Comment by Trapdoor2 on April 28, 2009 at 1:35

Heck, I don't know which version I like better! Good work, Tim.

Comment by Tim Twiss on April 28, 2009 at 1:49

Thanks Marc. Say, do you have any insight on this music, this publication, or the man?
Several of these tunes move along like standard stroke tunes, but the rhythmic and melodic oddity of some of these are puzzling. The hang time on some of those notes begged for harmonic or rhythmic fill. Perhaps not? Rob did not fill that void, and has a good arrangement. Thanks for letting this lab experiment transpire here. The next one is weirder...."Electric Light"...

Comment by Trapdoor2 on April 28, 2009 at 3:17

Although the original is here in my files, I really don't know much about it. I believe Carl has the straight dope on Baur, who was evidently an early stroke player...so no doubt about his bona fides.

I understand the need for rhythmic fill and it sounds good...but it also sounds good as Rob played it. Half of me likes to have the 'chop' behind it and the other half likes to hear that hang time. Anyone who says banjo notes have a short half-life needs to hear Rob's version.

I've just finished tabbing out "Twisted Rope" and part of me wants to play those triplet figures on two strings like a bluegrasser... ;-) Not hard to play...but tough to tap out!!

Comment by Trapdoor2 on April 28, 2009 at 4:18

Electric Light Reel...definitely a surreal bit of stuff. I've got it tabbed...too strange! So far, I think it runs A-B-A, finishing on m16...at least that A in m32 leads us right back into m1.

Comment by Jody Stecher on April 28, 2009 at 4:50

I think I may be able to shine a bit of light on Bauer's music and on his intent. His book is all reels, hornpipes, clogs, jigs, and walk arounds. These are dance tunes. Leaving aside for now the changes that have occurred since his day in the type of tunes and type of steps associated with these labels, I believe this may have been music intended to accompany solo exhibition dancing. These were done in different sorts of shoes both hard and soft and done on different sorts of surfaces. And in fact these variables are reflected in some of Baur's titles. Both "tap" and "soft shoe" are descendants of this "stage" dancing. If one follows the written music of Twisted Rope Jig looking at and sounding out only the rhythmic values and temporarily ignoring the pitches it's easy to imagine a solo dancer tapping out these rhythms. The gaps are essential to the effect and I think it's likely that the banjo music and the dancer's feet were coordinated. A conjecture: There may have been another instrument (banjo or otherwise) or even a small band playing an oom-pah (bass/chord) accompaniment where the missing beats are clearly stated. But maybe not.

Comment by Tim Twiss on April 28, 2009 at 13:02

Thanks Jody. That makes sense to me. I should be watching more dance videos, if there are any, to get a feel for this. As I tried "Electric Light Jig" this morning, I relaxed into the imaginary supportive rhythm of a dancer. Perhaps I'll hook up with one sometime, or else find a creative bones player.

Comment by Jody Stecher on April 28, 2009 at 16:19

There may be a thin and suspect link between Electric Light Reel and Dan Emmett.

This morning I checked some 19th century american fiddle books to see if I could find Twisted Rope or Electric Light and came up empty. Next I checked Andrew Kuntz' s "The Fiddler's Companion website

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/EIB_EMY.htm

and found the following:

ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHOTTISHE. Old‑Time, Schottische. USA, Ohio. Edison 51995 (78 RPM), 1927, John Baltzell. Baltzell was a Mt. Vernon, Ohio, fiddler who was taught to play by minstrel Dan Emmett (d. 1904). Emmett was born in the same town and returned there in 1888, poor, to live out his life.

a web search turned up streaming audio for some other Baltzell recordings but not this one. Perhaps it was some other tune that fiddler gave the tile of Electric Light because he was recording for Edison records. The Baur tune does sound more like a schottishe than a reel, but those terms were applied differently in different times and places. So far that's all I can come up with. There are several twisted rope tunes on the Fiddler's Companion site but aside from a vaguely similar descending passage (in fours instead of threes) in one of the tunes I can find no musical connection between them and the Baur Twisted Rope Jig.

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