Annotation:Dry and Dusty (1)
X:1 T:Dry and Dusty [1] M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel S:Chirps Smith Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz K:D |:AB|d2 [df]d edBA|[d2f2] +slide+[d2f2] edBA|d2[df]d edBA|[A2f2] ([A2a2][A2a2])AB| d2 [df]d edBA|[df]e[df]d edBA|d2((3BcB A)GFG|A2 (D2D2):| |:((3dcB|A2)FD EDDE|F2 (A2A2)AB|A2 FD EDDE|F2(E2E2)((3dcB| A2)FD EDDE|F2 (A2A2)((3ABc|d2)((3BcB A)GFG|A2 D2-D2 :|]
DRY AND DUSTY [1]. American, Reel (cut time). USA; Arkansas, Missouri. D Major. DDad, ADad or Standard tunings (fiddle). AB (Silberberg): AABB (Christeson, Phillips, Reiner & Anick). "Dry and Dusty" is on Charlie Walden's list of '100 essential Missouri fiddle tunes'. The tune was recorded for the Library of Congress from Ozarks Mountains fiddlers in the early 1940's by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, particularly from the playing of Arkansas fiddler Lon Jordan (whom Kerry Blech says played the melody in AEae tuning, set in the key of 'A'). However, it was commercially recorded for Victor Records during the 78 RPM era by Apsie Sherdon Morrison (1876-1964) and Abbie Sherman Morrison (1876-1965, see biography:Absie Morrison), of Searcy County, Arkansas, who were twin brothers and fiddlers. They both survived into the 1960's and Abbie's post-commercial playing was recorded by folklorists, including Alan Lomax. Ken Perlman (1979) relates that whenever an Ozark fiddler wanted a drink while playing for a dance he played this tune as a cue that he was feeling "Dry and Dusty". Reiner & Anick (1989) suggest the title refers rather to the "drought and dust endured by settlers on government-provided, free land claims in the West." A variant of the usual "Dry and Dusty," in DDad tuning (the same tuning the Morrison Twin Brothers used), appears as an untitled tune on Texas fiddler Eck Robertson's County LP (County 202). Texas style fiddler Benny Thomasson also played the tune in DDad tuning. Occasionally one hears versions in ADad (e.g. Benny Thomasson, the Morrison Brothers Twin Brothers Band)-Mark Wilson (liner notes to Dwight Lamb's 2005 Rounder release) says it's the older versions-but Missouri fiddlers often use conventional tuning. Iowa fiddler Dwight Lamb calls the tune "The Missouri 'Dry and Dusty'" (as played, for example, by Cyril Stinnett and Pete McMahan) to differentiate the non-related tune called "Dry and Dusty (3)" he learned from Nebraska fiddler biography:Bob Walters. Two different sources indicate that "Dry and Dusty" was a companion piece to "Bonaparte's Retreat", says Wilson: Missouri fiddler Apsie Morrison (referenced above, who told it to Judy McColloh) and Alva Greene of Sandy Hook, Kentucky (although he called it "Bonaparte's Charge").
