Alexander Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 (edited) I've recently started a blog on Harry Smith's "Anthology of American Folk Music." Each entry discusses one track from the "Anthology." I plan to do all four volumes (including the posthumously released volume on Revenant), one track at a time, until I'm finished. Please check it out and post comments! You can visit the blog here. Updates are Sundays and Tuesdays. Edited November 30, 2009 by Alexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jostber Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 This is a great one, keep rollin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 Yes - please keep it rolling. Big fan of the sets! Looking forward to CooCoo and the Dock Boggs entries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-blake Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 I will definitely be checking in regularly. Very nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thank you, Alexander. I hopped aboard, like what I saw, and will follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Pomea Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 Bookmarked! Well met, and quite a worthy subject! Great good luck to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 Thank you, one and all! I'm really enjoying this. Not only am I having a good time researching the songs and the artists, but I'm also enjoying the discipline of listening to one track at a time. As 78s, of course, that's how they would have been heard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the link, and for reminding me that Sonny Boy Williamson #2 recorded a version of "Drunkard's Special", although I can't find my copy right now or remember what title he used... Edited November 15, 2009 by danasgoodstuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted November 15, 2009 Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 nice - though I think the pic you are using as Nelstone's Hawaiins is actually Darby and Tarlton (I think). Interesting thing about Buell Kazee is that he originally planned to sing more contemporary songs when he first recorded, but the record company wanted to classify him as "old time" and insisted he sing more trad things, This says a lot about the picture we get of old time music, as something never really divorced from the commercial side of the business. Smith is a fascinating figure - you might want to talk to people like Larry Cohn, for whom the Anthology was a deep and life-changing experience. Smith was a genuine eccentric (nut?); also Mary Beth Hamilton's book on the early collectors has upset some people but should be read. I wonder too if Chris Albertson was exposed to the Anthology early on - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 nice - though I think the pic you are using as Nelstone's Hawaiins is actually Darby and Tarlton (I think). Interesting thing about Buell Kazee is that he originally planned to sing more contemporary songs when he first recorded, but the record company wanted to classify him as "old time" and insisted he sing more trad things, This says a lot about the picture we get of old time music, as something never really divorced from the commercial side of the business. Smith is a fascinating figure - you might want to talk to people like Larry Cohn, for whom the Anthology was a deep and life-changing experience. Smith was a genuine eccentric (nut?); also Mary Beth Hamilton's book on the early collectors has upset some people but should be read. I wonder too if Chris Albertson was exposed to the Anthology early on - Thanks for the feedback, Allen. I'll look into the Nelstone's Hawaiians picture. I agree completely about the way old time (and blues) are perceived. Most of these musicians were not the "primitives" they were made out to be. Robert Johnson, for example, incorporated a lot of pop and jazz tunes into his repertoire (according to the accounts of his contemporaries), but the record companies didn't want to record these songs. Similarly, Bill Broonzy was an urban bluesman who often performed in a suit and tie. When he was brought east to perform at the "Spirituals to Swing" concert, he was dressed in a work shirt and overalls. Allen, I'd LOVE to talk to anybody who might help shed more light on this wonderful set. If you have any contact info or can introduce me, I'd love to talk to you about it. Please PM me. The new post is up. You can read it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2009 Big ups to Allen for pointing out that the photo I had posted as Nelstone's Hawaiians was, in fact, Darby and Tarlton. I have corrected the error by removing the offending photo, although I cannot find one of Nelstone's Hawaiians. Instead, I went to my fallback of finding a creepy-looking picture to put up in its place. It's a cool medieval woodcut of death carrying off a child. Check it out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Because I can't stop tinkering, I have added some video to each entry. Each entry now includes a video of a later performance of that song by a different artist. Some are well-known and some are anonymous, but all are interesting and worth checking out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 New post up! Today's song is "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" by Chubby Parker... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2009 Updated! Today's post is "Old Shoes and Leggins" by Uncle Eck Dunford... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Update! Today's post is on "Willie Moore" by Burnett and Rutherford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jostber Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 A lot of fine reading here. Great to see the videos too. Link to the Harry Smith site: http://www.harrysmitharchives.com/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted November 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 The Blog is now titled "Where Dead Voices Gather," also to be the title of the podcast I will be launching soon. More to come on that... Today's post is up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2009 Here's an update: The first episode of the "Where Dead Voices Gather" podcast is almost ready. The new post on the blog was delayed a day thanks to technical goofs. Here it is: The Carolina Tar Heels - "Peg and Awl" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 First episode of da podcast is up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 New post is up! Today we discuss G.B. Grayson's performance of "Ommie Wise." Also, please check out the podcast. The first episode is up and ready for listeners! Also available through iTunes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 New blog post is up. As of today, I have finished disc one of the "Anthology." Only seven more to go! You can now follow "Where Dead Voices Gather" on Twitter. Where Dead Voices Gather: Using Today's Technology to Promote Yesterday's Music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Between this an facebook, enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Chuck's objections aside, here's the second podcast! This week we listen to music from Trinidad, India, Brazil, and Tonga, as well as songs by the Carter Family, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Patton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2009 A new "Anthology" post to go with organissimo forum's new look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted December 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 The new "Anthology" post is up! Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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