Annotation:Panhandle Swing

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PANHANDLE SWING. Old-Time, Country Rag. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BCC'. A country rag tune popularized by Nova Scotia/eastern Mass. fiddler Tommy Doucet, in demand for dance bands in the Boston area in the 1920's and 1930's. Doucet himself said he learned the tune from a Boston radio broadcast—he heard the tune, liked it, and called the station to ask that it be played again. It was, and Doucet was ready with a home disc recorder, from which he was able to capture it all. It became one of his favorites. Nothing is known to date about the original recording Doucet heard, or who composed the tune. Not to be confused with Texas Playboys member Leon McAulife's "Panhandle Rag" or Bill Monroe's key-of-C "Panhandle Country."

Source for notated version: Fiddler Tom Doucet {1902-1992, born in Concession, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada.} [Phillips].

Printed sources: Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 2), 1995; p. 99.

Recorded sources: Fidder FRLP 001, Tom Doucet - “The Down East Star” (1975). Rounder 7010, Tom Doucet - "I Used to Play some Pretty Tough Tunes" (1979).

See also listing at:
See/hear the tune played by Steve Jacobi on youtube.com [1]

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