Annotation:Five Miles from Town (2)

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FIVE MILES FROM TOWN [2]. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, south-central Kentucky (Cumberland Plateau). D Major. Standard tuning or ADae (Rayna Gellert). AAB. A different tune than "Five Miles from Town (1)". Bayard (1981) believes this tune (and tune family) is derived from an Irish tune called "May Day (2)" (Bealtaine) or, as it is better-known today, "Mullingar Races (2)." Other American members of this family include "Dubuque," "Old Dubuque," "Nancy Dawson" and "Duck River." Bobby Fulcher (1986) states that the tune was relatively unfamiliar outside Wayne County, Ky., in the Cumberland Plateau region, although the name has some wider currency. Titon (2001) similarly says that Clyde Davenport is the sole source musician to play this tune, and further, Titon clears up the dizzying confusion among the many similar "Five Mile to/from/out of Town" titles. Bayard (1981), however, collected a version similar in many respects from a fiddler from Centre County, Pennsylvania, in the 1930's. [note: this is not the "Five Miles from Town" sourced to John Sharp].

Source for notated version: D. George Reed (elderly fiddler from Centre County, Pa., 1930's) [Bayard]; Clyde Davenport (Monticello, Wayne County, Ky., 1990), who learned the tune from his father, Will Davenport [Milliner & Koken, Phillips, Titon].

Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 204, p. 157. Milliner & Koken (Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes), 2011; p. 202. Titon (Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 42, p. 74.

Recorded sources: Copper Creek CCCD-0196, Tom, Brad & Alice - "We'll Die in the Pig Pen Fighting." County 788, Clyde Davenport - "Clydeoscope: Rare and Beautiful Tunes from the Cumberland Plateau" (1986). Rounder 0213, The Chicken Chokers - "Chokers and Flies" (1985. Titled "Five Miles to Town"). Rounder 0421, Bruce Molsky - "Big Hoedown" (1997). Rayna Gellert - "Starch and Iron."