Goodnight Irene, Good Night Visual Studies 12.15.11

“Down By the Sally Gardens” is by far the song I am going to miss the most next semester. I can hear the sweet melody of the classroom with a trio of guitarists and an accordionist….why cant the song be longer?! It is so sweet and wonderful; I wish we could just keep singing it over, and over and over… its on pg. 5 of our song sheets…circle it!!!

“It was down by the Sally Gardens my love and I did meet,

She passed the Sally Gardens with little snow white feet

She bid my take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree

But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree

In a field by the river my love and I did stand

And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow white hand

She bid my take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs

But I was young and foolish, and now I am full of tears”

Snow white hands. Little snow white feet. Grass grows on the weirs. The lyrics are so fantastic, like the rest of the song. Why can’t music always sound like this?

“I like spontaneity; I live by it”- Tony. The incredibly unique and diverse Visual studies class of American folk songs concentrated on learning music through memory. How do we make music part of ourselves? If I were to narrate my experience for this class, I would have a very long list of talented musician folk who most people probably would not have a clue what I am talking about. I started off knowing very little, almost zip, about folk music. The closest song I knew was “O death,” from the “O Brother Where Art Thou” movie. But that’s the point of the class: learning folk music through practice, as Tony would say, “These songs save your life.”Now I am equipped with countless rapid share files of Gospel, delta blues, Chicago blues, Ballads, Woody Guthrie, Songsters, Cowhands and Sailor music, which I often made a top 5 playlist for myself...but ended up with way more than 5 songs. It was routine to pick a song each week that inspired us and create an artistic project about it that we decorated the walls with.

Coming into this class, I couldn’t recognize a Mississippi John Hurt song if it was played right before me. Why haven’t I heard of the king of blues music? John Hurt lived and farmed in Avalon Mississippi for 30 years without a recording due to the Great Depression: there was no money for records to be made. What happens when a political figure sings blues music? Jimmy Davis was singing for his position in office, but there is so much more energy coming from Hurts’ southern roots. I could picture him singing on the front porch of his home in Mississippi, whereas I could see Jimmy Davis with a microphone in his hand, onstage and singing for a crowd of followers. “Since I’ve Laid My Burden Down,” is a classic Mississippi blues type of music by John Hurt that involved a fast, self taught finger picking style. The bluegrass music was really a treat.

Muddy Waters was inspired by Delta blues of Mississippi. Delta style is so expressive and unique because it links to the voice of the musician and the expressive playing on the guitar (Skip James and Robert Johnson). More topics included “Freight Train” written by the famous Mrs. Elizabeth Cotton when she was 11.

The murder ballads week of “Barbara Allen” was a lot of fun. Starting off with a competition between Bill Monroe and Doc Watson playoff…who could outplay the drums? “Folk Bloodbath” by Josh Ritter was really special, because it was a combination of several classics, such as Stackalee, Duncan and Brady, and Barbara Allen.

Lead Belly was a whole ‘nother animal. Lead Belly got out of the first prison he was held at because the governor appreciated his religious songs. What does it mean when records are recorded in prison? When Leadbelly sang with Martha, it was like heaven. While playing on his antique, weathered guitar, Leadbelly had the qualities of Mississippi John Hurt, where I could feel the genuine nature of his voice and his passion for singing. Possibly because of his passion for Martha? At that point, he did not seem like the hard edged, stern faced person he earlier was portrayed as. While his face is naturally bold and stern, that seemed to fade.

“Red River Blues,” by Henry Thomas…Well I had to mention it because of the awesome combination of the ol’ time singing, and the pan pipes that completely captivated me.

The spiritual music, did you know it came from the slavery, as the people worked better singing in the fields about the toils of life? Their sweet melody, messages about Moses and the great escape through the night had so much spirit. Leroy Jones writes about spiritual music in a beautiful way: “This is the history. This is your history, my history, the history of the Negro people…the music. The music, this is our history. The music was explaining the history as the history was explaining the music.” The stories were passed on from the elders to the young, as the “expression issued from life was beauty.”

Sam Cook’s song about the resurrection of the chain gang in Alabama in 1995 was intense. And how could I forget about Mahalia Jackson (“Amazing Grace,” “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”) who was entwined with the civil rights movement as she sang for Martin Luther King. In addition, how could I not mention Thomas Dorsey and Sally Martin. Thomas Dorsey’s songs come out of experience with him when his spirit was broken (Precious Lord ).

Janice Joplin’s “Careless Love” seemed more edgy, as if her experience with careless love was more regrettable, and truly “broke that heart of hers.” Skip James singing “Worried Blues,” really dug his fingers into his guitar, feeling the beat and rhythm through his feet and body and his song “Crow Jane.” Charlie Rich was the “Silver Fox,” who grew up on a big cotton farm in Arkansas, where he learned how to play the piano… “Feel like going home” was definitely a classic.

