Annotation:Neapolitan Two-Step

NEAPOLITAN TWO-STEP. American, Two-Step (cut time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB. "Neapolitan Two-Step" was recorded by The Kessinger Brothers; Clark Kessinger (1896-1975) playing fiddle, and his nephew Luchas backing him on guitar. There was a minor vogue, around the turn of the 20th century, for Italian (or Italian-sounding) pieces, and Tin-Pan-Alley composers produced "Spaghetti Rag," "That Italian Rag" (by Alfredo "Al" Piantadosi), "Frangesa Neapolitan Two-Step" (Edward George), and others. It is believed that many of the original early 20th century rags were regularly performed by American-Italian mandolin orchestras whose numbers were swelled by Italian immigrants. Kessinger's tune is a different melody than George's "Frangesa Neapolitan Two-Step" (composed in 1899), and is of unknown origin, however it may be the "Neapolitan Two-Step" composed by Dana Clement in 1898 in the key of 'C'. |f_recorded_sources=: Brunswick 563 (78 RPM), Kessinger Brothers (1930).Document DOCD 8012, "Kessinger Brothers vol. 3" (1997). |f_see_also_listing=Hear the Kessinger Brothers 1930 recording on youtube.com [1] and at Slippery Hill [2]