For this week's TOTW, I've picked "Rochester Schottische", a tune from the Round Peak area. A schottische (pronounced shotish)
is a widely popular dance, supposedly somewhat like a slow polka, that probably originated in Bohemia. Ironically, this TOTW is
not played as a schottishe, as noted below. The only information I've been able to find is from Brad Leftwich's Round Peak Style
Banjo and Fiddle books and from the Fiddlers Companion.
Quoting from Brad Leftwich's Round Peak Style Banjo book: "Ben Jarrell called this tune "Rochester Schottische," but Charlie Lowe
and others called it "Walking in the Parlor." Apparently unrelated to the family of tunes usually called "Rochester Schottische"
or the family of tunes usually called "Walking in the Parlor," this enigmatic piece isn't even played as a schottische."
The Fiddlers Companion, http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/ROC.htm provides a bit more information, here is an excerpt: "Tommy Jarrell's "Rochester Schottische" is
not a schottische at all, much less the "Rochester Schottishe" found in older collections in North America (which even some
Southern fiddlers have occasionally picked up from these sources). Barry Poss (1976) suggests that "Rochester Schottische" was
played at one time in the Round Peak (N.C.) area, but that the title became detached from the melody, and, as a "floater," became
attached to this tune. Similarly, the alternate title, "Walkin' in the Parlor," can be found in the South in numerous versions,
though all seem dissimilar to this tune of Tommy Jarrell's."
Whatever its origins, I really like this D tune. I first heard it a few months ago. I was looking for something else on youtube
and came across David Bragger's version (see below) and was instantly hooked. In hindsight, I think my infatuation with the tune
was due as much to Bragger's playing as to the tune itself - he is a fine fiddler.
Here are a few versions from youtube.
Tommy Jarrell, including a few words about the name of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSURlods_Bk
from the 2008 Centralia Campout in WA state: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xC7W-H6zPE
a very nice version by BHO member Blockader: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbHLDmQo0U
David Bragger's version is my favorite (looks like the Stefaninis enjoy it too...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoQ1a2MVhyI
For comparison, here is the "real" Rochester Schottishe - a totally different tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9OsmNIyCqs
I hope some of you can provide additional information about this fun tune, here is my take on it: