Nancy Dawson
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Nancy Dawson", also known as "Nancy Dalton" is an old-time breakdown in D Major.<br> It is played in standard or ADae fiddle tunings. The parts are played AABB.<br> The tune was in the repertoire of Monroe County, south-central Kentucky, fiddler<br> Jim Bowles (1903-1997) who learned it from local musicians. Fiddlers Isham<br> Monday (1879-1964) and Sammie Walker (1910-1987), both of whom were also from<br> Monroe County, played the tune and called it "Nancy Dawson" (Monday's 1959 field<br> recording is in the Western Kentucky University archive). As a variant of a larger<br> tune family, it was not widely known outside the Monroe County region, however,<br> Jeff Titon (2001) identifies it as a member of the "Old Dubuque" family of tunes<br> which is more widespread. Of the three performances, Monday's is the most archaic<br> sounding, followed by Bowles's version; the youngest member of the trio, Sammie Walker,<br> had a version markedly more influenced by more modern styles of fiddling.<br> The tune family includes<br> "Dubuque",<br> "Hell Up Coal Holler"<br> "Old Dubuque" and<br> "Duck River".<br> The banjo tablature is by John Letscher who got it from Bruce Greenes playing<br> on a tape from Burt Feintuch.<br> It was printed in Phillips' Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1 (1994),<br> Silberberg's 93 Tunes I Didn't Learn at the Tractor Tavern (2004) and<br> Titon's Old-Time Kentucky Fiddler Tunes (2001).<br> It was recorded by Jim Bowles on Railroading Through the Rocky Mountains (1994) and<br> Pat Kingery on I Kind of Believe It's a Gift (c. 1986).<br>
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