The Mosquito's Parade, a Jersey Review...

[Trapdoor2]

I decided I needed to work up tab, including both parts, for this tune and found two very different arrangements of it. The Robert Mahood arrangement (1900, Witmark) was already in the Music Library along with Steve's solo arrangement and I also found an arrangement by George Lansing (1901, Witmark) in my files. I decided to start with the Robert Mahood arrangement first, do some comparisons and then decide which to use.

The differences are fairly minor in the 1st banjo part for both, Mahood uses a lot of eighth-note (minim) pairs, separated by a rest, Lansing just uses quarter-notes (crochet) and eighth-notes to get a similar effect. The bass-slur motif is notated as a triplet in the Mahood, Lansing uses a grace-note slur, etc., etc. As much as the 1st banjo parts are similar, the 2nd Banjo parts are very different. Mahood uses the old 'pound them out' rhythmic chord approach and Lansing uses alternating bass note/chord pairs. End result: the Mahood 2nd sounds terrible. I'm not even sure the right chords are used in some measures. The 1st is fine by itself.

So, I went with the Lansing arrangement. You will find in the Music Library: a clean, two-page 1st & 2nd in notation, tab for both, an mp3 file and then a copy of the original 3 page dots. I did make some minor changes just to support the mp3, essentially taking the "pp" sections up a notch to "p". The tempo is 150bpm on the mp3. I compared the tempo to original recordings (which were all over the place) and settled on 150. See attached for the mp3 (also in the library).

[Joel Hooks]

Nice work!  Are you able to share the original sheet music for Lansing's arrangement?

[Trapdoor2]

It is the last three pages in the library, Joel.

[Jody Stecher]

The first part sounds like the composer  Howard Whitney took The Campbells Are Coming, held on to the structure, shook it until all the notes fell out, and replaced it with other notes (pitches).

What is the meaning of "A Jersey Review"?  I've eliminated Jersey the Channel Island and the shirt called Jersey as possibilities. That leaves the state of New Jersey as a likely suspect. But why?   There seem to be no more mosquitos there than in neighboring states. Maybe there is a connection between Jersey and Reviews.  Atlantic City?  I'm stumped.

[Trapdoor2]

A military parade is often called a review. "Passing in review."

New Jersey was often the butt of many "rural" jokes in the period. Confederate Civil War soldiers referred to "Jersey Skeeters" as gunfire whizzed around their heads.

[Jody Stecher]

Thanks, Marc. That explains it. 

Trapdoor2 said:

A military parade is often called a review. "Passing in review."

New Jersey was often the butt of many "rural" jokes in the period. Confederate Civil War soldiers referred to "Jersey Skeeters" as gunfire whizzed around their heads.