During cowhand week, I loved Hank Williams version of “Lonesome Whistle Blow.” (“The Wa, wa, wa, whistle blow”)…..The Wyoming cowboy himself, Skip Gordon, sang the gritty songs, and how they were played along the emigrant trail for years in the American West. They are some of the best loved American songs about the ranch life.

“O if you aint got the do re mi folks,

If you don’t got that do re mi

Why you better go back to beautiful Texas,

Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee”

“Don’t swap your old cow for a car, you’d better stay right where you are”…

The lyrics are so playful. I love it.

Finally, I think this class is all about important quotes and song lyrics that are really powerful.

“Roses love sunshine, violets love dew

Angels in heaven, know I love you”

-Down in the Valley

“Mary wore three links of chain,

Every link was freedoms name”

-O Mary Don’t you Weep

Some of my favorite quotes from this semester, I wrote about in my blog, but I have to mention again:

Paul Robinson: “We should not be moved, we should not be moved. Just like a tree that grows by the waterside, we should not be moved.”

“For water clarifies the spirit even more that a perfect friend.”

In all my classes at Cal, Visual Studies was quite a nice change up from the stressful and dreary Wurster Hall. I really looked forward to a class I could just go to and sing great songs, and make artwork about….

To end this essay without Good Night Irene would be just plain crazy:

“Irene Goodnight, Irene Goodnight

Goodnight Irene, Good night Irene, Ill see you in my dreams”

Now, quite ramlin’ ….These songs will save you...

....if you let them.

~Miss Pineapples

Melissa

Fliers!!!

Cowboy Songs (12.1.11) Week 14

HOON’DAWGY! Its time for a little cowboy/sailor themed music. As I sit here writing this blog and listening to the song cowboy/sailor list of classics, quite a few songs strike my interest:

Hank Williams Lost Highway.

Greenland Whale Fisheries.

The Wild Goose

*******Hank Williams: Lonesome Whistle Blow: Anthony sang this!!1

Jilson Setters: The Wild Wagoners: the violin playing is amazing. Amarillo Walt by Skip Gorman also has a great melody.

Skip Gorman “Little Joe The Wrangler Sister Nell”: what does the title even mean? Hahaha. Skip Gordons name of his CD is called “a cowboys wild song to his herd.”

***Lou Killen: “The Black Ball Line”

**Ian Cambell: “Lowlands Low Low”

**Frank Warner: “Jolly Rolling Tar”

BUFFALO GALS!!!! YEEEHHHHHAAAAAA!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!

***Hank Williams “Log Train”

The songs of Skip Gorman are traditional, gritty cowboy songs that I imagine myself singing around a campfire. Gorman was a cowboy himself on a ranch in Wyoming, as a singer, guitarist, and a fiddler. It is said that he sings about the cowboys Celtic, Spanish, and Afro-American roots and how the music was played along the emigrant trails/ cowcamps over a hundred years in the American West.

I will get to Hank Williams in a moment.

But first, while I was listening to songs, one of my friends who studied in England told me about an artist that reminding her of folk song music I was listening to: Kate Rusby and her song “Sir Eglamore.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgidfxhVAFU

Chicago Blues Songs (11.17.11) Week 13

“We didn’t do anything I planned, but I didn’t plan anything.” –Tony

Favorite song of the week: Too Wet to Plow by Johnny Shines

Chicago blues. Johnny Shines sang “Sweet Home Chicago” and “Too Wet to Plow”. He plays the song effortlessly, as I watched his hands gloss over the guitar strings. I really liked the song “Ramblin’ Blues” that he sang in the studio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-EM--yqr58&feature=related
I also listened to Robert Johnsons’ version of “Sweet Home Chicago,” which I liked equally as much, maybe even a little more, than Johnny Shines version. His voice seems so real, like he is singing about Chicago and his home town from experience.

The song mentions California several times. What makes California so great, over let’s say, Chicago? California is its own country: it has rivers and lakes, the ocean, desert and forests, wild animals and open spaces, and people from all over the world as its population. I cant even think of another state that is so diverse. There is a certain air about people from California…possibly more laid back? Friendly? Who knows. I have never been to Chicago so I can’t make any assumption about the major differences. However, I’ve lived in Colorado, which is not similar to California, in the sense that people thrive on the outdoors and its activities, going to national parks for camping, yet skiing in the freezing cold winters.

Who is Charlie Rich? Nicknamed the Silver Fox, he grew up on a big cotton farm in Arkansas, where he learned how to play the piano from CJ. His voice is very catchy… “Feel like going home” was definitely a great. “Behind Closed Doors” was not my favorite song of his, but he revived me with “Most Beautiful Girl in the World.”
He kind of sounds like Elvis.

