mworden - Posted - 12/20/2012:  21:07:25

Well, I understand that the world may come to an end today but, if it does, you could do worse than to go out playing the tune Jim Shank.  The tune is sometimes called Jimmy Shank, Jim Shanks or Jim Shenk.

This week's tune comes to us from Tennessee fiddle player Sam Dyer through a field recording by Bruce Greene.  You can hear the recording here.

I don't know very much about the tune apart from what I've found at the Fiddler's Companion:

The tune seems somewhat obscure at least insofar as it hasn't been recorded all that often though I know it comes up in jams in a number of places.  I think it's one of my favorite tunes that I've learned in the past year.  There's just something about it that seems very compelling to me.  One of the things that I like about it is that it seems to lend itself to interpretation.  It's a fairly simple tune, in the key of A, and basically square although different folks will play either once or twice through the B part.  Maybe because of that or maybe despite that, nearly all of the versions of this tune that I have run across have a different flavor.  My favorite might be from Rhys Jones and Christina Wheeler on their album Starry Crown.  I love the way their dual fiddles weave in and out of each other and the melody.  It's hypnotic.  But my fiddler friend who taught me the tune dismisses their version as "too pretty."  Pharis and Jason Romero do a nice version with fiddler Sophie Vitells on their album Back Up and Push.

The Clawhammer Tune of the Day blog has a nice solo banjo version here.

Here on the Hangout, Dean "FretlessinTexas" Barber has a coffehouse performance with banjo, fiddle and guitar here.

Hangout member Lyle K provides a tab version here.

I've uploaded a solo banjo version recorded on my Romero with nylgut strings.  I had originally started to gussy it up with some guitar backup (not quite up to it yet on the fiddle but it's coming), but decided I liked the way it sounded just stripped down to its skivvies.  

I hope more people will post their own versions before the meteors start to hit.  See you on the other side!

Mike

Jim Shank

RG - Posted - 12/20/2012:  22:36:39

This is a great jam tune, great choice and thanks for posting!

J-Walk - Posted - 12/21/2012:  05:36:43

This is one of my all-time favorite tunes. Thanks for choosing it.

I learned it from a Steven Rosen recording, available here. That album is actually two albums combined together.

"Jimmy Shank" is track #8, mislabeled as "40 Miles to Shanteetown." Apparently, the person who put the CD together couldn't identify the tune and just made up a name.

Tatersoup - Posted - 12/21/2012:  06:51:39

What a great tune! Thanks for sharing!

jduke - Posted - 12/21/2012:  07:02:01

The only time I have listened to this tune previously is on the  Romero 's Back Up And Push album.  It's a great tune and I enjoyed listening to your version and the others that you posted.   Thanks,    Jeff

vrteach - Posted - 12/21/2012:  10:33:56

How cool is that! For some years I've played along with this and then asked at the end "what's THAT one?" They answer "Jimmy Shanks" and I think to myself "I'll remember that."

Maybe now I really will.

I've attached a version that I think matches what I've been playing along with these past years.

Jimmy Shanks

mworden - Posted - 12/21/2012:  11:01:57

Erich, I like your version a lot.  Thanks for posting. Cheers.

quote

:

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Originally posted by vrteach

How cool is that! For some years I've played along with this and then asked at the end "what's THAT one?" They answer "Jimmy Shanks" and I think to myself "I'll remember that."

Maybe now I really will.

I've attached a version that I think matches what I've been playing along with these past years.

---

LyleK - Posted - 12/21/2012:  11:44:18

quote:

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Originally posted by vrteach

How cool is that! For some years I've played along with this and then asked at the end "what's THAT one?" They answer "Jimmy Shanks" and I think to myself "I'll remember that."

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I learned this one (at some point) by accident.  I was at a local jam trying to fiddle "Little Dutch Girl" and all that would come out was a tune that we all knew was not "Little Dutch Girl."  Someone at the jam used a "life line."  They phoned home and hummed the tune and it was quickly identified as Jimmy Shank.  I think I had learned the tune at a 'foreign" jam (probably Bloomington-Normal).

Very nice versions here.  Much better than my "Little Jimmy Dutch Shank Girl."

aeroweenie - Posted - 12/21/2012:  12:37:45

This is a new one to me, I like it.  The link to "clawhammer tune of the day" was especially helpful since it has the Sam Dyer version.  As always, the variety of versions presented here is fantastic.   Here is my take, played on a walnut A-scale fretless with Nylgut strings.

Jim Shank

camcumberland - Posted - 12/22/2012:  11:04:01

Hey everyone, I took a stab at Jim Shank using Lyle k's tab.

VIDEO: Jimmy Shanks (click to view)

JanetB - Posted - 12/22/2012:  17:44:46

A fun tune indeed with great versions posted already.  Thanks, Mike, also for introducing me to the San Dyer recording which I found on the Slippery Hill fiddling website.  (The amount of authentic recordings on that site is astounding.  I found that I could slow them down when learning using my Windows Media Player.)  I play this on a Gold Tone mini, so it's in the key of C. 

Jim Shank

WGE - Posted - 12/24/2012:  16:30:05

Here in Nashville, the NOTSBA folks play this under the title "Jimmy Shane."

Don Borchelt - Posted - 12/27/2012:  11:25:22

A good choice for tune of the week, Mike.  This gets played a lot in jams around Boston.  Some fine versions posted here, I enjoyed them all.  Here is my take on it; I am a little late because I had to get Christmas over with before I could turn to important stuff!

- Don Borchelt

VIDEO: Jim Shank (click to view)