Recording Review of Lead Belly: the Smithsonian Folkways Collection

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Recording Review of Lead Belly: the Smithsonian Folkways Collection East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University ETSU Faculty Works Faculty Works Spring 1-1-2015 Recording Review of Lead Belly: The mithsoniS an Folkways Collection 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. 2015. Recording Review of Lead Belly: The mithS sonian Folkways Collection. The Old-Time Herald. Vol.14(2). 47. ISSN: 1040-3582 This Review 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]. Recording Review of Lead Belly: The mithsoniS an Folkways Collection Copyright Statement © Ted Olson This review is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1168 Reviews Hitler) / Big Fat Woman / Been So Long from his recording career over three CDs (Bellevue Hospital Blues) as well as (in that set's 154-page 12" x 12" Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection hardcover book) samples of his idiosyn­ Disc Four: cratic prose writing and visual art. Since WNYC, Folk Songs of America (Grey Lead Belly is principally remembered Goose - Boll Weevil - Yellow Gal - Ha­ for his music, the newer Smithsonian Ha This a Way - Leaving Blues - Irene Folkways set commendably features a - outro) / WNYC, Folk Songs of America generous selection of recordings-108 in (Almost Day - Blues in My Kitchen, Blues all-made by Lead Belly for three labels In My Dining Room - I Went Up On the (Folkways, Stinson, and Disc) as well as Mountain - Good Morning Blues - Baby, for the Library of Congress; the set's five Don't You Love Me No More - T. B. Blues CDs effectively illustrate the musician's - Irene - outro) / If It Wasn't For Dicky / stylistic range and diverse repertoire. Smithsonian Folkways SFW40201 What's You Gonna Do When the World's The set features 16 previously unreleased Disc One: On Fire / Rock Me (Hide Me in Thy Bo­ recordings, four of which were of Lead The Bourgeois Blues / Fannin Street som) / Packin' Trunk Blues / Leaving Belly compositions never before released (Mister Tom Hughes Town) / The Mid­ Blues / How Come You Do Me Like You in any form. (By contrast, Woody At 100 night Special / John Henry / Black Girl Do? I One Dime Blues/ I'm Going to Buy included 57 tracks in all, 21 of which (Where Did You Sleep Last Night) / Pick You a Brand New Ford/ Jail-House Blues were previously unreleased recordings, a Bale of Cotton / Take This Hammer / (It Was Early One Morning) / Shout On with six of those 21 constituting never­ Cotton Fields / Old Riley - Here, Rat­ (Honey, I'm All Out and Down) / Come before-heard original songs by Guthrie.) tler, Here / Rock Island Line / The Callis and Sit Down Beside Me / Red River Among the recordings in the Lead Belly Pole (The Maid Freed From the Gallows) set are inspired performances of songs / Ha-Ha This a Way / Sukey Jump / Boll Disc Five: associated with the musician-some of Weevil / Scottsboro Boys / Governor 0. Yes, I Was Standing in the Bottom - which he composed ("The Bourgeois K. Allen / Governor Pat Neff / There's a When It's Springtime in the Rockies / Blues," "Bring Me a Little Water, Sylvy," Man Going Around Taking Names / On Ain't Going Down to the Well No More "Cotton Fields," "Alberta"), and some of a Monday (Almost Done) / You Can't (Version 2) / Every Time I Go Out / Go which he adapted from other composers Lose Me, Cholly / Keep Your Hands Off Down, Old Hannah / Black Betty / No­ ("Rock Island Line") or from traditional Her / We Shall Be Free body Knows You When You're Down and sources ("The Midnight Special," "Irene Out I Stewball / Ain't It a Shame to Go [Goodnight Irene]," "Black Girl [Where Disc Two: Fishin' On a Sunday / Relax Your Mind Did You Sleep Last Night]," "The Cal­ Alabama Bound / Almost Day (Christ­ / Princess Elizabeth / Silver City Bound lis Pole," "Pick a Bale of Cotton," and mas Is a-Coming) / Fiddler's Dram / I The Titanic / House of the Rising Sun / "Black Betty" ). Whether written or ar­ Green Corn / Sally Walker / Bring Me a It's Tight Like That / Diggin' My Potatoes ranged by Lead Belly, these songs have Little Water, Silvy / Julie Ann Johnson / / Springtime in the Rockies / Backwater been embraced over the decades by in­ Linin' Track / Whoa, Back, Buck / Shorty Blues / Didn't Old John Cross the Water numerable music-makers, from interna­ George / Ham and Eggs (Make It on the I De Kalb Blues (Ain't Gonna Drink No tional pop music legends to heroes of Side of the Road) / Moanin' / Out on the More) / They Hung Him on the Cross