“Most Beautiful Girl in the World”

Hey, did you happen to see
the most beautiful girl in the world ?
And if you did, was she crying, crying ?
Hey, if you happen to see the most
beautiful girl that walked out on me
Tell her, "I'm sorry"
Tell her, "I need my baby"
Oh, won't you tell her that I love her

I woke up this morning, realized
what I had done
I stood alone in the cold gray dawn
I knew I'd lost my mornin' sun
I lost my head and I said some things
Now comes the heartaches that the
morning brings
I know I'm wrong and I couldn't see
I let my world slip away from me

So Hey, did you happen to see
the most beautiful girl in the world ?
And if you did, was she crying, crying ?
Hey, if you happen to see the most
beautiful girl that walked out on me
Tell her, "I'm sorry"
Tell her, "I need my baby"
Oh, won't you tell her that I love her

If you happen to see the most
beautiful girl that walked out on me
Tell her, "I'm sorry"
Tell her, "I need my baby"
Oh, won't you tell her that I love her

Delta Blues Songs (11.10.11) Week 12

“Corrina, Corinnnaa, where’d you stay last night?

Corina, Corina, where’d you stay last night? Your shoes aint buttoned, girl, don’t you fit right?....

Delta blues? Chicago blues? Blues music? This week we focused on the Delta blues, featuring Skip James and Robert Johnson. Delta style is so expressive and unique because it links to the voice of the musician and the expressive playing on the guitar. We talked about the differences between front porch (country style) vs. performance (studio) blues music…..could songs be a combination of both?

O the versions of “Careless Love”:

Max Hutchinson, Max Hunter, Blind Man Fuller, Odetta, Janice Joplin

Which one did I like most? I liked Janice Joplin’s version.

Odetta was really interesting; the way she sang “careless Love” seemed so personal. The young Janice Joplin’s version seemed more edgy, as if her experience with careless love was more regrettable, and truly “broke that heart of hers.”

Bob Dylan is just a genius. His songs are like poetry at its best and come up with great lines: “going where the closet suits my clothes.” I think it is appropriate to say that listening to Bob Dylan and his smooth guitar playing needs a Kant Emmanuel quote: “You can’t tell someone it’s beautiful. Hold it up and say ‘yes.”

We looked at a number of art work from Crumb, Guston, Rembrandt, and George Bellows. I personally liked the expressive sketch that Rembrandt made of the man bent over his desk: it looked like the drawing had a lot of energy surrounding it.

Who is this Legba figure that we looked at? If it is the source of blues music and lyrics, then why have I never seen it before? Is it a god or creation from the people?

Skip James singing “Worried Blues,” was surrounded by a group of people (his friends? Workers from the studio he was recording in?) and really dug his fingers into his guitar, feeling the beat and rhythm through his feet and body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhrqBOSazzA

I watched Skip James sing “Crow Jane.” The lyrics were pretty dark, but the video is interesting to watch Skip James’ movement and gestures with the guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVww5r4Nk0

CROW JANE

1967: “Crow Jane, Crow Jane, don’t hold your head too high,

Someday baby, you know you got to die,

you got to lay down and you got to die, you got to

You know I want to buy me a pistol,

Want me 40 rounds of ball,

Shoot crow Jane just to see her fall,

She got to fall, she got to

And I went to dig her a grave, with a silver spade,

I aint going to let nobody take her place,

No you can’t take her….”

I also listened to his “Devil Got my Woman.”

I'd rather be the devil, to be that woman man
I'd rather be the devil, to be that woman man
Aw, nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind
Was nothin' but the devil, changed my baby's mind
I laid down last night, laid down last night
I laid down last night, tried to take my rest
My mind got to ramblin', like a wild geese
From the west, from the west
The woman I love, woman that I loved
Woman I loved, took her from my best friend
But he got lucky, stoled her back again
But he got lucky, stoled her back again”

Furry Lewis plays the guitar very differently is his video singing “When I lay my Burden down”. Its like he is possessed by the song and his guitar….he is acting out the lyrics of the song, as his soul is on “fire”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCqbKdnHZTs

I LOVED “Drop Down Mama-Sleepy” by John Estes.

Spiritual Songs Continued (11.3.11) Week 11

“Swing low, sweet chariot

Comin’ for to carry my home…”

Gospel music week! Paul Robinson said a quite beautiful statement that really meant a lot to me….I don’t know why, and cant really explain how…but he said, “we should not be moved, we should not be moved. Just like a tree that grows in the water side, we should not be moved.”

