Annotation:Paddy Ryan's Favorite Irish Jig

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X:1 T:Paddy Ryan's Favorite Irish Jig M:6/8 L:1/8 D:https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000159204/18387-Paddy_Ryans_favorite_Irish_jig D:Edison 52313 (78 RPM), John Baltzell (v.), Samuel C. Shults (v.) & John F. Burckhardt (p.) (May, 1928) R:Reel Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:G (B/c/|d2)(e/d/ c2) (d/c/|B)dg bgd|cBc agf|gfg bgd| d>ed c>dc|Bdg bgd|cBc agf|g>ag g2:| |:B|e>ee ^gfe|b^ge gfe|d2d d2d|faa afd| BBe ^gfe|b^ge fga|bbb b^gf|^gfe e2:|]

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PADDY RYAN'S FAVORITE IRISH JIG. AKA and see "Champion (2)," "Coleman's Cross (4)," "Kimmel's Jig (2)," "Smash (The)." Irish, American; Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The provenance for "Paddy Ryan's Favorite Irish Jig" (along with alternate titles) is probably Irish, although this has yet to be ascertained. The jig was first recorded in 1916 in New York for Columbia Records by Brooklyn accordion player John J. Kimmel as the last tune in a medley of Irish jigs, where it appears as "The Smash". Kimmel was of German descent and was a prolific recording artist in the 78 RPM era, primarily of Irish music. Famed County Sligo fiddle master wikipedia:Michael_Coleman_(fiddler) recorded his version, "Coleman's Cross (4)" in 1934, and, as "Champion (2)" the jig is known in England. A variant called "Big Chief" was printed by E.F. Adam his publication Old Time Fiddlers Favorite Barn Dance Tunes, in St. Louis in 1928.

John Baltzell (1860-1940)

In 1928 Ohio fiddler John Baltzell, a one-time student of blackface minstrel songwriter Dan Emmett and an early 78 RPM artist, recorded it for Edison along with a second fiddler, Samuel Shults, with the pair described as "Two Old Time Fiddlers" on the record label. Where they might have obtained the tune is unfortunately not known, but the description of the pair as "old-time" fiddlers was not hyperbole. The second strain of the tune is exceptional for the juxtapositon of the key of 'E' major arpeggios played by the fiddles, and the minor key accompaniment provided by John F. Burckhardt. This is one 78 RPM recording where the studio accompanist is blameless; Burckhardt dutifully goes to relative minor for the second strain, as is usual for this family of jigs, but the fiddlers remain in major. This juxtaposition of minor-over-major (and vice-versa) between fiddlers and accompanists is a hallmark of the American music style called 'Old-Time' music, and probably bothered Baltzell and Shults not at all.

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