Annotation:Jimmy Ward's Jig
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JIMMY WARD'S JIG (Port Jimmy Mhic an Bhaird). AKA - "Clare Jig (The)," "Jim Ward's Fancy," "Jim Ward's Jig," "Tom Ward's, "Ward's Favourite." AKA and see "Chéad Phunnann (An)" (First Sheaf (The)). Irish, Double Jig. D Mixolydian : G Mixolyian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. The alternate title, "Chéad Phunann (An)" (First Sheaf (The)), appears in Breathnach's Tacar Port, 1961 [5]. The Kilfenora Céilí Band was co-founded in 1927 by banjo-player Jimmy Ward and his brother Tom, who played the fiddle. They first broadcast on the radio in 1932. Ward, from Kilfenora, originally played whistle, flute and piccolo from the 1920's to the 1940's, but started playing banjo in the mid-1940's and it became his main instrument. He was with the Kilfenora when the won the All-Ireland three years in a row, 1954-1956. Near the end of his life he lived in Miltown Malbay and ran a small shop. He died in the early 1970's after he lost control of his car on the Inagh road and hit a bridge; he never recovered from his injuries. The jig is occasionally played in the key of D (Lunasa), although more commonly heard in G (Danu). Mallinson (100 Evergreen Irish Session Tunes) attributes the jig that bears his name to Jimmy Ward himself. Others believe that the tune was not composed by Ward, but was associated with him.
Source for notated version: fiddler Bobby Casey (County Clare, Ireland) [Breathnach].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 2, p. 3. Treoir, vol. 38, No. 2, 2006; p. 30. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 32.
Recorded sources: Brick Mixing Music, Garry Shannon - "Punctured" (2006). Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann CL17, Bobby Casey - "Ceol an Chlair vol. 1." Gael Linn Records, Willie Clancy - "Seoda Ceoil" (1968). Green Linnet SIF-1094, Capercaille - "Sidewaulk" (1989. Appears as "Irish Jig"). Shanachie 79064, Matt Molloy - "Heathery Breeze" (1999).
See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
thesession.org [3]
Hear Willie Clancy play the tune (on tin whistle) at the Comhaltas Archive [4]
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