Jamaica (Playford, 1670)

[Martin Jonas]

This is an English country dance tune from the 4th Edition (1670) of John Playford's Dancing Master.

Arrangement by Steve Hendricks:

http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/Hendricks/Pl...ew/jamaica.pdf

1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin
Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
Ozark tenor guitar

I'm playing this at a fairly slow tempo, as I first heard this tune from the playing of Dave Swarbrick, who turns it into a beautiful slow air. On most modern recordings, it's played rather faster. I don't know enough about the accompanying dance instructions to gauge what tempo would have been appropriate for dancing.



Martin

[rubydubyr]

Very nice

[billhay4]

Lovely, Martin, the music and the art.
Bill

[Martin Jonas]

Bill/Ruby: Thanks for the comments. I've now also recorded the same arrangement, with the same instruments, at approximately normal dancing speed; almost twice the speed of my previous recording. I makes for a completely different type of tune, but also nice I think. Certainly livelier:



Martin

[rubydubyr]

quite nice, wanted to make me grab my dancing shoes

[derbex]

I do like this tune, played it in the pub last week on the OM and ended up with recorder and fiddle accompanying me. We did it a dance speed and the only complaint was that it was over too quickly, need to find something to put with it.

I wonder if Bloody Morgan ever put his dancing shoes on?