Fascinating early live broadcasts, including Martha Copeland

[Christiern]

This has been on the internet since 2003, but well hidden. It is a WFMU broadcast of experimental recordings from the Edison attic. Apparently, they cut 10" discs at 30 rpm and thus got some 20 minutes per side—the sound is surprisingly good. You will find these gems here. With an enthusiastic audience, blues/vaudeville singer Martha Copeland renders 3 songs, including "St. Louis Blues", on which she is joined by a chorus, reminiscent of Bessie Smith's film version of that song. This 1928 performance may be the first live recording of jazz-oriented music.

This gives me an opportunity to post an interesting excerpt from a July 1928 publication, The Book Man: a Review of Books and Life. The writer is author/blues enthusiast Abbe Niles. Notice his mention of Martha Copeland having sung at a W.C. Handy recital in Carnegie Hall.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Amazingly good recording quality. I'd never heard of Martha Copeland before -- she seems typical of the time...

Thanks for the link. I'll have to spend some internet time with WFMU -- looks like they have some interesting shows.

[Christiern]

WFMU (Fordham U) is, in my opinion, a far more interesting station than WKCR. They frequently have live music and their presenters are more into the music than they are into themselves—if you know what I mean. On FMU, I have heard numerous extraordinary artists for the first time.

[Ted O'Reilly]

WFMU (Fordham U) is, in my opinion, a far more interesting station than WKCR. They frequently have live music and their presenters are more into the music than they are into themselves—if you know what I mean. On FMU, I have heard numerous extraordinary artists for the first time.

I DO know what you mean. We have the same situation in Toronto, where a certain 'public'station is all about itself, not the music and community it's supposed to represent...

[Hoppy T. Frog]

WFMU (Fordham U) is, in my opinion, a far more interesting station than WKCR. They frequently have live music and their presenters are more into the music than they are into themselves—if you know what I mean. On FMU, I have heard numerous extraordinary artists for the first time.

WFMU is an independent station, once associated with the defunct Uppsala College in New Jersey. WFUV is the Fordham U station.