I really liked The Dixie Hummingbirds: their upbeat gospel music was fun to listen to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mD2IxvKhSs

Anna talked about the history of gospel music. Spirituals came from slavery, as the slaves were not allowed to have drums but studied hymns and stories from the Old Testament. The story of the bible from the New Testament was too progressive. Singing helped African people get through the toils of daily life, and were often drawn to the story of Moses: fleeing from his people, messages of escape, etc. We talked about Mahalia Jackson, (“Amazing Grace,” “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”), where her music intertwined with the civil rights movement, and she actually sang with Martin Luther King Jr. We learned about Thomas Dorsey, about how his wife died giving birth. Yet Thomas sang a beautiful song, "If you see my Saviour," with his assistant Sally Martin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izy4XF88k48&feature=related

Thomas Dorsey was so influential for gospel music. I watched the documentary film, "Say Amen Somebody": Dorsey said: “You wanted to be good, or be nothing. Many people have been helped and saved by the spirit of gospel. Those that can make music count will amuse god in heaven.” He started at pilgrim Baptist church in Chicago and formed the first gospel choir. The film was so sad, because he describes how his wife and child died, as something “I could not accept at all. I started singing “Precious Lord” right then and there.” According to a woman in the film, she said Thomas Dorsey’s songs “come out of experience with him. He wrote “Precious Lord” when his spirit was broken.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEosw5GUCzQ

Who was Sam Cook? He sang “A change is going to come” and “Chain gang,” but he strategically died at an early age.

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

“I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will”

CHAIN GANG

(hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they're singin'
(hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)

(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is goin' down
Working on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin' their lives away
Then you hear somebody sa-ay

That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

Can't ya hear them singin'
Mm, I'm goin' home one of these days
I'm goin' home see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere

(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

All day long they're singin', mm
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water, I'm thirsty…”

He made this song seem so lively and happy, yet it was such a stressful type of work: men “moaning,” “frowning,” …..

O…and interesting fact….in 1995 Alabama because the first state to resurrect the chain gang? Unbelievable.

Spiritual Songs (10.27.11) Week 10

Spiritual songs reflect the songs of the people who sang them. This weeks focus on Gospel music and spiritualism registers some unfamiliar territory for me, and involves a story of tragedy and triumph of African people. In Leroy Jones novel, he writes really beautifully and sets the stage early on: “This is the history. This is your history, my history, the history of the Negro people.” “The music. The music, this is our history.” (pg 117-146)

“Music was an orchestrated, vocalized hummed, chanted, blown, beaten, scatted, and a corollary confirmation of the history… The music was explaining the history as the history was explaining the music.” The music were a reflection and expression of the people, who were taken from Africa and transformed into a Western people. Leroy states, “Black people did not fall out of the sky but continue to be the most American of Americans.” He goes on to talk about Africanism, and how it isn’t limited to black people, but of African, European, and native cultures, histories, and peoples: people who are incorrectly viewed as the undeveloped peoples. To be at Berkeley, which is a melting pot of every different ethnicity and race, it is hard for me to understand how slavery could even take place. We are all people, all African in a sense. Leroy goes on to explain how strange and unnatural the initial contacts with the western slavery were for Africans, in order to show how the black man was set apart from the New world initially.

What makes African music distinctive?

While the words are difficult to understand, the most apparent survival of the African music are the rhythms and melodic harmonies. The use of drums for communication in Africa allowed them to develop a fine and complex rhythmic sense. Just by simply altering the pitch of the song, gave the song new meaning and melody. The singing technique is also unique and distinctive, with the combination of improvised verses, and the use of folk tales in the lyrics, riddles, and proverbs. The lyrics of the African songs were usually as important or more important than the music, and is the closest imitation of the human voice according to Leroy James. It differed from western music because it was purely functional: songs were used by workers to make their tasks easier, songs were used by old men to prepare the adolescent boys for manhood, songs were used by young men to influence young women.” The stories were passed on from the elders to the young, as the “expression issued from life was beauty.

“ Go on! Go on! Eat enormously! I aint one bit

ashamed-eat outrageously!”

Go On! Go on! Eat prodigiously!

I drink good wine!-Eat ferociously!

Leroy ends with discussing the history of slavery, the conversion of the slaves to Christianity, the slave being seen as the other, and the the beginning of Africa as a foreign place.

Other songs to note and will go into more depth after class:

Blind Willie Johnson: John Revelator

Josephy Spence: coming in on a wing and a prayer

Thomas Dorsey “If you see my savior” “my desire”

Paul Robeson: at a time when social history in the mid 20th century was hectic, left wind political activist for civil rights and justice.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot together with Let Us Break

Bread Together and Balm in Gilead

'O Goodnight Leadbelly" (10.20.11) Week 9

"I say, the RockIsland Line is a mighty good road.

I say, the Rock Island Line is a road to ride,

O the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road,

If you want to ride it you got to ride it like you find it,

Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line."

