Aaamc Issue 9 Chrono
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
of renowned rhythm and blues artists from this same time period lip-synch- ing to their hit recordings. These three aaamc mission: collections provide primary source The AAAMC is devoted to the collection, materials for researchers and students preservation, and dissemination of materi- and, thus, are invaluable additions to als for the purpose of research and study of our growing body of materials on African American music and culture. African American music and popular www.indiana.edu/~aaamc culture. The Archives has begun analyzing data from the project Black Music in Dutch Culture by annotating video No. 9, Fall 2004 recordings made during field research conducted in the Netherlands from 1998–2003. This research documents IN THIS ISSUE: the performance of African American music by Dutch musicians and the Letter ways this music has been integrated into the fabric of Dutch culture. The • From the Desk of the Director ...........................1 “The legacy of Ray In the Vault Charles is a reminder • Donations .............................1 of the importance of documenting and • Featured Collections: preserving the Nelson George .................2 achievements of Phyl Garland ....................2 creative artists and making this Arizona Dranes.................5 information available to students, Events researchers, Tribute.................................3 performers, and the • Ray Charles general public.” 1930-2004 photo by Beverly Parker (Nelson George Collection) photo by Beverly Parker (Nelson George Visiting Scholars reminder of the importance of docu- annotation component of this project is • Scot Brown ......................4 From the Desk menting and preserving the achieve- part of a joint initiative of Indiana of the Director ments of creative artists and making University and the University of this information available to students, Michigan that is funded by the On June 10, 2004, the world lost a researchers, performers, and the gener- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. musical genius and internationally al public. Over the past twelve months, The objective of this initiative, the renowned artist—Ray Charles, who the staff of the AAAMC has worked Ethnomusicological Video for made an indelible mark on the whole toward this goal by acquiring new col- Instruction and Analysis Digital of American music, creating his own lections; participating in collaborative Archive project (EVIA), is to create a brand of rhythm and blues, blues, jazz, research/exhibition projects; and dis- repository of ethnomusicological field soul, popular, and country and west- seminating information about the videos for use by scholars, instructors, ern. Charles defied and crossed all Archives, its collections, research, and and students. Participation in this proj- musical boundaries, but not without other activities through publications ect provides the resources for the controversy. When he transformed and conference presentations. AAAMC to organize and analyze gospel songs into rhythm and blues, Our collection development activi- many churchgoers openly expressed ties have resulted in the acquisition of continued on page 2. their dissatisfaction, condemning him the personal papers of for this “blasphemous” act. Yet, this act journalist/music and culture critic led to the evolution of soul music—a Nelson George, and the second install- music that many churchgoers ment of the Phyl Garland Collection embraced and that provided the (see Featured Collections inside for descrip- melodies and refrain lines for protest tions). We also acquired the second • Geneva Smitherman..........4 songs created by college students dur- installment of the Johnny Otis Collection, which includes the original ing the 1960s Civil Rights movement. People Not only did Charles’s music inspire video masters of The Johnny Otis new protest songs, it also influenced Show and Johnny Otis’s Oldies but •Welcome to the musical style of many artists, Goodies. The Johnny Otis Show videos Jason Housley ...................5 including British musician Joe Cocker. consist of thirteen programs taped live The musical legacy of Ray Charles in a television studio during 1974 and • Goodbye to lives on through recordings, radio, tel- 1975, and feature Otis and his band Stephanie Shonekan..........6 evision commercials, and movie with well-known rhythm and blues soundtracks (see tribute inside). artists. The Johnny Otis’s Oldies but • National Advisory Board The legacy of Ray Charles is a Goodies musical revue footage consists Member: Suzan Jenkins .....7 Portia K. Maultsby Director In the Vault Jason Yoder Sony Legacy Recent Donations Funk-related 45 rpm records Compact discs Nelson George Charles Connor Rhythm & Blues Foundation Interview