Coming down from Denver
COMING DOWN FROM DENVER. AKA - "Here and There (2)." See "Cowboys (2)," "Halfway House," "Lardner's Reel (1)," "Turnpike." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Missouri, Nebraska. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Coming Down from Denver" is on Charlie Walden's list of '100 essential Missouri fiddle tunes'. Cleo Pursinger maintains the title for the tune is "Comin' Down from Denver (on a Trip to Galway Here and There)," but it may also have originally been "Coming Down from Boston." The 'A' part parallels "Lardner's Reel (1)" but the 'B' part shows some modification. The tune has been published as early as 1864 by Howe in Boston under the title "Lardner's Reel (1)" (Christeson), while a violin music collection published by George H. Coe in 1876 has it under the title "Old Gray Mare." Fidder Tommy Jackson recorded it as "Here and There (2)," while Fletcher Bright plays it under the title "Turnpike Reel." Howard Marshall informs that the tune has two distinct 'B' parts current in Missouri fiddling tradition, both different. Some fiddlers, Cleo Pursinger and Gene Goforth, play a third part. The low parts of "Coming Down from Denver" and "Hummingbird Reel" appear related.
Sources for notated versions: Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson]; Byron Berline [Phillips].
Printed sources: R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, vol. 1), 1973; No. 14, p. 11. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; p. 56.
Recorded sources: Caney Mountain Records CEP 207 (privately issued extended play LP), Lonnie Robertson (Mo.), c. 1965-66. Rounder CD-0388, Gene Goforth - "Emminence Breakdown" (1997. Learned from Roy Wooliver). Rounder 0442, John Hartford - "Hamilton Ironworks" (2001. Learned from Cleo Pursinger). Voyager VRCD 3 44, Howard Marshall & John Williams - "Fiddling Missouri" (1999).
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