Leady Belly has a complicated history. Trying to fit Leadbelly into a single, 4 hour class period makes my head spin. Since I already discussed in my last blog about the films we watched on Leadbelly, I learned a lot this week about the people recording musicians: What does it mean when records are recorded in prison? When Lomax went to several prisons, was he looking for talent from the controversial inmates (because it was stated earlier that he didn't know Leadbelly was there)? What does the world get out of this kind of commission? A legend in this case, but not at his time. Racial relations were always complicated in the 20th century, as a black man could not even run up the stairway in a hotel without being yelled at. Yet, exceptions were also made for people, despite their race, because they were musically talented. Lead Belly got out of the first prison he was held at because the governor appreciated the religious songs Leadbelly was singing. We also briefly touched on the talented blues player Skip James, who equalizes the extreme parts of life: hard conditions working on the railroads, work as a bootlegger, etc. Yet, his songs are about his experiences as a laborer, and drew inspiration from fellow Mississippi blues pianists and guitarists.

Last Week of Mississippi John Hurt: Leadbelly Next. (10.13.11) Week 8

Song of the week: Goodnight Irene with Martha Promise Ledbetter.

Leadbelly: I never knew he went to prison so many times. Yet, he was constantly released, one crime after another, because of his music? His good behavior? Who knows. Can crimes go unpunished because someone is musically gifted? I watched the short clip from Gordon Parks film (1976), of the depiction of Leadbelly as an inmate, who was discovered by John and Allan Lomax. In it, Leadbelly nonchalantly talks about killing a man and moves quickly on to talk about the songs he just knows. Why is this film impossible to find? The film is depicting an ex criminal that creates beautiful music because of his release. Yet, his past can cloud his music? Or is it part of him that people just accept because he is a musical genius?

In the film, Lomax came to the prison to “collect songs” and Leadbelly responded, “I know lots of songs, some I made up and some I changed from other folks’.” When he was asked what he was in for, Leadbelly said, “ Murder. I call it self defense. He stuck me with a knife but I stuck him better.” Leadbelly had never sung into a microphone before, but he sang songs he used to sing in Louisiana, where everyone knew everyone. Leadbelly also grew jealous of Martha (or Margaret?) dancing with Archie, who he later tried to shoot with a pistol. Is Leadbelly as violent as the film depicts? I think the film intended to dramatize Leadbelly's life for the sake of film and entertainment, yet what I primarily got out of it, was that Leadbelly lived a pretty rough life....no doubt about it.

In the Leadbelly newsreel clip, Leadbelly was singing in front of the inmates and later met Mr. Lomax after being released from the Lousianna Prison. The fact that Leadbelly was singing in his prison uniform again goes back to this rough life of his. Lomax said, “you cant work for me, you are a mean boy, you killed 2 men.” Again, Leadbelly is depicted as a criminal, yet Lomax still signs with him because he creates beautiful music.

The last clip that I watched showed Leadbelly singing with Martha. What a treat. When he sang to Martha, while playing on his antique, weathered guitar, Leadbelly appeared to be a very sincere person. He had the qualities of Mississippi John Hurt, where I could feel the genuine nature of his voice and his passion for singing. Possibly his passion for Martha? At that point, he did not seem like the hard edged person he earlier was portrayed as. While his face is naturally bold and stern, that seemed to fade. He became soft and genuine in my eyes, as he brushed Martha's chin with his hand while singing to her in his handsom suite.

Mississippi John Hurt (10.6.11) Week 7

“Is not’ trivial”….that my new favorite song for this week is “Red River Blues,” by Henry Thomas. The combination of the ol’ time singing, and the pan pipes completely captivated me. I love how these songs can just make me forget about everything and just listen; over and over again.

The theme for this week was a more upbeat set of songs about the things in life we experience, and glimpses back to the memories of the 19^th century. John Hurt’s lyrics and songs are not just about written words, but are drawn on from his life. John Hurt is one of a kind; people can imitate his songs and play each note perfectly, but they do not have his lively personality and character. This was apparent when we watched the Pete Seeger show “Rainbow Quest.” Pete Seeger appeared as an uptight and preppy host, despite John Hurt enthusiastically recalling his first recording in 1928. John Hurt lived and farmed in Avalon Mississippi for 30 years without a recording due to the Great Depression: there was no money for records to be made. As John Hurt was part of the Anthology of American Folk Music, someone from Australia came across the song “Avalon Blues,” and went in search of the humble musical genius. What an interesting story. We next touched on several themes in class. Who is the stranger? Stranger is what it means to leave a place is: possibly similar to how John Hurt left Avalon Mississippi in search of a larger audience in New York. He is a stranger to a place but not to his music. I learned about Dr. John, a piano player in the 80’s, and his song “Goodnight Irene” as a New Orleans revelation. What is the difference between a blues player and a songster? Henry Thomas was one of the beginning songsters, as his song “Red River Blues” had an amazing pipes sound to it. Next week we will find out more about the two. We sang several songs from the grey book as well, including “Beulah Land,” “Creole Belle,” and “Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me.” An extremely powerful statement was said today: “for water clarifies the spirit even more that a perfect friend.” It’s like a bag of tools that will guide you on your way.

