Annotation:Little Judique Jig

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LITTLE JUDIQUE [2]. Canadian, Jig. Canada, Cape Breton. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. The traditional melody was originally recorded by John A. ("Johnny Archie") MacDonald (1883 - 1971) raised in Little Judique Ponds, Cape Breton, who worked as a policeman in Detroit. He was, however, born in Superior, Wisconsin. At age seven, after the death of his mother, Johnny Archie and his father returned to live with extended family at Little Judique Ponds. It was there that he picked up his music. His grandfather, Donald Macdonald was the only fiddler in Little Judique in his day, and in demand for weddings and dances in the area. Donald passes his skill to four of his sons, who took up the violin, including John's father, although he said [The Scotia Sun, May 9, 1973], "I also inherited music from my mother, the former Florence Beaton from Little Judique. People have told me that both she and her brother, the late John Archie Beaton were noted step dancers and Gaelic and English singers."

MacDonald played it "Little Judique" the key of 'C', although other Cape Breton fiddlers play it in 'A' (Dan Hughie MacEachern) and 'F' (Otis Tomas) [Cranford]. Not having a title in 1990, Jerry Holland recorded it as "Buddy at Big Pond," after his source, fiddler Buddy MacMaster.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Cranford (Jerry Holland's), 1995; No. 259, p. 75.

Recorded sources: Fiddlesticks cass., Jerry Holland - "A Session with Jerry Holland" (1990). Green Linnett, Jerry Holland - "The Fiddlesticks Collection" (1995).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [2]

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