cdeg|fe [F2d2][Fd][Fd] [F2d2]|| P:1st measure of 'A' part, on return (i.e. no pickup note): {a}f2f2 fgaf|
MAN EATER. American, Reel (cut time). USA, Kentucky. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Gilbert): AABB (Masters). Source John Masters (1904-1986) learned the tune from African-American fiddler Jim Booker (b. 1872), an influential Jessamine County musician who recorded in the 1920's backing others and with his own band, The Booker Brothers. The melody was recorded by Kentucky fiddler Doc Roberts in 1930 for Gennett records, although the company never issued the side. Titon (2001) finds the title in tune-lists of the 1919 and 1920 Berea, Kentucky, fiddle contests, played by M.A. Moody of Big Hill and Leslie Van Winkle of Clover Bottom.
The two field recordings John Harrod made of Franklin County, north-central Kentucky, in 1978 and 1981 are different with regard to Gilbert's facility on the violin. However, instead of deteriorating, the latter recordings show a fiddler markedly improved in tone, intonation, and dexterity. Perhaps Gilbert was fatigued at the end of the 1978 recording session, or perhaps he found more opportunity to play after Herrod's first visit and benefitted from the more frequent practice.
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