"Susannah Gal", also known as "Susannah Girl" is an American reel in 2/4 or
cut time and D Major. The parts are played AA’BB’.
There are variations known in Patrick, Grayson and Surry Counties in Virginia. There are similarities to "Sally Ann" and "Fly Around". This version is from Emmett Lundy (1864-1953), who, even though a Grayson County, Virginia fiddler, had a version similar to the Patrick County versions. Kelly Lundy, accompanying his father Emmett on guitar, sang floating verses on their 1941 recording:
The banjo tablature is by John Letscher. His comments: This one tends to the Round Peak tune, specifically Tommy Jarrel. The title is as above (Western Country (Suzannah Gal)) plus Susanna Gal and /or Suzy Anna Gal. Your Choice!It was printed in Clare Milliner & Walt Koken's Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes (2011). It was recorded on The Old Virginia Fiddlers: Rare Recordings 1948-49 and by Emmett Lundy (1941 on an Alan & Elizabeth Lomax field recording), Dad Blackard's Moonshiners on It'll Never Happen Again: Old Time String Bands, Vol. 1, Emmett W. Lundy on Emmett W. Lundy: Fiddle Tunes from Grayson County, Virginia (1977. A reissue of Lundy's 1941 Library of Congress recordings). |