The Cowboy jig

Another tune first heard at the Dora Keogh in Toronto, with an especially nice, slightly bittersweet B section. Mind, I’ve never heard the B section the same way from any two different sources, so I picked what I thought was the prettiest one. I’d welcome a correction if anyone knows something authoritative.

—-Michael B.

…it’s very similar indeed to Out in the Ocean, which I understand is considerably older.

—-Michael B.

Great tune - I’ve heard this played by Alasdair Fraser and fell in love with it - Cheers!!

Alasdair Fraser play this tune in Amaj

Seems related to O’Sullivan’s March: https://thesession.org/tunes/2204

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.
https://thesession.org/tunes/108

The B-part in particular, copied from Jeremy’s transcription:

|: Bd |
e2 e edB | ege edB | d2B def | gfe dBA |
G2 A B2 d | ege d2 B | AGE G2 A | BGE G :|

I have heard this tune a couple of places, including Alasdair Fraser on the Road North, in A, and it’s in G in the Portland Collection. I like it in a set with Calliope House. But does anyone know where it comes from, or what it’s history is?

FM

As "Charlie the Prayermaster" played by Addie Hsrper, Scottish fiddler:

X:322
T:Charley the Prayermaster
T:Cowboy Jig
D:Wick S.C.D., The Sound of the North (1970)
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:A
B |AFE A2 B | cff ecB | AFE ABc | dcB AFE |
AFE A2 B | cff ecB | AFE A2 B | 1cAA A2 :| 2cAA Ace ||
f2 e f2 e | faf fec | e2 c e2 c | eaf ece |
f2 e f2 g | agf ecB |AFE A2 B | 1cAA Ace :| 2cAA A2 |]

only the 2nd part of this jig sounds like Out On the Ocean but it also sounds (bars 5 and 6) like O’Sullivan’s March https://thesession.org/tunes/2204

Not sure where I learned this or first heard it, but it’s always been a big earworm for me. And in my head, it always plays in A and begins with "aef" instead of "afe."

It’s in Cole’s 1001 Fiddle tunes, so, can we assume it’s
Scottish? it seems not particularly Irish….

I first heard this on Alasdair’s Cd also; as a very nice G tune after Calliope. In the Portland Collection it’s in A, not G as full measure wrote above, but I wonder if it was indeed in the other key in the first 8 printings! It’s a nice tune in both keys. I’m playing around with doing it in G after Calliope then once through in A.

Simplified version based on the similarities in a few versions I’ve heard, such as the version by "Trip To Nelson" on the album "The Winding Road".