DOCSLIB.ORG

Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected]

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, Olson@Etsu.Edu East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University ETSU Faculty Works Faculty Works 1-1-2016 Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works Part of the Appalachian Studies Commons, and the Music Commons Citation Information Olson, Ted. 2016. Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary. The Old-Time Herald. Vol.14(5). 10-22. http://www.oldtimeherald.org/ archive/back_issues/volume-14/14-5/reed.html ISSN: 1040-3582 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in ETSU Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary Copyright Statement © Ted Olson This article is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1201 BLIND ALFRED REED: APPALACHIAN VISIONARY By Ted Olson The West Virginia Night (Nite) Owls, late 1920s. l - r, Fred Pendleton (fiddle), Alfred Reed (fiddle), Arville Reed (guitar) 10 THE OLD-TIME HERALD WWW.OLDTrMEKERALD.ORG VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5 oday, many i£ not most fans of American roots music have heard Tof the Bristol sessions, the now­ legendary recording sessions conducted in Bristol, Tennessee / Virginia, dming the summer of 1927 by producer Ralph Peer for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Those sessions-held the last week of July and first week of August 1927-were not widely recognized until the 1980s. In 1987 a compilation of cherry-picked 1927 Bristol sessions recordings released by the Country Music Foundation was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and that feat was repeated in 2012 when a complete Bristol sessions boxed set from Bear Family Records-this time includ­ ing all the 1927 Bristol sessions record­ ings and all of Peer's recordings made in Bristol dming follow-up October 1928 sessions- likewise received two Gram­ my nominations. In 2002, the Library of Congress selected the 1927 Bristol ses­ sions as collectively constituting one of 25 significant recordings or recording events entered into the National Record­ ing Registry in that program's very first year of existence. Historian Nolan Porterfield, in an essay included in the 1988 book Country: The Music and the Musicians, wrote "Music historians and others fond of dates and places have a special weakness for 'Bristol, August 1927.' As a sort of shorthand no­ tation, it has come to signal the Big Bang of country music evolution." And many other scholars-whether or not they share Porterfield's hyperbolic assessment-have agreed that those recording sessions were undeniably important. The reasons for such glowing appraisal are various and complex. While not yielding the first re­ cordings of "hillbilly music" (one of sev­ eral terms used to describe cow1try music dming the 1920s) and while not constitut­ ing the earliest effort to record and com­ mercially market Appalachian music (re­ gional musicians had made recordings outside the region as early as 1923)-and while not even the first recording ses­ sions to be held in Appalachia (the OKeh label had conducted sessions in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1925)- the 1927 Bristol sessions indisputably shaped the music in­ dustry by introducing a soon-to-be-wide- THE OLD-TIME H ERALD WWW.OLDTLMEHERALD.ORG VOLLJME 14, NUMBER 5 11 spread music-marketing model. Reflect­ ing Peer's business savvy, this model in­ volved a one-time payment to the artist for recording his / her music and the promise of a share of profits generated from sales of copyrighted material on records and in songbooks; others (the producer, the mu­ sic publisher, the record company) would likewise retain a share of profits from sales (which would be particularly sizeable with material owned via copyright). Peer's new business approach also involved the issuing of contracts ensuring the sharing of revenues generated through live perfor­ mances of that material. The 1927 Bristol sessions were impor­ tant in other ways. The recordings that Peer made in Bristol for Victor in 1927 were noteworthy for their dynamically bold sound, rendered possible through the use of the electronic microphone, a recently