The High Level, Garibaldi,The High Level, Garibaldi's Hornpipe

About this film

Fiddle solo, Jack Eldrige - piano, Okeh 5446. Two recordings of Coleman playing the High Level may be heard on this site. Checking the pitch, I notice Morrison plays it in C here. This can be the result of a recording being sped up inadvertently, giving a higher pitch and faster tempo than what the musician actually played; but he re-recorded Garibaldi's as Flowers of Ballymote in 1929 in the key he uses here, G; thus his choice of C for the High Level is just Jim showing off a bit, as playing the tune in this key requires shifts in position to reach the high C in its occasional appearances. Coleman and Lad O'Bierne/Louis Quinn played it in the original key of Bb. Morrison's recordings have a consistent professionalism about them, his playing is largely free of slips in timing or intonation, and he never had backup that was so crassly inappropriate that the pianist seemed to be playing in another room; but here he seems so interested in the High Level he forgets the other tune in the medley, and only has time for going once through the first part of Garibaldi.

Directors & creators

James Morrison

Subjects

Irish; Celtic; Folk; Oldtime; 78rpm; Fiddle

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