Annotation:Down on the Big Sandy

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DOWN ON THE BIG SANDY. American, Jig. USA, southwestern Pa. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Despite the thoroughly American title, Prof. Samuel Bayard (1981) identified the second strain of this tune as the same as that of the British Isles "New Rigged Ship (1) (The)" and the less common "Catch Club," while the first strain of 'Big Sandy' is the second section of the opening jig figure in the Irish quadrille "Off to Skelligs--1st Figure." The Big Sandy is the river that forms the boundary between the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It flows into the Ohio River.

Source for notated version: James Morris (elderly fiddler from Greene County, Pa., 1930's) [Bayard].

Printed sources: Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife), 1981; No. 492, p. 455.

Recorded sources:

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