Irish Traditional Music Tune Index
Tune ID# 1964 (Traveller)

RhythmBars8-bar phrase structureMode
Reel32AABBG Major
Transcription of first 2 bars of Traveller
 about these two bars

These two bars are the start of my transcription of how this tune was played – the first time through – on the recording RF (details in the Discography below).

Where do you get the tune titles?
Titles given to this tune in the sources listed below (plus notes of mine about this tune):
Traveller, The / The Traveler / The Traveller Reel / The Traveler's Reel / Travelers / Walker Street / Carpenter's / Laborer's / Le Reel des Ouvriers (1st in set The Royal Spa on KCB 6; misidentified on RF as Miss Thornton's Reel / Coming through the Fields)
What do the "track#tune" codes mean?

cd Discography

Here are all recordings of this tune considering only the indexed recordings. I have discovered by careful listening that these sources are in fact musically the same tune, regardless of the tune titles they use, key changes, retuning, etc. They are listed in order of when they were recorded.

Year
Recorded
Track
#Tune
[Album code] Artist. Title. Primary musicians (instruments). Album details
and contents
193510#2[GD] various. From Galway to Dublin. Early Recordings of Traditional Irish Music. View album details
193710#2[IDM 2] various. Past Masters of Irish Dance Music. View album details
19742#2[RF] Miko, Pakie and Gussie Russell. The Russell Family of Doolin, County Clare. Miko Russell (whistle, flute, vocals), Gussie Russell (whistle), Pakie Russell (concertina).View album details
197512#1[BB 1] The Bothy Band. 1975. The First Album. Paddy Keenan (pipes, whistle), Matt Molloy (flute, whistle), Tommy Peoples (fiddle), Donal Lunny (bouzouki, vocals), Tríona Ni Dhomhnaill (harpsichord, bodhrán, vocals), Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar, vocals).View album details
~198611#3[HMSP] Joe Burke, Michael Cooney, Terry Corcoran. Happy to Meet and Sorry to Part. Joe Burke (accordion), Michael Cooney (pipes, whistle), Terry Corcoran (guitar, vocals).View album details
~198810#1[PO] Paddy O'Brien with Daíthi Sproule. Stranger at the Gate. Paddy O'Brien (accordion).View album details
19991#2[GCJR] Gerard Commane and Joe Ryan with Eoin O'Neill. Two Gentlemen of Clare Music. Gerard Commane (concertina), Joe Ryan (fiddle).View album details
~20015#3[JMcK] Joe McKenna. The Irish Low Whistle. Joe McKenna (whistle, pipes, keyboards, piano).View album details
~20021#1[KCB 6] The Kilfenora Céilí Band. Live in Lisdoonvarna. Anne Rynne (fiddle), Conor McCarthy (accordion), Garry Shannon (flute), Tim Collins (concertina), Sheila Garry (fiddle), Fintan McMahon (piano), Anne Marie McCormack (fiddle), John Lynch (banjo), Sean Griffin (drums), Anthony Quigney (flute).View album details

Bibliography

Here are all transcriptions of this tune under any title whatsoever – considering only the indexed books – listed in chronological order. I have discovered by careful comparison that these are very similar to this tune as played on the recordings listed above.

As tune #1495 in [1850] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. [available]
As tune #719 in [1001] Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill. The Dance Music of Ireland. 1001 Gems. [available]
On page 150 of [Krsn] Miles Krassen. O'Neill's Music of Ireland. New and Revised. [available]
On page 66 of [M] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. 3rd Edition.
As tune #48 in [DM 3] Dave Mallinson. 100 Evergreen Irish Session Tunes. [available]
On page 112 of [M2] Phil Rubenzer. Midwestern Irish Session Tunes. Millennium Edition.
As reel #338 in [Cobb] Dan Cobb. Cobb's Music of Ireland. [available]

If you are considering using the above transcriptions to help you learn this tune, I invite you to check these practical Tips for Learning Irish Traditional Music. See also: So why do you bother indexing books and abc?

Year of the oldest source for this tune, considering the recordings and transcriptions listed above (note that I concentrate on sources after 1900): 1903