introduced system of sound dis­ semination that was markedly superior <www.singout.org> to the acoustic horn microphone that just months earlier had been the industry or call Toll-Free: 1-888-SING-OUT standard. The 1927 Bristol sessions were (1-888-746-4688) also influential in encouraging a new fo­ P.O. Box 5460, Bethlehem, PA 18015-0460 cus within the hillbilly music industry Ph: 610-865-5366 • E-mail: <[email protected]> on emphasizing vocals and lyrics over Ask ho-w you can get a FREE CD by joining! purely instrumental sounds, and those sessions demonstrated the popularity of gospel material on commercial records. The Suircy Spotliight Tuesdays at 2pm WPAQ 740AM Mount Airy, NC Rare and archived music from in and around Surry County www.wpaq740.com 12 THE OLD-TIME HERALD WWW.OLDTfMEHERALD.ORG VOLUME 14, N UMBER 5 Invariably another aspect of the Bristol memorably recorded again that same sessions story gets most of the atten­ year for Columbia Records as the Grant tion: the media tends to focus on the fact Brothers and Their Music, in nearby Don Leister Violins that while in Bristol Peer "discovered" Jolmson City, Te1messee.) Of all the mu­ Richmond, Virginia the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, sicians that Peer recorded at its 1927 ses­ sions in Bristol, only three acts contin­ ~(:/ ---------" both of whom made their first record­ Expert Violin ings there. Porterfield encouraged this ued to record for Victor after 1928 and & Bass Repair tendency when he suggested in the away from Bristol: the Carter Family, aforementioned quote that the tag "the Jimmie Rodgers, and Blind Alfred Reed. Bow Rehairing Big Bang of country music" was appli­ Alfred Reed's contributions to the cable specifically to the sessions held 1927 Bristol sessions may have been in Bristol the first week of August 1927, overshadowed by those from the two when the Carters and Rodgers record­ better-known acts, but this unique mu­ www.donleister.com ed. 0£ course, Peer and the Victor label sician's recordings- his four numbers capitalized on the talents of the two acts from Bristol and his subsequent releases into and (despite Rodgers' 1933 death) for Victor-remain relevant in that they through the Great Depression, gradu­ advance a sometimes humorous, often ally cementing their status as legends. searing vision of a world gone wrong. Without a doubt, the presence of "the The fact that "Blind Alfred Reed" (so First Family of Country Music" and "the named by Peer) articulated a remark­ Father of Country Music" at the 1927 ably complex worldview in a compara­ Bristol sessions will ensure that those tively small canon of recordings has sessions are remembered as a watershed only deepened the mystery of this Ap­ BanjoFactory.com event in the history of American music. palachian visionary. Although his total I 9th cntury tylc output was slight when compared to Tack-head & Frctk s Gourd and Unfortunately, focusing on the Carters Wooden hell Banjo and Rodgers (as Peer/ Victor did and that of the Carter Family or Jimmie Rod­ as many people today continue to do) gers, Reed's best recordings are as es­ Like root mu ic'? has inadvertantly marginalized other sential as any of his contemporaries' re­ Then why not play a real roots banjo"? recordings that Peer made in Bristol, in­ cordings in depicting and illuminating cluding those from the last week of July the changing realities of rural America 1927. Indeed, some of the recordings on the cusp of the Great Depression. made that week in Bristol are equally worthy of attention today, especially the four recordings by Blind Alfred Reed from July 28, 1927. Numerous musicians beyond those previously mentioned were invited to­ or heard about (by word of mouth or via a feature newspaper story) and attend­ ed-Peer's location recording sessions in Bristol that summer, and any attempt to tell the Bristol sessions story should mention them and their contributions. While a couple of those musicians were, by 1927, already well known recording acts (specifically, Ernest V. Stoneman and Henry Whitter), most of the musi­ cians made their first recordings in Bris­ tol (like the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers). But most of those musicians were