The Maid behind the Bar
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"The Maid Behind the Bar" (in Gaelic "An Gearrchaile taobh thiar den Bheár"), also<br> known as "The Barmaid", "The Bartender", "Green Mountain", "The Haymaker Reel",<br> "Long Island Reel", "Indy's Favorite", "Little Judy", "Judy's Reel", "The Maid Behind the<br> Barrel" and "The Maid Behind the Counter" is Irish reel in D Major (most versions) or<br> C Major (Cranitch).<br> The parts are played AABB (most versions) or AA'BB (Bain).<br> The tune was popularized through the recording by Sligo fiddle master James Morrison (and<br> piper Tom Ennis) and has become (along with its variants) one of the most ubiquitous<br> tunes in modern Irish sessions. The melody appears earliest in print as "Indy's Favorite"<br> and "Judy's Reel" in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883). O'Neill prints the tune also under<br> the title "Maid of Castlebar" but the title may be a corruption of "Maid Behind the Bar"<br> or vice-versa. Philippe Varlet believes that a recording for Columbia Records by accordion<br> player James Murphy in 1920 is the first time that the use of the title "Maid Behind the<br> Bar" can be documented. He notes that accordion player John "Dutch" Kimmel recorded the<br> tune the same year as "The Bartender" and that flute player John Sheridan recorded it on<br> a wax cylinder as "Maid Behind the Barrel" in 1928. Kimmel also included it in his 1920<br> cylinder recording for Edison as the last tune in a medley of Irish reels called "Oh gee!" and<br> County Clare fiddler Vincent Griffin recorded the tune in 1977, played in the key of<br> 'C' major.<br> I got the banjo tab from Ken Perlman at a Midwest Banjo Camp class.<br> It was printed in Bain's 50 Fiddle Solos (1989), Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983),<br> Cranitch's Irish Fiddle Book (1996), Cranitch's Irish Session Tunes: Red Book (2000),<br> Harker's 300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty (2005), Mallinson's 100 Essential (1995),<br> Martin & Hughes' Ho-ro-gheallaidh (1990), O'Brien's Jerry O'Brien's Accordion Instructor<br> (1949), O'Malley's Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1 (1976) (appears as<br> "The Barmaid"), Perlman's The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island (1996), Sullivan's<br> Session Tunes, vol. 2, Tubridy's Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1 (1999).<br> It was also recorded by Natalie MacMaster on Fit as a Fiddle (1993),<br> whistle player Jim Donoghue on The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place (2005),<br> Frank Ferrel on Yankee Dreams: Wicked Good Fiddling from New England (1991),<br> Colm Murphy on The Irish Drum/An Bodhran, Brendan Power on New Irish Harmoica,<br> Frankie Gavin on Frankie Goes to Town (appears as "Maid Behind the Barrel"),<br> Matt Cranitch on Irish Fiddle Music 2: Give It Shtick! and<br> Vincent Griffin on Traditional Fiddle Music from County Clare (1977).<br>
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