various roots music subgenres to local Western Plains / Noted Rider / Meeting (Version 1) / They Hung Him on the singers and strummers. Yet other musi­ at the Building (All Over This World) / Cross (Version 2) / In the World cians' interpretations of such songs gen­ Good, Good, Good (Talking, Preaching - erally lack the irrepressible combination We Shall Walk Through the Valley) / Ain't Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Col­ of toughness and tenderness present in You Glad (The Blood Done Signed My lection, a 2015 set celebrating the music of Lead Belly's versions; indeed, one of his Name) / I'm So Glad, I Done Got Over/ Huddie Ledbetter (c. 1888-1949), is cast principal gifts was infusing his music The Hindenburg Disaster / Ella Speed / in the basic mold as-and has been ad­ with contrasting elements. Haul Away Joe / Old Man / Sweet Jenny vertised as a companion to-that same Also included on the Smithsonian Lee / Jean Harlow / Laura / Queen Mary label's acclaimed 2012 Woody Guthrie Folkways set are recordings that docu­ set entitled Woody At 100. Both releases ment Lead Belly's passionate rendi­ Disc Three: were not only issued by the same com­ tions of various work songs (including Good Morning Blues / Sail On, Little pany, but they also claim the same pro­ "Linin' Track"), prison songs (such as Girl (You Can't Mistreat Me) / Easy Rid­ ducers (Jeff Place and Robert Santelli), "On a Monday"), and blues composi­ er / Poor Howard / Duncan and Brady mastering engineer (Pete Reiniger), and tions ("In the Evening [When the Sun / How Long, How Long / T. B. Blues / art director (both sets were designed by Goes Down]") as well as gospel material Jim Crow Blues / Pigmeat / John Hardy the Visual Dialogue company's Fritz Kla­ ("There's a Man Going Around Taking / Outskirts of Town / 4, 5, and 9 / In the etke, who won a GRAMMY for his work Names") and songs for children (most fa­ Evening (When the Sun Goes Down) / on the Guthrie package). This is a, vet­ mously, "Ha-Ha This Way"). Represent­ Red Cross Store Blues / Diggin' My Po­ eran team, with many historical record­ ed on the set as well are various topical tatoes / Blind Lemon / When a Man's a ing releases and music-related museum songs, whether prompted by civil rights Long Way From Home / Alberta / Ex­ exhibits to their collective credit. incidents ("Scottsboro Boys"), celebri­ cerpt from "The Lonesome Train" / Na­ Woody At 100 explored the entirety of ties ("Jean Harlow"), notorious figures tional Defense Blues / Hitler Song (Mr. Guthrie's work, incorporating selections ("Hitler Song [Mr. Hitler]"), or ephem- THE OLD-TIME HERALD WWW.OLDTIMEHERALD.ORG VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2 47 eral events of national or international ings (combining his entire output on ally come down and hang out and play interest ("Queen Mary"). Lead Belly "folk" labels such as Folkways and also music with some of the last of the clas­ composed two of the set's other topical his many field recordings for represen­ sic players, especially Luther Davis and songs-"Governor Pat Neff" and "Gov­ tatives of the Library of Congress and Kahle Brewer. Always deeply and emo­ ernor 0. K. Allen" -to thank the gover­ other documentarians, along with his tionally attached to what I'm carefully nors who, appreciating his music, par­ work for such commercial companies as going to refer to as "true" and "authen­ doned him for his crimes and freed him the American Record Company, Victor, tic" old-time music-if he had a choice from prison. As evidenced by many of and Capitol) is unlikely to materialize he listened to and learned from the old his songs (whether topical or not) show­ in the foreseeable future, Lead Belly: The guys-Craig had the feel and the feeling. cased on the set, Lead Belly had the rare Smithsonian Folkways Collection is likely He had the sound. It was timeless and it ability to turn rough-and-tumble per­ to remain the essential and central com­ was unique. sonal experiences and observations into pilation of Huddie Ledbetter's music Mostly the songs and tunes on the CD songs of universal interest and relevance. for years to come. are Craig unaccompanied or with just Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways TED OLSON banjo, fiddle, or guitar. Other songs and Collection bears witness to the striking To order: folkways.si.edu/leadbelly tunes have minimal and just-right ac­ range and marked contrasts in the mu­ companiment. Many folks will know sician's repertoire, voice, performance Craig Johnson Craig's work from his many years as style, and songcraft.