subsequently ignored by mu­ sic £ans of that era. (Alfred G. Karnes and Ernest Phipps recorded again for Peer and Victor at the 1928 Bristol ses­ sions, but several other 1927 Bristol acts never recorded again.) The Victor label was not the only recording company, of course, and certain Bristol sessions mu­ sicians found receptive ears elsewhere. (Stoneman, for instance, made some of his finest recordings in 1928 for the Edison label, and the Tenneva Ramblers THE OLD-TIME HERALD WWW.OLDTIMEHERALD.ORG VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5 13 Alfred Reed Alfred Reed's story is that of a man looking within to find a light by whicl1 to navigate the darkness within and without. Alfred Lee Reed was born blind in Floyd County, Virginia. (The date of his birth has long been listed as Jm1e 15, 1880, though researmer Warren Mo01n1ar1 has recently unear·thed ar1 early docmnent suggesting that the ac­ tual date was likely Jar1Uary 20, 1879.) The 1900 Census lists Alfred as still living with his parents in Floyd Cow1ty, though he moved away shortly afterward to mar·ry and start a family.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?': the Johnson City Sessions Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected]
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University ETSU Faculty Works Faculty Works 2013 'Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?': The Johnson City Sessions Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works Part of the Appalachian Studies Commons, and the Music Commons Citation Information Olson, Ted. 2013. 'Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?': The oJ hnson City Sessions. The Old-Time Herald. Vol.13(6). 10-17. http://www.oldtimeherald.org/archive/back_issues/volume-13/13-6/johnsoncity.html ISSN: 1040-3582 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in ETSU Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 'Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?': The ohnsonJ City Sessions Copyright Statement © Ted Olson This article is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1218 «'CAN YOU SING OR PLAY OLD-TIME MUSIC?" THE JOHNSON CITY SESSIONS By Ted Olson n a recent interview, musician Wynton Marsalis said, "I can't tell The idea of transporting recording you how many times I've suggested to musicians to get The Bristol equipment to Appalachia was, to record Sessions—Anglo-American folk music. It's a lot of different types of companies, a shift from their previous music: Appalachian, country, hillbilly.
    [Show full text]
  • Vernon Dalhart: His Rural Roots and the Beginnings of Commercial Country Music*
    VERNON DALHART: HIS RURAL ROOTS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF COMMERCIAL COUNTRY MUSIC* by Walter Darrell Haden English Department University of Tennessee Martin, Tennessee Most country music history fans know of the North American folk songs which launched Vernon Dalhart as the first country music artist of national importance. The Wreck of the Old 97 and The Prisoner's Song were also the beginnings of the commercial country music industry in this country. Before Dalhart recorded these songs, there had been, it is true, an effort to market some country music: Henry Whitter, Riley Puckett, Kelly Harrell, and other country vocalists had begun or were beginning their record­ ing careers. But there had been no country hit songs and no country singing star to record them. Fiddlers like John Carson and other country instrumentalists had recorded, it is true, and some of these musicians had thrown in a vocal chorus or perhaps even a stanza or so of song lyrics. But before Dalhart there had been no country recording of national importance and certainly no hit. Today knowledge­ able record collectors and musicologists are making the truth increasingly well known that Dalhart's pairing of The Prisoner's Song with The wreck of the Old 97 on more than 30 different labels sold over 25,000,000 copies. Victor 19427 alone sold close to 6,000,000 copies of this famous pairing of hits. (1) In 1924, Dalhart, dropping his current "pop" music career to take up country music, even more native to his upbringing, stepped before an accoustical recording horn at Thomas A.
