Annotation:Liza Jane (2)

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LIZA JANE [2]. AKA and see "Little Liza Jane," "Tumblin' Creek Liza Jane," and "I Lost My Liza Jane." American, Reel (cut or 2/4 time). USA, northeastern Kentucky. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. This member of the large and varied "Liza Jane" family of tunes is often sourced to fiddler J.P Fraley[1] (1924-2011), of Rush, Kentucky, due to his influential 1972 LP recording, but it was in the repertory of several northeast Kentucky fiddlers. Fraley was born in 1927 near Hitchins, Carter County, and learned much of his fiddling and some repertoire from his father Richard, a farmer. Jeff Titon (2001) says that when the family had business in Ashland, Richard dropped J.P. off to listen for hours to regional great Ed Haley play on the street corner, so as to increase his tutelage. John Hartford supplies this note in his transcription: "Raymond Toddy and Howdy's Uncle Bob were playing a dance on Tumblin' Creek and swappin off, and Raymond played Liza Jane and ever since then they called it 'Tumblin' Creek Liza Jane.'" Titon (2001) finds the tune similar to "Jenny Get Around."

The title "Little Liza Jane" appears in a list of traditonal Ozarks Mountains fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954 (although the descriptor "little" may have been place in front of any of the "Liza Jane" [2] variants).

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - J.P. Fraley (Rush, Kentucky) [Brody, Phillips]; Greg Canote (Seattle) [Silberberg]; Howdy Forrester, via John Hartford [Devil's Box]; Emma Lee Dickerson (1923-2001) [Beisswenger & Andrade].

Printed sources : - Beisswenger & Andrade (Appalachian Fiddle Tunes), 2021; p. 55. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 171. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 143. Stephen F. Davis (The Devil's Box), vol. 23, No. 1, Spring 1989; p. 21. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 90. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 128. Spadaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; p. 36 (appears as "Poor Liza Jane").

Recorded sources : - Biograph 6007, Ebenezer- "Tell It To Me." Field Recorders Collective FRC731, Emma Lee Dickerson - "Along the Ohio's Shores" (2003). Rounder 0037, J. P. and Annadeene Fraley - "Wild Rose of the Mountain" (1972. Appears as "Little Liza Jane)." The String Beings - "Late for the Dance."

See also listing at :
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Hear J.P. Fraley's recording at Fiddle Club of the World [4] and youtube.com [5]
Hear the tune played by Bo Bradham and Peter Jung at Berea Digital Archives [6]
Hear Emma Lee Dickerson's 1974 field recording by Barbara Kunkle at Bearea Sound Archives [7] and Slippery Hill [8]

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