Leake County Two Step

This arrangement of "Leake County Two-Step" is based on the version by Clyde Curley from his 1998 Clyde Curley and The Oxymorons: Old Time Mandolin Music CD.  On the CD, Clyde plays "Leake County Two-Step" as the second of three tunes in a medley with "Briarpicker Brown" being the first tune in the medley.   "Leake County Two-Step" comes from Freeny’s Barn Dance Band

You can listen to Freeny’s Barn Dance Band play "The Leake County Two-Step" on Document Records Mississippi String Bands Vol 1 1928 - 1935 DOCD-8009 CD.

You can find the music notation for the tune in the excellent collection of contra dance and fiddle tunes collected by Susan Songer with Clyde Curley titled The Portland Collection: Contra Dance Music in the Pacific Northwest.

Like "Briarpicker Brown", it’s interesting how Clyde adapted the tune to mandolin.  In the liner notes to Clyde’s CD, he says that he learned the tune from Allen Garren “my fiddling pal in the Rose City Ace’s.”  Clyde’s version is faithful to the way Freeny’s Barn Dance Band played "Leake County Two-Step", but you’ll notice that Clyde pushes the tempo (in a good way). Again, I suggestion listening to both versions.  I also like how in the medley, Clyde shifts from the key of D with "Briarpicker Brown" to the key of G with "Leake County Two-Step".

The tune is played in the key of G with just with three chords: G, D, and of course C.  Woody Guthrie would say were getting a bit fancy here with three chords in song.

Download a pdf of "Leake County Two-Step" -> Click LeakeCountyTwoStep.pdf