This week we'll move from the blues as it traveled from black church meetings and family gatherings, through "juke joints" and bars, and into the recording studios of Harlem and Chicago--to the blues as it developed in the hills of white Appalachia.
From the very beginning, the Blues reflected--and transcended--America's racial divide. Arising first in the
African American community sometime during the later part of the 19th century, it melded the call and response work chants of west Africa with the music brought to America by its European immigrants in a truly unique way . And although many of the settings in which it was played through the years mirrored the segregation of American society, all along the way it was obvious that that the musicians from the two communities listened to--and heard--one another clearly!
The blues emerging from Appalachia also traveled throughout a growing country. It was passed along by families and friends, was performed by duets and string bands, appeared in early field recordings and then made it into the studios of a fledgling recording industry in the early part of the 20th century. We'll hear the 1927 recording of Frank Hutchison's "Worried Blues", recordings by Kid Williams, Roy Martin, Bill Morgan, the Texas Mud Splashers, Lewis McDaniel and Gid Smith, Larry Hensley, Cobb & Underwood, the Dixie Ramblers, Frankie Martin, Bob Willis and the Texas Playboys, Roscoe Holcomb, and Hobart Smith as the music evolved through the years--both in and out of the studio--and hear it today as it is performed by the Pearly Snaps and Flat Mountain Girls.
But first we'll continue wending our way through Columbia's Roots 'n' Blues series with Elizabeth Johnson, the South Georgia Highballers, and Clarence Green.
Our first story, aired at about 4:30pm, is our second one from Pattie Waters of Shelburne Falls. This time she shares the story of her trip to Cuba in 2000. Patti, who told us of of her becoming a vegetarian last week, was deli manager at the Coop on Main Street in Greenfield at the time--but she made this memorable journey as a musician!
At about 5:30, we'll begin a new series of stories from Nancy Andry's self-published CD, "Winter Lodge." Nancy, known by many as "Grandmother", says "these are not my stories!" Over the next few weeks, She'll bring us a number of tales from the first peoples of Turtle Island--a country known by many of us as America. Today's story, "The Rabbit Dance", comes from the Mohawk nation.
We hope you enjoy it all!
Producer and Host Michael Pollitt with Co-producer Lance Smith