Recommended publications
  • Betty Jane Belanus
    Betty J. Belanus 3504 21st Avenue North Arlington, VA 22207 202/633-6582 (w) 703/527-1813 (h) [email protected] or [email protected] Current Appointment 1993- Present Folklorist/Curator/Education Specialist, Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Past Appointments 1990 – 1992 Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland/Baltimore County American Studies Department 1987 - 1990 Contract positions, Smithsonian Institution, Office of Folklife Programs 1984 – 1987 Education Assistant, Indianapolis Children’s Museum Co-Director, Materials at Hand, not-for-profit cultural organization 1982 -1984 Indiana State Folk Arts Coordinator, Indiana Arts Commission Education Indiana University, Ph.D. in Folklore (Minors: Anthropology and Educational Media), 1990 Indiana University, M.A. in Folklore, 1979 Smith College, B.A., in American Studies, Concentration History, 1977 Research Foci Material culture, traditional medicine and foodways research and presentation Folklore and Education research, training and publication Educational media and publication Mentorship of interns and fellows as future professionals 1 Curatorial Positions Programs for Smithsonian Folklife Festival Curated: 2017, “50th Anniversary Weekend” 2012, “Campus and Community” 2010, “Smithsonian Inside Out” 2009, “Wales Smithsonian Cymru” 2007, “Roots of Virginia Culture” 2004, “Water Ways: Mid-Atlantic Maritime” 1999, “New Hampshire Stories” 1997, “African Immigrants to Washington, DC” 1996, “Working at the Smithsonian” 1991, “Family Farming in the Heartland”
    [Show full text]
  • Still on the Road 2000 Us Summer Tour
    STILL ON THE ROAD 2000 US SUMMER TOUR JUNE 15 Portland, Oregon Roseland Theater 16 Portland, Oregon Portland Meadows 17 George, Washington The Gorge 18 George, Washington The Gorge 20 Medford, Oregon Jackson County Expo Hall 21 Marysville, California Sacramento Valley Amphitheater 23 Concord, California Chronicle Pavilion 24 Mountain View, California Shoreline Amphitheatre 25 Reno, Nevada Reno Hilton Amphitheatre 27 Las Vegas, Nevada House Of Blues, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino 29 Irvine, California Verizon Wireless Amphitheater 30 Ventura, California Arena, Ventura County Fairgrounds JULY 1 Del Mar, California Grandstand, Del Mar Fairgrounds 3 Albuquerque, New Mexico Mesa Del Sol Amphitheater 6 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma The Zoo Amphitheater 7 Bonner Springs, Kansas Sandstone Amphitheatre 8 Maryland Heights, Missouri Riverport Amphitheater 9 Noblesville, Indiana Deer Creek Music Center 11 Cincinnati, Ohio Riverbend Music Center 12 Moline, Illinois The Mark of the Quad Cities 14 Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 15 East Troy, Wisconsin Alpine Valley Music Theater 16 Clarkston, Michigan Pine Knob Music Theater 18 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Molson Amphitheatre 19 Canandaigua, New York Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center 21 Hartford, Connecticut Meadows Music Theatre 22 Mansfield, Massachusetts Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts 23 Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Performing Arts Center 25 Scranton, Pennsylvania Coors Light Amphitheatre 26 Wantagh, New York Jones Beach Amphitheatre 28 Camden, New Jersey E-Centre, Blockbuster-Sony Music Entertainment Centre 29 Columbia, Maryland Marjorie Merriweather Post Pavilion 30 Stanhope, New Jersey Waterloo Village Bob Dylan: Still On The Road – The 2000 US Summer Tour 21820 Roseland Theater Portland, Oregon 15 June 2000 1. Duncan And Brady (trad.) 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Judas 9 Text
    Judas! from Inside A Prune Welcome to issue nine of Judas! As I write this Dylan has begun another year’s touring and although the set-lists may look predictable the arrangements are refresh - ingly, dramatically altered in many cases. Good for him. You will notice a New Morning theme through this issue, with no less than three articles looking at that intriguing period. In issue 10 there will be another theme running through the general articles and reviews; in this case it will be early acoustic Dylan, so if you have anything you want to say on that please send it in. I am not saying that we are doing theme issues as such, it is more a case of giving a recurrent flavour to certain editions. If you have resubscribed you will soon notice additions to the subscribers’ area of the Judas! website. Steve Lescure is generously giving us his 'Dylan Commentaries'. In his own words, he is ‘…bringing together information from a wide variety of sources - numerous books, magazine articles, and the Internet - condensing it down into the essentials and presenting it in an easy-to-digest format.’ This will eventually cover all of Dylan’s official output; the debut album material will be available in the near future. Also on our website we have started an archive section to publish those issues of Judas! that have already sold out. We are delighted to begin our series of excerpts from Izzy Young's back pages. These articles, notes and reviews can be found throughout the issue, wherever you see the symbol and comprise reprints - or first prints - from his notebooks as well as news - papers and magazines and so forth, as dated.