Murder Ballads (9.29.11) Week 6

“Louis Collins took a trip out west,

And when he returned little Delia gone to rest

The angels laid her away.”-Josh Ritter

I love Josh Ritter.

Turn to page 1b? 1, 1a, 1b, 1c. Song supplements and more song supplements. A night of murder ballads is similar whip lash: more songs I am unfamiliar with. But not for long. Who knew that I would fall in love with “Folk Bloodbath” by Josh Ritter? I already downloaded the song from youtube. His voice gives me the chills and the verse “the angels laid her away” is extremely powerful. The “Folk Bloodbath” song is a combination of several classics, such as Stackalee, Duncan and Brady, and Barbara Allen. Just in this version alone, I learned about numerous topics: why do people dress in red in Duncan and Brady (for a funeral perhaps)? Can Stackalee kill a man over a stetson hat? Really? Taking pieces from other classic songs was like an allstar game. Also, once you know the context and the history behind these songs, it gives it a lot more meaning. By the way, who is Clarence Ashley? Who is Bill Monroe? Apparently he would practice catching 55 gallon drums, in order to learn how to play faster musical instruments. Possibly to “outdo” Doc Watson? While I could not tell the difference between a half of a step faster or not, obviously it means a lot to Bill Monroe. Buell Kazees song “Wagoners Lad” was interesting because it was sung by a man who plays a woman part (“I have been a poor girl, my fortune is sad.”). The “Dying Soldier” song was extremely sad, because it was talking about his preparation for death, saying goodbye to his wife, and meeting his wife and children in heaven. How can you say goodbye and sing about it? Lastly, Ralph Stanley’s song “O Death,” is moving: death responds at the end. Death will not spare him another year, but just wants his soul. How about that for a song! He is spilling his soul out in a song, yet it is all for nothing. He wont be spared.

Moving onto a sweeter topic: apples and honey. Plus Katy’s slide show of the cherry orchards and plank flooring in Ohio and Appalachian mountains.

We finished with a review of the artwork for the Banks of Ohio. I liked Chris’s sculpture of the tree roots and human head growing into each other. For feedback, I personally need to draw bigger…..possibly another medium? Color? Where is my next canvas….

Next week we are featuring Barbara Allen. But, for now….I have two words..who kind of stole the show….Josh Ritter.

Banks of Ohio (9.22.11) Week 5

An entire night of singing: just singing. It was an extremely emotional night: Tony, Katy, and Anthony returned. The band composed of several artists, featuring several guitarists and an accordion player. It was not a night to learn about new information, how could it be? But it was a good way to practice singing the lyrics and just getting into the mood of singing songs for what they are. The folk songs, especially “O Mary Don’t You Weep” and “Banks of Ohio,” really can be just make all the stress in life seem to dissolve and disappear. Four hours pass by quickly because we got lost in the songs. It is ironic how dark and sad the songs really are, yet how we sing them in class makes them playful and fun.

pg. 92-100, 187-204

“The rose and the briar: death. Love and liberty in the American ballad”: Isn’t the title catchy? Death was thoroughly portrayed in the lyrics, and made its way into the folk songs. I think the author made an interesting point: why would anyone write, “killed in an automobile accident,” when “death on the highway” is catchier? A song makes you want to listen.

Death was made into an event: now that is an interesting topic. According to Marcus, death as itself and part of a tradition raises people up and joins them as a community. The point was not to gratify death but to tell stories about it. Marcus writes, “its not to lift the dead into a heaven of in corporeality, but to make you feel the world turning, to realize that a someone once walked the earth, he or she then left it, and in a particular way.” Death is not just a cycle, but each person has their own life story and ending. The songs carry a kind of truth that can’t be found elsewhere. Such is the case for Barbara Allen, which is an old song, yet so powerful that they will be sung forever.

When the host of the Big Surprise, Jack Berry, asked the woman what are the words to “the Streets of Laredo,” her response was classic. She sang the answer, trusting that each word would lead her to the next one. Somehow the story was more important than the prize money. She made you forget that anything outside the song existed, which is extremely gratifying to see how music can have an affect on people and their memories. I am sure that moment marked a memory that was special in her lifetime.

Nick Tosches article, “Country: The twisted Roots of Rock n’ Roll,” was at some points difficult to follow. He made references to several country artists and songs that I did not know of. Yet he described his obsession with the song “Black Jack David,” which traces back to the origins in messianism and Christianity. This brings up the power of the origins: what we claim is original is actually false. Tosches goes on to discuss the Ubangi Stomp, which was the tough strain of churlish country music that came about in the 1950s. Yes this means Elvis! Other topics included, the ballad of Orfeo and the Faa gypsies.