    [Show full text]
  • BEAR FAMILY RECORDS TEL +49(0)4748 - 82 16 16 • FAX +49(0)4748 - 82 16 20 • E-MAIL [email protected]
    BEAR FAMILY RECORDS TEL +49(0)4748 - 82 16 16 • FAX +49(0)4748 - 82 16 20 • E-MAIL [email protected] ARTIST Various TITLE The Knoxville Sessions 1929-1930 Knox County Stomp LABEL Bear Family Productions CATALOG # BCD 16097 PRICE-CODE DL EAN-CODE ÇxDTRBAMy160974z FORMAT 4-CD Box-Set (LP-size) with 156-page hardcover book GENRE Country / Historical TRACKS 99 PLAYING TIME 303:58 G With this set, BEAR FAMILY RECORDS completes the map of commercial recording in East Tennessee in the late 1920s and early 1930s. G 'The Bristol Sessions, 1927-928: The Big Bang Of Country Music' documented epoch-making sessions by VICTOR RECORDS that launched the careers of Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, while G 'The Johnson City Sessions, 1928-1929: Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?' focused on COLUMBIA RECORDS' similar search for early country music talent in Appalachia, sessions that yielded many other seminal recordings. INFORMATION 'The Knoxville Sessions, 1929-1930: Knox County Stomp' features the music made at two sessions conducted by BRUNSWICK RECORDS at downtown St. James Hotel – music remarkable both for its variety and for the rarity of the records that preserved it. Whereas the recordings made in Bristol and Johnson City were almost exclusively of old-time country and gospel music, the Knoxville sessions captured a more diverse gathering of Appalachian voices and sounds. Amidst old-time stringbands like the Ten- nessee Ramblers, the Southern Moonlight Entertainers, and the Smoky Mountain Ramblers, we also hear the majestic African American blues and gospel singer Leola Manning, the hot dance music of Maynard Baird & His Southern Serenaders, the virtuoso string ragtime of Howard Armstrong and the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, sacred songs by white and African American quartet- tes, songsters such as Will Bennett and Haskell Wolfenbarger, a unique recorded playlet about the Hatfield-McCoy feud – and even an address by the businessman whose enterprise brought BRUNSWICK RECORDS to Knoxville, Colonel J.G.
    [Show full text]
  • Houstonfest 2015 “A Celebration of Song & Service” Felts Park; Galax, VA May 1-2, 2015 (Always the 1St Weekend in May)
    HoustonFest 2015 “A Celebration of Song & Service” Felts Park; Galax, VA May 1-2, 2015 (Always the 1st weekend in May) In the spirit of Ralph Peer's original call to artists, please join us as HoustonFest proudly presents: _______________ “The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited” hosted by Carl Jackson & featuring an incredible lineup of performers from the upcoming “ORTHOPHONIC JOY: THE 1927 BRISTOL SESSIONS REVISITED” recording project including: Marty Stuart - Steep Canyon Rangers Doyle Lawson - The Chuck Wagon Gang Shotgun Rubies - Ashley & Shannon Campbell The Church Sisters - The Virginia Luthier Band Corbin Hayslett - Larry Cordle Jesse McReynolds “The Bristol Sessions is the single most important event in the history of country music.” JOHNNY CASH Camp Houston Unique stage & area dedicated to youth In 1927, there was a magical recording Music & activities session in Bristol that would shape the Jam Sessions future of country music. Known as the “Big Bang of Country Music”, the Bristol Sessions took country music to a new level & produced pioneers of the FEATURING: genre including: The Stoneman Family, Blue Highway - Jeff Little Trio Jimmy Rodgers, and The Carter Family. Sierra Hull – Sigmon Strings Terry Baucom & The Dukes of Drive GalaX's Ernest “Pop” Stoneman played Clay Hess Band – Ash Breeze an integral role in helping Ralph Peer Fiddling Carson Peters Band Amber Collins &Branch House Pavilion comb the Appalachian Region for rural Mountain Park Old Time Band talent. Other musicians from the GalaX ShadowGrass – Changing Lanes area included Eck Dunford, Henry Kitty & The Stray Cats Whitter,The Shelor Family, Norman White Top Mountain Band Edmonds, and J.P.
