Jackson’s reel

As played by Dervish on "The Boys of Sligo".

The following is a setting I have in my head. I don’t know exactly where it comes from, but it is probably influenced by Kathleen Collins’ setting:

efed BcdB|Bc^dB AFGF|E2FA BF~F2|ABdf eB~B2|
!efed BcdB|Bc^dB AFGF|EFGA (3Bcd ef|1 gefd Beed:|2 gefd Beez|:
!efed Bdeg|fddc dfaf|gfed (3Bcd ed|BdA=c BEE2|
!e3d (3Bcd eg|fddc bdad|bagf gfed|BdA=c BEE2|
!efed Bdeg|fddc dfaf|gfed Bdef|g3a bgef|
!gbef gfeg|fddc d2fa|bagf gfef|~g3f efgf||

Thanks for the variation David - it’s the first time I’ve heard this version. I notice that Kathleen’s Album "Traditional Music of Ireland" in the database contains Jackson’s, is this the tune you can remember ?

Cillian Valley plays a great version with the group Whirligig on the album "Tilt."

An old Sligo reel.

If you can lay hands on Denis Lanctot’s album "For the Love of Tara", his rendition of Jackson’s will leave you reeling… a fiddler’s dream and nightmare all in one tune.

Breathnach has this tune as #201 in CRE 1 in a setting from Sonny Brogan as "Johnson’s Reel/Ril Mhic Eoin". It’s a good setting too.

I learnt it from my teacher, who learnt it from my previous teacher, bt neither of them know the name, and searching for fragments of the ABC hasn’t turned up anything similar. ‘tis a reel mystery.

Looks like a version of this one
https://thesession.org/tunes/1311

I wondered that; it looked the closest of anything I searched for. Previous teacher has since confirmed that it is (a version of) Jackson’s. Thanks.

https://thesession.org/tunes/9985

X:316
T:Jackson’s Jig
R:jig
S:Live recording of Matt Molloy from Miltown -82
N:Q means a quartertone between c# and c
D:Matt Molloy: Stony Steps (1987)
Z:hn-jig-316
M:6/8
K:G
{c}BG{F}G Bcd|ecc efg|dcB {f}gdB|A{c}BG ABc|
.B2G Bcd|ecc efg|dcB {f}gdB|{c}BAF ~G3|
.B2G Bcd|ecc efg|dcB {f}gdB|~A3 ABc|
.B2G Bcd|ecc efg|dcB {f}gdB|{c}BAF .G3||
~g3 {c’}bag|{fa}fed ^cde|dcB {f}gdB|A{c}BG AB/c/d|
.g2g {c’}bag|{fa}fed ^cde|dcB {f}gdB|{c}BAF .G3|
~g3 {c’}bag|{fa}fed ^cde|dcB gdB|ABG ABc|
.B2G Bcd|ecc efg|dcB {f}gdB|{c}BAF .G3||
"version from the record"
BGG Bcd|{a}edc efg|dcB gdB|ABG ABc|
{c}BAG Bcd|.e2c efg|dcB gdB|cAF ~G3|
.B2G ~B3|{a}edc efg|.d2b gdB|~a3 ABc|
{c}BGd Bcd|edc ~e3|.d2b gdB|cAF .G3||
~g3 {c’}bag|{a}fed B/^c/de|dcB GDB|A{c}BG AB/c/d|
.g2g {c’}bag|{a}fed ^cde|dcb gdB|cAF .G2d|
~g3 {c’}bag|{a}fed B/^c/de|d2b gdB|~A3 ABc|
{c}BGd ~B3|edQ^c efg|dcB gdB|cAF .G2d||

The "Jackson’s" "abcs" you’ve posted are of the jig of that name, but the comments above are about one of "Jackson’s" reels.

I’m sure this has a name & I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already in the database. I picked it up from a tape I have of Andy McGann playing at a session at Kate Kearney’s in the mid 90’s. Sounds like a Sean Ryan tune to me but I just can’t find the title or more info on the tune. I’m sure the tune detectives here will have a name for this even before I finish typing this note 🙂

Variant of "Jackson’s" or "Jackson’s Favourite" which itself is a variant of "Ships are Sailing".

No doubt it is on here but it is also here:
http://www.norbeck.nu/abc/index2.asp?cat=i&sort=title&first=J

My bad, I tired every variant on the melody I could think of in the advanced filter but I didn’t think to try e3d B2dB|A3B A2GF
because most people wouldn’t play the tune like that - except as a variation.

X: 1
T: Jackson’s Favourite
S:Andy McGann
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
efed B2dB | (3ABA GB AFGF |1 EFGA BF{G}F2 | ABdf eB{d}B2 :|2 EFGA Beef | (3gfe fd Bee2 ||
| efed Bdeg | fd{e}dc dfaf | gfed Bcde | dBAc BE{G}E2 |
gbef gbeg | (3faf de (3faf de | bg (3agf gfef | ~g3f efgf ||

I transcribed this setting from a tape I have of Andy McGann playing at a session at Kate Kearney’s in the mid 90’s.

From the Listowel Fleadh, 2002, first tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsC5i6oEDOQ

play video

From the Listowel Fleadh, 2002, first tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsC5i6oEDOQ

play video

(also https://thesession.org/tunes/9985)

Thanks for posting that clip, "Smash". I’m a great admirer of Oisin MacDiarmada’s playing - can’t get enough of it. Great stuff.

I bought his solo album off the back of it, not sure why it was missing before!

Maeve Flanagan playing this reel on the fiddle: http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_256_3_a_fiddle_solo_from_maeve_flanagan/

Her uncle Brian Conway is among the past pupils of the late Andy McGann, who directly learned music from Michael Coleman. Coleman is believed to have popularised this reel.

I came across 3 different reels called Jackson`s Reel on Youtube. The main tune is probably John and James Kelly`s version but the othes are nice too. Seems to be a feature of Irish trad tunes to have several names, a bit like the Clare jig or Mug of Brown Ale, Hand me down the Tackle or Pure Drop, The Belfast hornpipe or the Sweeps hornpipe, the Derry Air or Danny Boy, The New Mown Meadows or Joe Mhaire Mhicilin and we also have that phenomenon where several different tunes are lumped under the one title as above and another example is the Copperplate. No wonder it`s a confusing business!

Played brilliantly here by Liz King on whistle, first tune in the set.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AKa_flK4ZyI

play video

Another version of the war horse, Jackson’s Favourite. The other versions listed here are somewhat close, but not what I’ve played or heard.

This is how a far-flung Falls Church session friend brought it back from his session in Asheville, due the wonder of Zoom sessions.