Boatsman

An Old Time fiddle tune derived from “De Boatmen’s Dance,” a minstrel song published in 1843 by Dan Emmett, though the underlying melody almost certainly predates him. It appeared as “Ohio River” in George P. Knauff’s Virginia Reels, vol. IV (Baltimore, 1839), associated with Ohio River boatmen, four years before Emmett advertised it as his own composition. Scholars Hans Nathan and Ray Cauthen (1990) concluded that the melody was in folk circulation before the minstrel era and cycled back into the fiddle tradition after its popularization on the minstrel stage. The tune circulates in Old Time in multiple keys and cross-tunings, most prominently in DDAD tuning as played by Marcus Martin of Swannanoa, NC, and in AEAE sawmill tuning as played by Ed Haley of the eastern KY / WV border region, where Haley’s version extends to an AABBCCBB structure by repeating the B part. Martin’s 1942 field recording made by Artus Moser was released on When I Get My New House Done (UNC Southern Folklife Collection CD 100, 2007); Haley’s home recordings from 1946–47 were released on Grey Eagle (Rounder CD 1133/1134, 1997). Mike Seeger’s version appeared on Fresh Oldtime String Band Music (Rounder CD 0262, 1988), and Melvin Wine recorded it on Hannah at the Springhouse (Marimac AHS2 cassette, 1989).