Andy De Jarlis’ jig

Year after year I would meet with Terry Foy. He would stop in my neighborhood and we would perform at the same festival for 2 months. He has a bit of talent for the Mandolin and he used to join me for the open Jam at the end of the day. If we hit a dry spot when we were coming to a concensus of what was next, Terry would start working the audience until they were howling.

You might want to hear the Altan version before you start learning this one. Not only will you hear the magic but you won’t be able to resist.

Some musicians attributed this tune to Jerry Holland, but I’m not terribly sure if it’s true. But it sounds quite similar to the first Cape Breton Jig recorded in "Music at Matt Molloy’s," so it must have some connection with the Cape Breton tradition.

Yes, I learned it from my teacher, who told me it was a Cape Breton tune.

at first iI did’nt seen that the tune in in Emaj, and i played it in Emin. Try to play it in Emin! It sounds good the same.

The sleeve notes of Jerry Holland’s ‘Master Cape Breton Fiddler’ CD state that Jerry heard this tune from fiddler Mike MacDougall of Ingonish (Cape Breton)

I read it somewhere that Mike MacDougall wrote this tune, and wrote the jig Ingonish as well.

In Jerry’s first tune book, he says about the tune that he learned it from Mike MacDougall, and when MacDougall was looking for a title, Johnny Wilmot said that he had heard Dejarlis play it….so, it is possible that he composed it, but no one knows for sure…..

one more thing, it’s listed as trad in the book

I’ll bet Andy Dejarlis knows. You have to follow the trail of breadcrumbs…

Arrgh! I love this tune and EMaj makes it that much more rewarding (and difficult) to grab hold of.

I would substitute Charlie Hunter’s for this beautiful tune in an odd key. I heard it almost always played with Ingonish and Mrs. McGhee as recorded on Jerry Holland’s solo album and Altan’s "Island Angel."

K: D Major
|: A |
DFA DFA DFA B2 A | DFA DFA A,CE GFE |
DFA DFA DFA B2 g | f2 e ABc d3 d2 :|
|: g |
faf def a2 g B3 | e2 f e2 d cec A2 g |
faf def a2 g B2 g | f2 e ABc d3 d2 :|

alt last beats in the last measures:
| f2 e ABc d3 dAF :| ~ into A-part
| f2 e ABc d3 dAg :| ~ into B-part

~ or for wind players, one alternat take for the low bit. You could also play it on an E instrument if you are that enamoured with four sharps, but I personally like the half and cross fingering of playing it in that key on a D instrument. It fits nicely both ways…:

|: DFA DFA DFA B2 A | DFA DFA AcE GFE | ~
~ or ~
K: E Major
| EGB EGB BDF AGF | ~ in place of ~ | EGB EGB B,DF AGF |

K: Emaj
|: e |
EGB EGB | EG/A/B c2 B | EGB E2 B | B,D/E/F A2 F |
EGB E2 B | EGB c2 a | gfe Bcd | e3 e2- :|
|: a |
gbg efg | b2 g c3 | f2 g f2 e | dcB B2 a |
g2 b efg | b2 g c2 a | g2 f B2 d | ede e2- :|

See my comment in the Playing With Fire comments about Dervish’s tune keys.

Here is a version I heard in D - adapted for the D whistle:

X: 1
T: Andy De Jarlis
T: Jig D Maj
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
Q:400
R: jig
K: Dmaj
| d2e |: fef def | gfg B3 | efe e2d |cBA a2g |
| fef def | gfg B3 | efe ABc | df~e d2 z :|
|: (DFA) (DFA) | (DFA) (B2 A) | (DFA) (DFA) | (G~FG) E2 F |
| (DFA) (DFA) | (DFA) (B2 g) | ~fed ABc | dfe d2 z :|

orignally for banjo the B section goes like this
…|: (DFA) (DFA) | (DFA) (B2 A) | (DFA) (DFA) | ^B,EG AGE |
| (DFA) (DFA) | (DFA) (B2 g) | ~fed ABc | dfe d2 z :|

There’s a special place in hell reserved for people who come up with unusually catchy tunes and then go and put them in stupid keys. 😀

Andy DeJarlis was a Metis from Manitoba who wrote many great tunes. Other Canadian fiddlers relished them, including Cape Breton and Quebecois masters..

Talking about stupid keys, Whiddler, I erroneously read the tune as if there was only one sharp at the clef… and it kinda worked; especially the 2nd part that sounds like the Lambada this way!

I’ve posted the version from Jerry Holland’s "Master Cape Breton Fiddler" album.

This is a hard key! My hand hurts so much right now…..

Andy de Jarlis is amazing. I love all of his songs. Especially surveyors reel.

I almost have the tune now…. now I only make about 10 mistakes while playing it….
This may be the hardest song I have ever played… :o

The tune is indeed attributed to Andy Dejarlis’ who called it "Scotch Style Jig" (which perhaps explains its attraction to Cape Breton musicians). Dejarlis’ recording of it in on his album Cross Canada Old Time Music (London Records EBX 4124) and can be found on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPThmnLzX8

play video

The complete track listing and images of the album cover and discs can be found at
https://www.discogs.com/Andy-De-Jarlis-His-Early-Settlers-Cross-Canada-Old-Time-Music/release/7467840
The record does list Dejarlis as the composer. I’ve seen the suggestion that Dejarlis claimed tunes as his that were minor reworkings of traditional tunes but this is a pretty unique tune. Unfortunately we can’t ask him as he died in 1975.

Thanks for posting this historic video.

Since no one else has mentioned this, also check out the Bb version of this tune as played by Dervish on their album Playing With Fire. They refer to it as The Cape Breton Jig, and play it in a set between Buried My Wife and John McKenna’s. Beautiful playing indeed!

In most cases, I don’t believe that certain keys are more difficult than others, just that we’re not as familiar with them, so they seem more challenging. E is not really a tough key once you are used to it. Same for Bb.