transcripts, photographs, research Book manuscript, photographs, CDs, and videos Let the Good Times Roll radio series on thirteen materials, and notes documenting Connor’s career as Little Richard’s compact discs original drummer Phyl Garland Michael Woods Interviews, published articles, correspondence, Venise Berry Additions to the Michael Woods Collection of cassettes, press releases, photographs Book, The 50 Most Influential Black Films original compositions. From the Director... research data for use in the development Featured Collections of educational materials on black music in Dutch culture and for scholars to explore broader issues of musical transnationalism. Other research activities included our collaboration with the Indiana Historical Society on the development of an exhibi- tion on Indiana Soul and Funk. Our par- photo by Simon Grossett ticipation involved research, identifying potential participants, and conducting oral histories for the exhibit, which opens March 11, 2004, and will be on dis- AAAMC Receives play through December 31, 2005. Over the past year, the staff of the Nelson George Papers Nelson George AAAMC participated in several publica- tion projects and professional confer- ences. Head of Collections Brenda Nelson George, the noted author and critic, recently During the course of his research, George inter Nelson-Strauss wrote an article for donated a significant collection of personal papers and viewed a number of Motown artists, executives, and Indiana Magazine of History’s annual research materials to the Archives. A prolific writer, employees, including choreographer Cholly Atkins, series on Indiana Archives which is scheduled to appear in December 2004. George has published numerous books and articles, bandleader Choker Campbell, Drummer Uriel Jones, It discusses various AAAMC collections and is considered an authority on the music industry, keyboard player and bandleader Earl Van Dyke, and with an emphasis on Indiana-related as well as a preeminent interpreter of black popular singer Freda Payne. The complete transcripts can be materials and ties into the theme of the culture. consulted in the AAAMC along with numerous sub- issue, which commemorates the fiftieth The majority of the collection is composed of ject files full of newspaper clippings, advertisements, anniversary of Brown v. Board of research materials used by George for his influential and promotional materials. These files contain details Education. In March 2004, Nelson- book on Motown, Where Did Our Love Go (Omnibus, of Florence Ballard’s ouster from the Supremes, the Strauss began serving a two-year term as 1986). Included are interviews with various important strife between Motown and hit songwriters Holland- president of the Association for figures, photographs of Motown artists, newspaper Dozier-Holland that led to their defection from the Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), an and magazine articles, George’s handwritten notes, label, and Motown’s move from Detroit to Los organization dedicated to the preserva- and even photocopies of legal files pertaining to law- Angeles. tion and study of sound recordings. suits brought about by Motown principals. Additionally, the collection includes numerous pho- Jason Housley, our Interim Program Coordinator, presented a paper titled These legal documents reveal a great deal about the tographs of jazz, soul, blues, and reggae artists, as well “The Dayton Funk Movement” at the Motown operation and help to clarify the sometimes as materials pertaining to George’s biography of joint conference of the Association for complicated history of the company. Among the doc- Michael Jackson (Dell, 1984) and his acclaimed analy- Recorded Sound Collections and the uments are copies of former Supremes member sis of the black music industry, The Death of Rhythm Society for American Music held in Florence Ballard’s lawsuit against Berry Gordy and & Blues (Plume, 1988). Cleveland in March 2004; a revised ver- Diana Ross; prolific songwriting team Holland- The Archives greatly appreciates the donation of sion of the paper was presented at the Dozier-Holland’s legal proceedings against Motown; these papers and looks forward to augmenting the col- Association for the Study of African and singer Mary Wells’ suit to extricate herself from lection with future gifts from George. A complete find- American Life conference held in her Motown contract on the basis that she was a minor ing aid for the collection will be posted on the Pittsburgh in October, 2004. During the when she was initially signed. There is also a copy of AAAMC Website in the near future. 34th Congressional Black Caucus Temptation member David Ruffin’s artist’s contract, Foundation’s Annual Legislative which, among other things, reveals his real name as —Jason Housley