Annotation:Texas
X:1 T:New Castle T:Texas N:From the playing of fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968, Glen Lyn, Giles N:County, southwestern Va.), recorded in 1967 by Alan Jabbour. New N:Castle is the county seat of nearby Craig County, Va. Reed at one N:time called the tune "Texas" but in later encounters with Jabbour he N:was certain that it was called "New Castle." However, by that time the N:Hollow Rock String Band had recorded it under the title "Texas", N:disseminating it with that name to the old-time revival community of the 1970's. N:Mr. Reed's 'c' notes are often played between a 'c' natural and 'c' sharp. M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel D:Library of Congress AFS 13705B15, Henry Reed (1967) D:https://www.loc.gov/item/afcreed000236/ D:https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/new-castle Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:A ((3e/f/g/|a2)aa- a2a-e|=g2f2 e2d2|{f}g2 f2g2a2|g-f-f2 d3((3e/f/g/| a)a-ab a3a|=g2f2e2e-f|e2d2=c2A2|[M:3/2]BABA c2A4((3efg| [M:C|]a2)ab a3a|=g2f2 e2d2|g2 fg- g2ga|gf-f2 d3(e| a)a-ab a3a|=g2f2e2e-f|e2d2=c2A2|[M:3/2]BABA c2A4|| [A2e2]-|[M:C|][Ae]BcB ABcd|e2d2- d2d2-|def-e d3f|g2f2 e3f-| e2d2 c2A2|BABA c2A4 [A2e2]-|[Ae]BcB ABcd|[A2e2] (d2[df]-) [d2f2][d2f2] | [M:3/4](efe)d- d(e/f/|[M:C|]g2)f2e2-ef |e2d2 c2A2 |[M:3/2]BABA c2 A4||
TEXAS. AKA – “New Castle.” American, Reel (4/4 time). USA; Virginia, West Virginia. A Mixolydian/Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Silberberg): AABB (Phillips). A ‘crooked’ tune (the first strain always has 17 beats, the second has 13) from fiddler Henry Reed, of Glen Lyn, Virginia. Alan Jabbour dubbed it “Texas” because Reed told him he had no name for it but learned it from ‘a fellow either going to Texas or from Texas’. At some point Reed told Jabbour the man who played the tune was a Mr. Drummond(s). The tune was popularized under the title “Texas” by Jabbour through his playing with the Hollow Rock String Band. However, when the folklorist later visited Reed the old fiddler said “with certainty” that the correct title was "New Castle," referring to the county seat of Craig County, Virginia (it should also be noted that it is said that New Castle is the seat of a county in Texas). Jabbour believes he may have misheard or misunderstood the “Texas” title. Fiddler Bertram Levy played the tune as “The Road to Texas,” perhaps after Jabbour’s title. See also West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine’s distanced but recognizable variant “Charleston Girls.” Another West Virginia version is an untitled variant learned by fiddler and bagpiper Frank George from his grandfather. Folklorist Gerald Milnes says West Virginia variants were played only along the southern border and in the south central portion of the state. Most versions are in mixolydian or sometimes dorian: Reed himself played it with a natural 7th note (G) and with a third falling between the natural and sharp[1]
- ↑ Such ambiguous intonation on third and sevenths is not uncommon as a traditional musical element in some regions of Appalachia.
. Versions exist that are ‘folk processed’ and distanced from the Henry Reed version. Some of these altered versions stem from the Sweets Mill, California, old time musicians who reworked (intentionally or not) the tune from a Henry Reed tape brought back in the early 1970’s (Jack Aldrich). Jabbour suggests theses chords as possible accompaniment.
1st strain: AAAA GGDD AAAEE AEAA (repeat) 2nd strain: AADD DDGEE AEAA (repeat)
or alternatively,: 1st strain: AAAA GGDD AAAAA AEAA (repeat) 2nd strain: AADD DDDAA AEAA (repeat)
- ↑ Such ambiguous intonation on third and sevenths is not uncommon as a traditional musical element in some regions of Appalachia.