Jump to content

Please check out "Where Dead Voices Gather"


Alexander

Recommended Posts

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 by Alexander
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 131
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

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 -

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...