    [Show full text]
  • Today a Commercially Successful, Internationally Appreciated Genre Of
    18 had appeared on "hillbilty" records were from this region. On July 22, 1927, Peer and his two engineers set up a temporary studio on the Tennessee side of State Street in downtown Bristol; and on Monday, July 25, the now-famous "Bristol .. hillbilly music," a catch-all term for Sessions" began, showcasing a well­ much of the white folk and popular known local musician, Ernest music composed and performed in Stoneman (from the nearby Virginia the Southern United States during Blue Ridge, Stoneman had already Today a commercially successful, that era. Musicians from across the enjoyed several "hillbilly" hit internationally appreciated genre of South-including many from recordings). By their completion on American music, country music was Appalachia-traveled to those cities, Friday, August 5, the Bristol Sessions first commercially recorded in the for the experience of making records yielded 76 recorded performances by early 1920s. Since then, it has been and the possibility of financial 19 separate musical acts. Utilizing strongly influenced by traditional reward. The music recorded at these what was then state-of-the-art and popular music genres from studios, incorporating essentially the equipment, Peer and his engineers several regions of the United same repertoire then being performed ensured that the recordings exceeded States-by gospel and blues from on front porches and at other com­ all previous .. hillbilly" recordings in the South, cowboy music from the munity events in the South, sold far sound quality. Equally significant was West, and Tin Pan Alley music from more copies than record companies the high quality of the performances the North.
    [Show full text]
  • The Early Country Music Collection, 1920-1940 an Inventory of Holdings at the American Music Research Center
    The early country music collection, 1920-1940 An inventory of holdings at the American Music Research Center American Music Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder The early country music collection, 1920-1940 Descriptive summary Title Early eountry music collection Date(s) 1920-1940 Identification COU-AMRC-33 Creator(s) Buzzard, Joe, collector Repository The American Music Research Center University of Colorado at Boulder 288 UCB Boulder, CO 80309 Location Housed in the American Music Research Center Physical Description 5 Linear feet 5 boxes Scope and Contents Recordings, transcriptions, and research materials collected by Joe Buzzard at the request of William Kearns, professor emeritus of music, University of Colorado, Boulder. Includes reel- to-reel tapes recorded by Buzzard from 700 hillbilly and cowboy records from the 1920s and 1930s, primarily in the Blue Ridge Mountains, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia; duplicates of originals on Digital Audio Tape (DAT); transcriptions of recorded songs; and research materials. Administrative Information Arrangement Tapes are arranged by original tape number; Transcriptions are arranged by performer Access The collection is open for research. Usage Restrictions Copyright is not held by the American Music Research Center. Requests to publish materials should be directed to the copyright holder. Custodial history Donated by William Kearns Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Early country music collection, University of Colorado, Boulder - Page 2 - The early country music collection, 1920-1940 Index Terms Access points related to this collection: Personal names Buzzard, Joe, collector Corporate names American Music Research Center Subject headings Country music Country musicians Old-time music - Page 3 - The early country music collection, 1920-1940 Detailed Description Recordings Box Reel 1 1 Bussard, Joe, Jr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Fall of the Hillbilly Music Genre, a History, 1922-1939. Ryan Carlson Bernard East Tennessee State University
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 12-2007 The Rise and Fall of the Hillbilly Music Genre, A History, 1922-1939. Ryan Carlson Bernard East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Musicology Commons Recommended Citation Bernard, Ryan Carlson, "The Rise and Fall of the Hillbilly Music Genre, A History, 1922-1939." (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2059. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2059 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Rise and Fall of the Hillbilly Music Genre: A History, 1922-1939. ___________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Liberal Studies East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies ___________________ by Ryan Carlson Bernard December, 2006 ___________________ Dr. Richard Blaustein, Chair Dr. Ted Olson Dr. Kevin O’Donnell Keywords: Hillbilly, Music, Stereotype, Genre, Phonograph, Radio ABSTRACT The Rise and Fall of the Hillbilly Music Genre: A History, 1922-1939 by Ryan Carlson Bernard This research will examine the rise in popularity of the hillbilly music genre as it relates to the early part of the twentieth century as well as its decline with the arrival of the western hero, the cowboy.
