Baker (The)

BAKER, THE. Scottish (originally), Canadian, Irish; Reel. Canada, Cape Breton. A Major. Standard tuning. AA'B (Skinner); AABB (Cranford/Fitzgerlad). Written by Scottish fiddling and composing giant J. Scott Skinner (1841-1927) for George Gordon. The tune has some currency in Irish circles, having been recorded by fiddlers Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds, and Sean Keane. Donegal fiddler John Doherty had a version (see Larry Sanger's "Gan Ainm" transcriptions below) that Nigel Gatherer identifies as an amalgam of two Skinner tunes, "The Baker" and "The 10£ Fiddle." Some similarities to the Irish "Contradiction Reel."

Source for notated version: Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford].

Printed sources: Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 78, pg. 34. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), pg. 5. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; pg. 102.

Recorded sources: Rounder CD 11661-7033-2, Natalie MacMaster - "My Roots are Showing" (2000). Shanachie 14001, "The Early Recordings of Angus Chisholm" (Cape Breton fiddler who recorded it in the 1930's a medley with "The 10 Pound Fiddle"). Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds. Seamus & Kevin Glackin - "Northern Lights." Hear Angus Chisholm's at the Internet Archive [1]

X:1
T:Baker, The
M:C
L:1/8
R:Reel
N:"Crisply"
C:J. Scott Skinner
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion 
K:A
(d | c)AED CEAc | dFBA GBed | cAED CEAc | dfB[dg] [ca][AA][AA] :|
|| g | a/a/a Aa fedc | BFBA GBeg | a/a/a Aa e/e/e Aa | fagb {g}aAAe | 
.a.A.a.g .f.e.d.c | .B.F.B.A. .G.B.e.d | .c.A .E.D .C.E.A.c | dfBg {g}aAA || 

X: 2
T:The Baker
T:Scott Skinner's
R:Reel
S:Sean Keane
Z:Adrian Scahill
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:A
cAED CEAc|dFBA GBed|cAED CEAc|1 dfBg aAAd:|2 dfBg aAAg||
aAAa fedc|BFBA GBeg|aAA2 ecea|gebg aAAg|
aAAa fedc|BFBA GBed|cAED CEAc|dfBg aAA2:||

X:3
T:Gan Ainm
R:reel
S:John Doherty
Z:Larry Sanger from a tape of a tape of a tape...of John Doherty.  He just
Z:played it twice through, so this is more or less what he played.  The
Z:second and fourth parts below are identical; it might just be a two-part
Z:reel with the second time through being a variation, but it sounds good
Z:as a four-part reel too.  Yes, he played the second and fourth parts
Z:for sixteen bars, the first and third parts for eight bars.
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:A
[E3c3]B|:A/A/A ED CEAc|eAce fdBG|A/A/A {F}EC DFBA|
|1 GBeg aAAE:|2 GBeg aAAg||:aAga fedc|dFBA GABg|aAga fdfa|ecdB cAAg|
aAga fedc|dFBA GBed|cA{F}ED CEAc|1 dfBg aAAg:|2 dfBg aAAd||
cA (3FED CEAc|dFBA GBed|cA (3FED CEAc|1 dfBg aAAd:|2 dfBg aAAg||
|:aAga fedc|dFBA GABg|aAga fdfa|ecdB cAAg|aAga fedc|
dFBA GBed|cA{F}ED CEAc|1 dfBg aAAg:|2 dfBg aAAd||