O Mary Dont You Weep/ Week 4 (9.15.11)

Singing is therapy. Today was very difficult to digest: tragedy. With the absence of our original and unique song leader, we were grateful to have Anthony Bello substitute. Immediately I recognized Anthony, as he was a GSI for the ED 11A class I took almost a lifetime ago. He even still wore the same blue suits. While Tony was away, he wanted us to carry on and sing these amazing folk songs. Just sing; singing will make sad times seem brighter. Singing "O Mary Dont you weep," was a real treat because so far, it was one of my favorite songs I have sampled to date. Anthony's spin off of the song included a duo with a talented fellow accordion player. He had an amazing voice and great enthusiasm: I specifically enjoyed singing to the song Down on the Banks of the O-hi-o. The majority of the class was dedicated to us speaking about our drawings on the wall and how we interpreted the song. The artwork ranged from a stained glass mural of the virgin Mary, to a charcoal drawing of a child's story time nightmare of Pharoh's army, to Hannah singing an original song. Getting a chance to hear Hannah sing was special, because I could hear the real honesty and harmony in her voice that was so touching. The night ended with Anthony giving us song supplements about several murder ballads, whose lyrics were extremely dark, graphic, and almost frightening:

For example, in Knoxville Girl by the "Louvin Brothers" : "she fell down on her bended knees for mercy did she cry...Oh Willy dear, dont kill me here, I'm unprepared to die...I took her by her golden curls and I drug her round and around..."

However, in Hank Williams song, "Lonesome Whistle," I really enjoyed the lyrics: "I heard the lone-wha-whaah-some whistle blow."

O how music make a dark subject seem light and playful.

For next weeks session: On the Banks of the O-hi-o....cant wait

Down in the Valley Week 3 (9.8.11)

“Down in the Valley, the valley so low, hang your head over, hear the wind blow.” After listening to Leadbelly and Solomon Burke sing their version of the “Down in the Valley,” Solomon Burke’s version seemed like a very recent and familiar gospel song. Not only was his song sung at a KKK meeting in 1961 before the Civil Rights Movement in 1965, but it was an almost soulless edition of a gospel performance for a large audience, performed in the comfort of his chair. After listening to the great John Hurt’s “You are my Sunshine” from last week, Solomon Burke’s song seemed like a comical play, where he was the “king” of gospel choir. Where is the struggle and roughness of the song? This raises the question of authenticity. How can we tell when a song is authentic and when it isn’t? What does authentic even mean? To me, it is something honest, and raw, when we can feel the struggle and pain in someone’s voice. Next, we discussed the availability of music, where everyone can simply download McJagger within minutes, eliminating any trip to the music store. The records are more like collector items locked away in a box, rather than played for the sake of listening to music. Again, we discussed numerous artists such as Jesse Fuller and Allie Gilbert, and discussed how musicians tell a different version of a song simply by how the melody and song is sung. As professor Dubovsky said, “These songs will save you.” The songs are learned slowly over the course of the semester, for the sake of music and learning from the songs and their lyrics. It is more than another class at Berkeley, but is a cool learning experience that all my friends and I are going through together.

The topic for next week’s discussion: Pete Seeger, “O Mary Don’t You Weep.” It is an African American spiritual song (about the biblical story of Mary of Bethany) before the American Civil War, that offers an outlet for resistance, inspiration, and hope. I am curious to see where next weeks discussion takes us.

Reading: pg. 1-33

How to sing: “Style is half of folk song, as it is of all music and it can be acquired as art is acquired, first by imitation, second by absorption, and finally by understanding.”(18) – Alan Lomax

In Alan Lomax’s article, the function of folk music is to produce a feeling of “security for the listener by voicing the particular quality of the land and the life of its people.” The traveler may bring back all the familiar emotions of home through a song that reminds him of family, love, and conflict. Alan Lomax states, “Our best songs and dances are the hybrids of hybrids, mixtures of mixtures.” On the American frontier, colonists not only carried a traditional melody, but were poor country men who were judged by their character and capacities. The common man (the individual), was everything in American folk song. Lomax goes on to discuss how the British and the West African traditions gave rise to hybrid music in America. Few African instruments remained in North America, but African musical habits continued to live on, as slaves sang in leader chorus style, with a more relaxed throat, deep pitched and mellower voices than Anglo people. Community songs of labor and worship and dance songs outnumbered the narrative pieces, as the emotion of the song was joyful, erotic, and playful. Lomax categorized folk music in the different regions: southern folk music was more guilt ridden, pinch voiced, and violent; northern was more permissive and open voiced. African American songs are where the words, tune, and accompaniment flow together to make a whole, and then they sing one stanza many times to a strong off beat rhythm. Yet, any attempt to sing with a good vocal technique reduces the effectiveness of the song. The best way to learn folk song style is by example, because the songs were treasured family heirlooms, reminders of adventures or memories of an experience.