    [Show full text]
  • Tennessee Pressedienst
    TENNESSEE TOURISM State of Tennessee Pressedienst: 29. Juni 2017 Birthplace of Country Music Museum feiert die Bristol Sessions 90 Jahre seit dem Urknall der Country Music Das Birthplace of Country Music Museum feiert den 90. Geburtstag der frühesten erfolgreichen Schallplatten-Einspielungen in der Country Music. Rund um die „Bristol Sessions“ gibt es ab Mitte Juli Konzerte, Filmvorführungen und Info- Veranstaltungen. Der Eintritt ins Museum kostet zeitweise nur 90 Cent. Vor 90 Jahren vom 25. Juli bis 5. August 1927 nahm Ralph Peer für das Label Victor die ersten Country-Musik-Platten auf, die kommerziellen Erfolg finden sollten. Schauplatz des Urknalls der Country Music war die Kleinstadt Bristol im Osten von Tennessee auf der Grenze zu Virginia. Mit dabei: die Carter Family. Der spätere Ehemann von June Carter, Johnny Cash, nannte die Bristol Sessions „das wichtigste Ereignis in der Geschichte der Country Music.“ Bereits im Oktober 1925, war in Nashville die Grand Ole Opry auf Sendung gegangen. Diese Live-Radioshow, die bis heute fast unverändert jeden Freitag und Samstag Tausende von Zuschauern anlockt, begründete zusammen mit den Bristol Recordings den Ruf Tennessees als das Mekka der Country-Musik. Die Festivitäten in Bristol beginnen am 15. Juli mit einem Geburtstags-Symposium, auf dem die Produzenten der einschlägigen Fernseh-Dokumentation Epic des Senders PBS, Allison McGourty und Bernhard MacMahon, und der Musikjournalist Barry Mazor die Hintergründe erklären und auch Teile des Films vorführen. Ralph Peer II, der Unternehmenschef von Peer Music, wird den Eröffnungsvortrag halten. Eintrittskarten für 27,25 Dollar gibt es online beim Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Am 29. Juli folgt ein „Friends of 1927 Concert“ im kleinen Rahmen mit dem Musiker, Musikproduzenten und GRAMMY-Gewinner Carl Jackson und dem Country- Songwriter Jerry Salley.
    [Show full text]
  • Dissertation Introduction
    Copyright by Kyle Stewart Barnett 2006 The Dissertation Committee for Kyle Stewart Barnett certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Cultural Production and Genre Formation in the U.S. Recording Industry, 1920-1935 Committee: Thomas Schatz, Supervisor James Buhler John D.H. Downing James Hay Mary Celeste Kearney S. Craig Watkins ii Cultural Production and Genre Formation in the U.S. Recording Industry, 1920-1935 by Kyle Stewart Barnett, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August, 2006 iii To Lisa Most of the recordings issued throughout the twentieth century were never simply marketed to or purchased by a huge undifferentiated ‘mass’ audience. Instead, the industry has, since its formation, sold music to the fans of particular styles, through a variety of changing labels…. In addition the recording industry has employed various legal and illegal, small-scale and team-based, marketing and promotional activities as a way of approaching consumers – practices which might well be labeled as ‘flexible.’ – Keith Negus, “Music Divisions: The Recording Industry and the Social Mediation of Cultural Production,” When the music business gets involved in promoting a style of music, it typically adopts colloquial terms that are verbs or adjectives and turns them into nouns – that is, into things, marketable objects that can be promoted, sold, and bought by a mass audience. – Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman, American Popular Music from Minstrelsy to MTV iv Acknowledgements I have relied on the help of many friends and colleagues in completing this project.
