“Liberty” is an old-time and bluegrass breakdown in D, played AABB in most versions. It has gone by several other names: “Liberty Hornpipe,” “Raccoon and the Possum,” “Tipsy Parson” (an American country dance tune in a 1965 fife collection), the French-Canadian and New England “Reel de Tí-Jean,” and in Canada “Liberty Two-Step,” which Johnny Morrissey of Prince Edward Island and Dawson Girdwood of the Ottawa Valley played and which Don Messer and His Islanders recorded.
The Fiddler’s Companion reports that, according to Paul Wells, the first recordings were by the Texas fiddler Bob Wills, with Tommy Jackson’s record for Dot perhaps helping to popularize it, while Meade found earlier ones. Fiddlin’ John Carson recorded “Liberty” in New York in late December 1925 (OKeh 45035, issued in April 1926). Herschel Brown’s Washboard Band recorded it in Atlanta on 24 February 1928, the Tweedy Brothers of Wheeling, West Virginia, put it on Gennett 6447 in 1928, and Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers, with Riley Puckett and Clayton McMichen, cut it in Atlanta on 22 October 1928 (Columbia 15334-D). On their record “Corn Liquor Still in Georgia” the Skillet Lickers introduced the tune as “Liberty off the corn licker still”; the Highwoods String Band later took that phrase as a title for a G-major tune. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded “Liberty” on 14 July 1942, and Columbia issued it in October 1947 as 37926. Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson included it on their 1967 album Strictly Instrumental.
Beisswenger and McCann, in Ozarks Fiddle Music, call the reel very popular among Ozarks fiddlers, who often use it as an introductory tune for beginners in a simplified version, although they suspect it is a relatively recent addition to the Ozarks repertoire. Charlie Walden of Missouri listed it among 100 essential Missouri tunes, and Paul Tyler notes that it seems to be the hoedown Cajun fiddlers choose when asked to play one.
