Jack Rowe reel

The second tune in the first track on James Kelly’s Irish Traditional Music, or is that Traditional Irish Music? Anyway, it’s the one that follows Lads of Laois and is followed in turn by The Heathery Cruach. Been trying to find a title for this one for ages…

There’s a James Kelly variation in the second part that I generally use the second time through:

Measure 6: |(3EFG AB cAFA|

and a James Kelly variation in the second part that I generally use the second time through:

|: g3e fddf|efge fagf|

Also, coming out of Lads of Laois, James Kelly starts the tune out E3F rather than on the F.

this tune was also recorded by Dervish, in Midsummer Night.

Zina - this tune is on the CD by P.J.Crotty and James Cullinane as "Dwyer’s". The say they got the tune from Finbar Dwyer, but aren’t specific as to whether or not it is one of his compositions. I would say it probably is. Great reel.

"Dervish" have it titled "Jack Roe".

Thanks, Kenny! Hmmm. Anybody know how to get hold of Richie Dwyer to see if he recognizes it as one of Finbarr’s?

The man Finbar himself is still lurking around Slough, near London. He occasionally makes an appearance at the Herschel Arms, although he never plays.

Really? I thought Finbarr (isn’t his name spelled with two "R"s?) had passed away! How cool — so, anyone care to ask the man if it’s one of his?

Sean McGuire`s father was the oldest source of this tune I am aware of.Sean Himself recorded it as Jack Rowe on `The Best Of `
Album.Its a lot older than Finbar Dwyer!!

I think this tune was written by Jack Maguire, Sean’s father. It seems to predate Finbarr Dwyer.
Sean Maguire plays it before The Gatehouse Maid (the E minor one) - a lovely set.

It’s played by Peadar O’Loughlin and Maeve Donnelly on The Thing Itself, as Jack Rowe’s. The play it in the key of A - modal? Mixolydian? Be handy if it was cross-referred over from the listing for Happy to Meet, where they call it Dwyer’s.

As played by Damien Connolly, Patrick Ourceau and others in a recent session. Began with a very pronounced long A.

M:C|
L:1/8
K:G
|:A3F GFED | (3EFG AB cABA | GBdg egdB | GBAF GFED |
FAAF GFED | (3EFG AB c2BA | GBdB AcBA | GEDE G4 :|
|:g3e fedf | efge fedf |eBB2 efge | fdef g2 (3def |
gbag eage | dBBA BAGF | GBdB AcBA | GEDE G4 :||

Several sources refer to Sean Maguire’s father as John Maguire. If that’s correct, who was Jack?

"Jack" has been used often as a nickname for "John", slainte, although it has evolved to be a name on its own.

If you’re trying to play it like Maeve Donnelly, Peadar O Loughlin, and Ronan Browne, Jeeves Tones’s ABC is closer to the mark.

BTW, I don’t think Peadar, Ronan, and Maeve were playing it in A. They used an E flat flute and fiddles tuned up a half step, but played with regular fingerings, so the tune comes out in A flat/G sharp major on the recording…in a concert pitch session, if you just play it as notated by jeeves tones plus or minus a few tasteful variations you’ll be grand.

oh my god, my name’s jack rowe!

which was put together by Sean McGuire and Josephine Keegan; it’s called "Jack Roe" and the listing at the back of the book shows it being ‘contributed’ by Jack McGuire, Sean’s father. Composers are listed separately and Jack is not shown as one of these.

David

Josephine Keegan also includes the tune, unattributed, as Reel #196 Jack Roe in her 2004 tunebook "A Drop in the Ocean".

I lifted my favourite version of this (reasonably approximate) version off a mightily cooking set by Nathan Gourley and Laura Feddersen https://soundcloud.com/tracks-by-the-brook/fishermans-island-the-lads-of-laoise-jack-rowe

Mis-typed above, should read: I lifted this reasonably approximate version off a mightily-cooking set with my favourite version (setting) by Nathan Gourley and Laura Feddersen… https://soundcloud.com/tracks-by-the-brook/fishermans-island-the-lads-of-laoise-jack-rowe