    [Show full text]
  • Tell Tale Signs
    I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really. You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them. There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing,… remember when that Napster guy came up across, it was like, ‘Everybody’s gettin’ music for free.’ I was like, ‘Well, why not? It ain’t worth nothing anyway. Bob Dylan 2006 A compilation of bits and Bobs from last 30 years? That'll be $129.99. Sony 2008 --- Introduction: I wrote this very soon after the release of Tell Tale Signs. Although I was presuming ISIS would be delayed in order to allow a more considered take on the release, my own work commitments demanded an early response in any case. I have presented it as a dialogue that highlights – if not exaggerates – trends I have felt in myself and in discussions amongst Dylan fans at large. I have taken the liberty of framing the dialogue in a setting plagiarised brazenly from a classic as Bob does with many an out of copyright source as Dylan Cynic would say or, if you are aligned to Dylan Enthusiast rather than Dylan Cynic, the framework of the dialogue alludes intriguingly to a past literary master in much the same way Dylan binds his own work artistically to Ovid in Modern Times. I won’t mention the play it comes from as the fun is surely always in the searching and then deciding if it is just rip-off or a deeply thought allusion that adds to the whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Creating a Roadmap for the Future of Music at the Smithsonian
    Creating a Roadmap for the Future of Music at the Smithsonian A summary of the main discussion points generated at a two-day conference organized by the Smithsonian Music group, a pan- Institutional committee, with the support of Grand Challenges Consortia Level One funding June 2012 Produced by the Office of Policy and Analysis (OP&A) Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Background ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Conference Participants ..................................................................................................................... 5 Report Structure and Other Conference Records ............................................................................ 7 Key Takeaway ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Smithsonian Music: Locus of Leadership and an Integrated Approach .............................. 8 Conference Proceedings ...................................................................................................................... 10 Remarks from SI Leadership ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Woody Guthrie Centennial Bibliography
    LMU Librarian Publications & Presentations William H. Hannon Library 8-2014 The Woody Guthrie Centennial Bibliography Jeffrey Gatten Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/librarian_pubs Part of the Music Commons Repository Citation Gatten, Jeffrey, "The Woody Guthrie Centennial Bibliography" (2014). LMU Librarian Publications & Presentations. 91. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/librarian_pubs/91 This Article - On Campus Only is brought to you for free and open access by the William H. Hannon Library at Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU Librarian Publications & Presentations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Popular Music and Society, 2014 Vol. 37, No. 4, 464–475, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2013.834749 The Woody Guthrie Centennial Bibliography Jeffrey N. Gatten This bibliography updates two extensive works designed to include comprehensively all significant works by and about Woody Guthrie. Richard A. Reuss published A Woody Guthrie Bibliography, 1912–1967 in 1968 and Jeffrey N. Gatten’s article “Woody Guthrie: A Bibliographic Update, 1968–1986” appeared in 1988. With this current article, researchers need only utilize these three bibliographies to identify all English- language items of relevance related to, or written by, Guthrie. Introduction Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (1912–67) was a singer, musician, composer, author, artist, radio personality, columnist, activist, and philosopher. By now, most anyone with interest knows the shorthand version of his biography: refugee from the Oklahoma dust bowl, California radio show performer, New York City socialist, musical documentarian of the Northwest, merchant marine, and finally decline and death from Huntington’s chorea.
