“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 19th 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.
Melissa--I like the way you remember--and recast--things that wee said. I'd forgotten about the Po Chü-I comment--water and the spirit... It fits with Henry Thomas, too... And I liked the watery movement in your drawing (rivery?). Take a look at the work of Mary Frank...she's ALL river...
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