REEL DE NAPOLÉON [1] (Napoleon's Reel). French-Canadian, Reel (2/4 or cut time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. The reel was in the repertoire of Montreal fiddler Joseph Allard (1873-1947), recorded by him in 1937 and released on Victor's Bluebird label. A different "Reel de Napoléon (2)" was recorded by Isidore Soucy in 1936, a year before Allard. Allard also recorded this tune as "Reel du voyageur" (Victor 263534-A, 1928) and Jean Carignan used this name in at least two recordings. Carignan's "Reel du voyageur" on on his "Rend hommage à Joseph Allard" album (Philo Records FI 2012, 1976, track B8) and Archives Disque 1, track 32, is the same tune as played by Allard. However, confusingly, Carignan recorded a different tune as "Reel du voyageur (2)" on "Old Time Fiddle Tunes played by Jean Carignan", Folkways Records FG 3531, 1960 track 1 [1]
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Billette & Mallette (Québec Folklore, vol. 2), 2004; p. 26. Cuillerier (Joseph Allard), 1992; p. 18.
Recorded sources : - Bluebird B-1107-b (78 RPM), Joseph Allard (1937). Loftus Music, Celtic Fiddle Festival - "Équinoxe " (2008).
Le Tamanoir – TAMX 32500, Joseph Allard - "Musique Traditionnelle Du Québec: Coffret No. 2, La Danse" (1975. Various artists). Tamanoir MAGHCD 60, Joseph Allard - "Violon: Musique traditionnelle du Québec" (1996). "Portrait du vieux Kébec Volume 11: Joseph Allard, violoneux."
See also listing at : Hear Allard's 1937 recording at the Virtual Gramophone [2], and on youtube.com [3]