    [Show full text]
  • Won't Buy All Books
    The Courier Volume 4 Issue 31 Article 1 6-4-1971 The Courier, Volume 4, Issue 31, June 4, 1971 Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/courier This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Courier by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. First CD nursing Nearly 700 class graduates to graduate The fourth commencement College of DuPage will graduate Berg, college president, was the exercises of College of DuPage will its first class of nurses at next speaker. be Friday evening, June 11, at 7:45 week’s commencement exercises. Mrs. Santucci said she is urging in the college gym. About 650 Twenty eight nurses, one of them the students to work in general Associate degrees and about 50 male, will graduate and after hospitals for wide experience certificates in various technologies taking a state board examination before specializing. will be awarded. qualify as registered nurses. The class that was “pinned” Dr. Rodney Berg, college Mary Ann Santucci, chairman of includes: president, will introduce the stage the nursing program, presented Susan Altorfer, Carol Beechler, party and the speakers of the pins to the class at a meeting May Betty Black, Patricia Crandall, evening. Thomas Biggs, president 16 in the Gymnasium. Dr. Rodney Betty Crim, Donna Dorrough, of the Associated Student Body, Noreen Ehlenburg, Gloria Ellis, will make remarks. Phyllis Foster, Denise Gilman, The main speaker of the evening Diane Hastings, Carol Jenkins, will be Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Song List 2012
    SONG LIST 2012 www.ultimamusic.com.au [email protected] (03) 9942 8391 / 1800 985 892 Ultima Music SONG LIST Contents Genre | Page 2012…………3-7 2011…………8-15 2010…………16-25 2000’s…………26-94 1990’s…………95-114 1980’s…………115-132 1970’s…………133-149 1960’s…………150-160 1950’s…………161-163 House, Dance & Electro…………164-172 Background Music…………173 2 Ultima Music Song List – 2012 Artist Title 360 ft. Gossling Boys Like You □ Adele Rolling In The Deep (Avicii Remix) □ Adele Rolling In The Deep (Dan Clare Club Mix) □ Afrojack Lionheart (Delicious Layzas Moombahton) □ Akon Angel □ Alyssa Reid ft. Jump Smokers Alone Again □ Avicii Levels (Skrillex Remix) □ Azealia Banks 212 □ Bassnectar Timestretch □ Beatgrinder feat. Udachi & Short Stories Stumble □ Benny Benassi & Pitbull ft. Alex Saidac Put It On Me (Original mix) □ Big Chocolate American Head □ Big Chocolate B--ches On My Money □ Big Chocolate Eye This Way (Electro) □ Big Chocolate Next Level Sh-- □ Big Chocolate Praise 2011 □ Big Chocolate Stuck Up F--k Up □ Big Chocolate This Is Friday □ Big Sean ft. Nicki Minaj Dance Ass (Remix) □ Bob Sinclair ft. Pitbull, Dragonfly & Fatman Scoop Rock the Boat □ Bruno Mars Count On Me □ Bruno Mars Our First Time □ Bruno Mars ft. Cee Lo Green & B.O.B The Other Side □ Bruno Mars Turn Around □ Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo Let's Go □ Carly Rae Jepsen Call Me Maybe □ Chasing Shadows Ill □ Chris Brown Turn Up The Music □ Clinton Sparks Sucks To Be You (Disco Fries Remix Dirty) □ Cody Simpson ft. Flo Rida iYiYi □ Cover Drive Twilight □ Datsik & Kill The Noise Lightspeed □ Datsik Feat.
    [Show full text]
  • Alan Lomax: Selected Writings 1934-1997
    ALAN LOMAX ALAN LOMAX SELECTED WRITINGS 1934–1997 Edited by Ronald D.Cohen With Introductory Essays by Gage Averill, Matthew Barton, Ronald D.Cohen, Ed Kahn, and Andrew L.Kaye ROUTLEDGE NEW YORK • LONDON Published in 2003 by Routledge 29 West 35th Street New York, NY 10001 www.routledge-ny.com Published in Great Britain by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P 4EE www.routledge.co.uk Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group. This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” All writings and photographs by Alan Lomax are copyright © 2003 by Alan Lomax estate. The material on “Sources and Permissions” on pp. 350–51 constitutes a continuation of this copyright page. All of the writings by Alan Lomax in this book are reprinted as they originally appeared, without emendation, except for small changes to regularize spelling. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lomax, Alan, 1915–2002 [Selections] Alan Lomax : selected writings, 1934–1997 /edited by Ronald D.Cohen; with introductory essays by Gage Averill, Matthew Barton, Ronald D.Cohen, Ed Kahn, and Andrew Kaye.
