Annotation:Jerusalem Ridge
Tune properties and standard notation
JERUSALEM RIDGE. Bluegrass, Breakdown. USA. A Aeolian (Am). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'CC. Composed by bluegrass mandolinist Bill Monroe (Ky., 1911-1996)). Jerusalem Ridge is an area in the hills around Monroe's birthplace near Rosine, Kentucky. His Uncle Pen, a mentor, used to play his fiddle late into the evening up on Jerusalem Ridge. The tune has similarities to "Glory in the Meeting House," an old fiddle tune collected from several eastern Kentucky sources, which may be a model or precursor. It is possible it influenced Monroe and/or Baker. Baker, however, was careful to give credit to Monroe for the composition. According to him, the band was staying in a motel in Kentucky back in the early to mid 1970s, when Monroe invited Baker to come to his room to work on a tune that Monroe was trying to fashion. The mandolinist would play a section and then would ask the fiddler to play it back, and then modify it. This process took some time, but in the end "Jerusalem Ridge" emerged, and became a showpiece for Baker. It was first recorded by Monroe in March, 1975.
Source for notated version: Kenny Baker [Brody].
Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 147.
Recorded sources: Acoustic Disk Records, David Grisman, John Hartford & Mike Seegar - "Retrograss." County 761 & County CO-2708-CD, Kenny Baker- "Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe." Green Linnet Kevin Burke - "Up Close" (1984). Ridge Runner RRR0018, Bob Black - "Ladies on the Steamboat" (1979). Sugar Hill Records, Tony Rice - "Church Street Blues."
See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Grateful Dead Discography [2]