    [Show full text]
  • MOMH Program Guide
    LET THE MUSIC MOVE YOU elcome to our Quinquennial! The 5th Annual Mountains of Music Homecoming is a notable milestone, and Wthe events aim to commemorate the occasion in proper style. The theme “Let The Music Move You” promises emotionally and spiritually moving moments, but also physical movement as we explore the deep-rooted connections between traditional music and dance. Dance can be a spectator sport, but you’ll have ample opportunity to bust your moves (shake your booty, get your freak on, whatever you call it) at several events where dance is the main attraction. Even novices will be able to learn the basic steps for flatfooting, clogging or square dancing for immediate use. It wasn’t planned, but it seems a guiding hand led us to create a series of concerts that honor some of the most iconic figures in traditional music; Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, the Stanley Brothers and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. The “Sons of Bluegrass” will feature former Blue Grass Boys who helped Bill Monroe create bluegrass music: banjoist Butch Robins, fiddlers Billy Baker and Robert Bowlin, guitarist Tom Ewing, and bassist Doug Hutchens. A devotee of the Monroe style, the Nashville Bluegrass Band’s Mike Compton will channel Bill Monroe on mandolin. “Remembering Doc” presents Doc’s longtime bassist T. Michael Coleman and guitarist Jack Lawrence, who will be joined by Doc’s good friends Jeff Little on piano and Wayne Henderson on guitar. Artists and audience members will share their memories of Doc. The Stanley Brothers All Star Band features musicians whose careers have been molded by the music of Ralph and Carter Stanley, including Ralph Stanley II, Junior Sisk, Don Rigsby, Dewey Brown, Tommy Brown, and Randall Hibbitts.
    [Show full text]
  • <Billno> <Sponsor>
    <BillNo> <Sponsor> SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 145 By Lundberg A RESOLUTION to honor and commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. WHEREAS, the 1927 Bristol Sessions, a series of recording sessions that yielded dozens of songs by artists from Tennessee and throughout the American South, brought the mountain music of southern Appalachia to a national audience, revolutionized the music industry, and laid the foundation for modern country music; and WHEREAS, seeking true profitable Southern music, Ralph Peer, a producer for the Victor Talking Machine Company, toured the American South and held auditions in Bristol in a portable recording studio in the Taylor-Christian Hat Company building in 1927; and WHEREAS, the 1927 Bristol Sessions yielded seventy-six songs by nineteen different artists, including songs by Ernest V. Stoneman of Galax and the commercial debuts of the Carter Family of Scott County, the “First Family of Country Music,” and Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music”; and WHEREAS, the 1927 Bristol Sessions met with commercial success, and both the artists’ work and Ralph Peer’s innovative recording techniques influenced the music industry for years to come; in 2002, the Library of Congress ranked the 1927 Bristol Sessions as one of the most significant sound recording events of all time; and WHEREAS, the history and heritage of the 1927 Bristol Sessions are preserved and promoted by the Birthplace of Country Music, a nonprofit organization that organizes the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, operates
    [Show full text]
  • Shakespeare and Music in the American South
    Country Matters: Shakespeare and Music in the American South Robert Sawyer, East Tennessee State University Abstract While paradoxical, the connection between country music and Shakespeare can help us to understand the role of a "highbrow" signifier in an allegedly "lowbrow" genre of art. This essay examines cultural citations, biographical mythmaking, and parodic performances and concludes that although Shakespeare is used to validate country music as an art form, Shakespearean references are also used ironically to claim a separate ethos for country and its performers and perhaps to encourage a more democratic participation in artistic culture. Let's begin with a quick quiz. Which of the word groups does not fit in the following list: battered pick-up trucks, blue-tick hounds, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, and the Bard of Avon. Most folks would pick the playwright, of course. Yet what appears to be the anomaly in this list may not prove to be so. Drawing on Lawrence Levine's work in Highbrow / Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America (1988) and Michael Bristol's Big-Time Shakespeare (1996), I will extend and expand their work by examining the numerous references, allusions, and uses of "Shakespeare" in music of the American South. Both Levine and Bristol generally ignore the South. While Levine devotes extensive research to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, he only mentions one southern city, New Orleans, and only in relation to opera; Bristol's book also concentrates on the northeast.1 By failing to consider the southern region of the United States, both critics fall into the cultural trap against which their books warn, that is, the viewing of "culture" in a stereotypical manner by making assumptions about regional sources of entertainment, both elite and popular.
    [Show full text]