    [Show full text]
  • Blues Tribute Poems in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century American Poetry Emily Rutter
    Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2014 Constructions of the Muse: Blues Tribute Poems in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century American Poetry Emily Rutter Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Rutter, E. (2014). Constructions of the Muse: Blues Tribute Poems in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century American Poetry (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1136 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE MUSE: BLUES TRIBUTE POEMS IN TWENTIETH- AND TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY AMERICAN POETRY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Emily Ruth Rutter March 2014 Copyright by Emily Ruth Rutter 2014 ii CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE MUSE: BLUES TRIBUTE POEMS IN TWENTIETH- AND TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY AMERICAN POETRY By Emily Ruth Rutter Approved March 12, 2014 ________________________________ ________________________________ Linda A. Kinnahan Kathy L. Glass Professor of English Associate Professor of English (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Laura Engel Thomas P. Kinnahan Associate Professor of English Assistant Professor of English (Committee Member) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ James Swindal Greg Barnhisel Dean, McAnulty College of Liberal Arts Chair, English Department Professor of Philosophy Associate Professor of English iii ABSTRACT CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE MUSE: BLUES TRIBUTE POEMS IN TWENTIETH- AND TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY AMERICAN POETRY By Emily Ruth Rutter March 2014 Dissertation supervised by Professor Linda A.
    [Show full text]
  • Folk Music, Internal Migration, and the Cultural Left
    Internal Migration and the Left Futures That Internal Migration Place-Specifi c Introduction Never Were and the Left Material Resources THE SOUTH AND THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN OTHER: FOLK MUSIC, INTERNAL MIGRATION, AND THE CULTURAL LEFT Risto Lenz In 1940, actor and activist Will Geer organized the “Grapes of Wraths Evening,” a benefi t concert for the John Steinbeck Committee for Agricultural Workers at Forrest Theater in New York City. The pro- gram served as a blueprint for what would later defi ne the American folk music revival: Urban Northerners sharing the stage with “authentic” rural Southerners, together celebrating America’s musical heritage in a politically charged framework (here: helping migrant farmwork- ers). Among the “real” folk were Aunt Molly Jackson, an organizer for the Kentucky coal mines and a singer of union songs, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, an African American songster from Louisiana, and Woody Guthrie, a singer from Oklahoma. The three musicians, 1 He is sometimes also who would all spend their subsequent lives in New York as well as referred to as “Leadbelly.” in California, represent the three main migration fl ows of Southerners Both spellings are pos- sible. I will hereaft er use moving out of farms and towns of the American South in great “Lead Belly” since it was numbers and into cities and suburbs of the North and the West: The the preferred spelling of the singer himself as 1 Great Migration of black Southerners (Lead Belly ), the dust bowl well as of the Lead Belly migration (Guthrie), and the Appalachian migration (Jackson).2 The Foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Roots of Rock.Pptx
    5/27/12 Rock Music & Culture s Welcome! s Instructor: s Adam Roberts s Course Website: s www.AdamRobertsMusic.com s Course Policies s General information s Course outline s Project guides Not Adam! 1 5/27/12 The World Before Rock s Culture in the early 1900’s s Regional s Personal s Early popular music s In 4/4 (4 beats to a bar) s Folkloric lyrics s Simple forms s Rock comes from 3 styles s Rhythm & Blues s Mainstream Pop s Country & Western 2 5/27/12 Form in Rock Music s Form: a song’s structure s Common types: s Blues s Usually 12 repeated bars s Verse-Chorus (VC) s A verse, then a chorus, repeat… s Verse-Refrain (VR) s A VC variation common to Rap & Folk s Refrain: a short melody or lyric that ends a verse s Song Form (AABA or ABAC) s Letters label sections of a song The Radio s Radio…a brief history s 1920: local stations s 1928: national networks s Talk radio, variety shows s 1940s: shifts to music s To differentiate from TV s Radio programming pre-1955 s National shows targeted Upper Class Whites s Big Bands, Crooners s Local shows targeted Minorities, Lower Class Whites s R&B, Country & Western 3 5/27/12 The Blues Robert Johnson The Blues s Origins: s Work Songs s Gospel Music & Spirituals s Highly improvised music s Very emotional, soulful s About getting rid of “the blues” s 1900s to 1940s: popular mostly with minorities s Race Records: 40s Blues and R&B recordings 4 5/27/12 The Blues Form s Just a few chords: I, IV & V s 12 bars/measures long, repeated for each verse s Lyrics in an AAB form s Ex.
    [Show full text]