Alan Lomax continued to raise many interesting points about folk songs. Folk songs grow in small steps, meaning that people participate in their growth where the old are added onto and create new versions. The original material loses some characteristics and gains others. Lomax states, “The folk song does not exist in any one of its variants, but rather in the aggregate of its variants. One should never say he “knows” a folk song, (30).” I liked his analogy on how a folk songs growth is similar to adding new patches onto an existing quilt. The honesty and emotion conviction of the artist’s song can live on for centuries because it is transmitted on how well he or she sang the song. What emotions do we feel from the song? A lot of times it is based on how honest the musician sounds. Does the song deal with pain? Often times we feel it. The songs deal with realities, like violence, cruelty, and poor working conditions. They also deal with deep shadows of the land, yet, the song can split at any moment and become comical. Lomax gives the example: “Can with a dead body compare…old Dan Tucker was a fine old man, washed his face in a frying pan.” There was enthusiasm for African American Folk music, (“John Henry,” “a man ain’t nothing but a man….”), so as that African American and white songs traded dances, and religious ideas, which had heavy influence on American culture. I also like how Lomax stated, “The folklorist has the duty to speak as the advocate for the common man, similar to how an anthropologist has the duty to speak as the native’s advocate,” (27).

"You Are My Sunshine"-Week 2 (9.1.11)

Another day, another day of learning about songs I previously knew nothing about. Who is the Carter family? They were the most famous music group in the 1920s that owned records and inspired folk music. The songs were passed on so much that words would make little sense, yet people continued to sing them. Great songs live on in one way or another, whether is it singing another version or singing out loud in the car with your friends not knowing many words. The night was stolen by hearing several renditions of the classic, “You are my Sunshine.” After hearing Jimmy Davis and John Hurt sing the same song, John Hurt sounded so soulful and amazing, making me appreciate his version more. Why? Jimmy Davis was a political figure, so was his singing for his position in office, or what it genuine and real? Does this matter? I think it does. There is so much more energy and glimpses of Hurts’ southern roots. I could picture him singing on the front porch of his home in Mississippi, whereas I could see Jimmy Davis with a microphone in his hand, onstage and singing for a crowd of followers. We also learned about this website called mudcat.org that allowed us to access unique songs that contained unknown artists: could they be the silent gems of their time? Kirby Snow’s classic mountain songs, Wildwood Flower, are something that you can’t just hear everyday: it was special. She was ridiculously talented, yet was unheard of. The professor also mentioned other names that we should check out, such as Doc Watson, the magical guitarist, who shockingly was blind from an eye infection since he was a year old. I went home and listened to his version of “Shady Grove” and found it to be really catchy. Yet, the amazing part is watching this man play effortlessly, without him seeing anything. It touches on no only the idea of muscle memory but it was natural and instinctive for him. The class discussions were engaging, yet packed full of information, ranging from African American songs from Laura Hansen, to differences between songs that were sung and songs that were performed, to 40,000 people in the Zulu dancing together. Lastly, we discussed how American country music was influential in Jamaica, as was listened to Max Romeo’s “Three Blind Mice.” Max Romeo’s songs made me want to be on a beach and forget I was even in a Berkeley class. To top off the night, we sang the classic, “O Mary Don’t You Weep,”….All I can say is “O Mary don’t you weep don’t you mourn, o Mary don’t you weep don’t you mourn, pharaoh’s army got drowned.” Until next time: Down in the Valley and Solomon Burke…...

First Day of Class! Week 1 (8.25.11)

“Freight Train, freight train, run so fast…” Can this classic song really be written by an eleven year old? The lyrics were so mature and rich, that I was amazed at her talent at such a young age. Not only was the song a classic and sung from the heart, but I learned that Elizabeth Cotten was a left handed guitar player, that used a right handed banjo. I am right handed, yet have a hard time playing a single note on a guitar. As a class, we also sang Goodnight Irene, O Mary Don’t You Weep, and Since I’ve Laid My Burden Down, as way for us to get a taste of what the semester would entail. Luckily we were able to sing along, as we were given a golden set of lyrics to follow, with a deposit in the “dollar box”. The songs we sang made me think that we were singing stories about the lives others have lived, and think about how music was infused in their lives. Out of the next selection, I liked the beat that we sang to of Mary Don’t you Weep, which I learned came from the Hebrew Bible. John Hurt's song, “Since I’ve Laid My Burden Down,” is a classic Mississippi blues type of music that involved a fast finger picking style that I liked very much. Who knew that a visual studies class was offered at Berkeley that involved singing in class and drawing diagrams about how we understand a song. In addition, we were given a short task to draw what it means to be held in our mothers arms. I drew a baby in block form that was wrapped in ribbon and connect to her mother, which is represented through a bow as important symbol of connectivity. Everyones diagram was different, meaning some were more abstract than others. I look forward to having a class where intuition and spontaneity is valued.

For next weeks class....a drawing of John Hurt, singin' the ol' so soulful Mississippi blues....