Annotation:Fort Smith (1)

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FORT SMITH [1]. AKA and see "On the Banks of the Cane," "Rabbit in the Grass." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Thede): AABBAACCAADD (Beisswenger/McCann). 'B' part similar to 'A' part of "Fort Smith Breakdown (2)" sourced to Luke Hignight’s Ozark Strutters (1928). A popular tune throughout the Ozarks Mountain region, generally played in two parts, although other parts may be inserted by some fiddlers (see Cotton Combs version). Fiddler Charlie Walden gives "Old Fort Smith" in his list of one hundred essential Missouri fiddle tunes, and it is presumably "Fort Smith [1]." Thede says: "There are two suppositions as to the origin of the tune 'Fort Smith'...One conjecture is that the beginning of this melody goes back to the time when a cavalry division of the United States Army was stationed at Fort Smith, Arkansas, as an outpost to the Indian Territory to the west.... On the other hand, I have information through the late E.M. Hooper of Shawnee, Oklahoma, who was an early day musician, that this tune was brought from Sweden and renamed 'Fort Smith' by an immigrant the name of Bottefur, who formed a musical organization in the town around 1843." "Rabbit in the Grass" is a closely related tune and may be considered a version of "Fort Smith," or a close variant. Beisswenger & McCann (2008) give several similar tunes, including "Across the Plains," "Coming Up the Turnpike/Coming Up the Pike," "Old Buzzard (1)," and Ky. fiddler Snake Chapman's "Nubbin Ridge."

Sources for notated versions: William Crane (Creek County, Oklahoma) [Thede]; Cotton Combs (1921-1984, Fayetteville, Arkansas), who interspersed the 'A' part of the tune with the B, C and D parts, but not always in regular order [Beisswenger/McCann]; Bob Holt and W.S. Collins [Milliner & Koken].

Printed sources: Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; pp. 22-23. Thede (The Fiddle Book), 1967; p. 104.

Recorded sources: County CD2712, Art Stamper (Ky.) - "The Lost Fiddler" (c. 1982). Gilliam Recording Studio, Cotton Combs - "Parkin' Lot Jammin' (c. 1970's). Marimac 9017, Vesta Johnson (Mo.) - "Down Home Rag." Rounder CD 0432, Bob Holt. Rounder CD 82161-0437-2, H. K. Silvey.

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

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