Humn 65 in Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts ... Christian Classics Etherial Library http://www.ccel.org/ccel/watts/psalmshymns.ii.ii.lxv.html
A young David Ivey leads "When I Can Read My Title Clear" at Dewey Williams Birthday singing 1990, Ozark Alabama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4BaWok9Gw0
Watts' text and MIDI file for Pisgah in CyberHymnal at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/e/whenican.htm
Corey isn't just a great player, he also knows the history of the blues very well. We filmed him in Mississippi talking to some of the old, legendary figures who were still around and visiting some of the places where the music was made. This section culminates in a meeting with the great Otha Turner, sitting on his porch in Senatobia with his family nearby and playing his cane flute. We were also fortunate to film Otha's magnificent November 2001 concert at St. Ann's in Brooklyn, which I believe was his last performance captured on film. It seemed natural to trace the music back from Mississippi to West Africa, where Corey met and played with extraordinary artists like Salif Keita, Habib Koité, and Ali Farka Toure. It's fascinating to hear the links between the African and American music, to see the influences going both ways, back and forth across time and space.You can -- and should! -- read more on the linked page. Scorsese ends by saying:
People like to think of the great blues singers as raw, instinctive, with talent and genius flowing from their fingertips. But John Lee Hooker, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and so many other amazing talents, more names than I have space for here, are some of the greatest artists America has ever had. When you listen to Lead Belly, or Son House, or Robert Johnson, or John Lee Hooker, or Charley Patton, or Muddy Waters, you're moved, your heart is shaken, you're carried and inspired by its visceral energy, and its rock solid emotional truth. You go right to the heart of what it is to be human, the condition of being human. That's the blues."Some of the greatest artists America has ever had." That's pretty high praise. Think about it. You don't have to agree. Just think about it.
As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of a guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who use steel bars. The effect was unforgettable. His song, too, struck me instantly.Steve Cheseborough, program host for Mississippi Public Television, tells viewers what it must have been like that night to hear the country blues in 1903. Here's what it may have sounded like, a sound file of Charlie Patton's "Green River Blues" with the same refrain. The recording is from the 1920s, but Patton played in the old country blues style. Notice how intricate and polyrhythmic his guitar-picking is. He is simply one of the best guitar players ever."Goin' where the Southern cross' the Dog"
The singer repeated the line three times, accompanying himself on the guitar with the weirdest music I had ever heard. The tune stayed in my mind. When the singer paused, I leaned over and asked him what the words meant. He rolled his eyes, showing a trace of mild amusement.
Perhaps I should have known, but he didn't mind explaining. At [the nearby town of] Moorhead, the east and west bound met and crossed the north and south bound trains four times a day. This fellow was going where the Southern railroad crossed the Yazoo Delta railroad, (nicknamed the "Yellow Dog"), and he didn't care who knew it.
I want to see that dance you call the black bottomBut Ma Rainey had the last laugh. Unlike many musicians of the day (or any other), she invested her money wisely and made enough to build and manage two successful theaters in her home town of Columbus, Ga., even in the middle of the Great Depression.
I want to learn that dance
Don't you see the dance you call your big black bottom
That'll put you in a trance.
Courtesy of my Appalachian dulcimer-playing buddy Mike Thomas:
ABC Notation Sites
JC's ABC Tune Match at trillian.mit.edu - Just type in the song title orword in the title and you have a good chance of getting back what you'relooking for a maybe some that you're not :-).
Type in the name (such as Snake River Reel), click on the FIND button,select PDF hyperlink, then click on the GET button, then select*.ABC to download the ABC file*.PDF to download the PDF file
Or just try just playing around with the different options
http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind
Free ABC Format Music Siteshttp://www.freesheetmusic.net/abc.html
JC's ABC music collectionhttp://ecf-guest.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/
the abc musical notation language http://www2.redhawk.org:8080/irish/abc/index.html
ABC Navigator - I lost my ABC converter program when I reinstalled my operating system but I believe this is the one I was playing around with:http://abcnavigator.free.fr/abcnvgt.php?lang=eng
Music Notation Links
http://www3.telus.net/On-LineMusicWorldofWendy/Tablature.htm
Stephen Foster was the first American songwriter to quit his day job and make his living writing songs. How did he deal with the problem of balancing his artistic vision -- i.e. write the kind of songs he wanted to write -- with the necessity of making money?Be specific. (Heard that before?) Always be specific.
Juba this, and Juba thatThe banjo is like the instruments that were developed by African Americans from several West African antecedents. Little else about the song shows African influence. "Old Dan Tucker" was a very popular song from the minstrel shows. I've linked to several files on the Internet that suggest how widespread the song got to be, especially after it went back into oral tradition as a fiddle tune.
Juba stole my yellow cat.
Vaudeville did much to to teach audiences of different ethnic and social backgrounds to get along. Defying the racist norm that dominated American society, vaudeville had black and white performers sharing the same stage as early as the 1890s. But managers had to deal with the legal and social realities of their time. Most southern states did not allow blacks and whites to sit in the same theatre, and even most Northern cities barred blacks from the best seats as late as the 1920s.This discussion on "Musicals101.com" is much better than what we have in our textbook. You may want to bookmark it so you can consult it when you write your midterm.
The TOBA Circuit ("Theatre Owners Booking Agency," which performers re-named "Tough On Black Asses") were the only venues below the Mason-Dixon Line that welcomed "colored" customers in the early part of the 20th Century, offering all-black bills for all-black audiences. For midnight performances on Saturdays, some TOBA houses allowed whites to sneak into the balcony.
1. Checkmarks in the margin of your paper are good. When you see one, it means you said something I liked. Usually something specific that relates to the main themes of the course, your readings, etc.If you can't read my writing, ask me after class. If I can read it myself (which is usually, but not always, the case), I'll translate it into English for you.
2. A "bang mark" or exclamation point is good! It can mean a variety of things. Often I put a bang mark in the margin when you said something that made me laugh.
3. "Be specific" in the margin means ... (drum roll) ... be specific! I really, really like specific.
a. Japan
b. New Zealand
c. Khazakistan
d. Illinois
e. Ireland
a. TrombonePlease post your answers to the blog so you will recieve proper credit for being here today.
b. piano
c. tuba
d. chain saw
e. fiddle
7th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days - October 1st - 31st, 2008Some other links and resources below ...
An international network of concerts using the power of music to reaffirm our commitment to tolerance and humanity.
The Daniel Pearl Foundation invites you to join us in promoting international friendship by dedicating a musical performance this October as part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days.
Inspired by the legacy of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, World Music Days uses the universal language of music to spread a message of hope and unity across cultural divides. By simply including a dedication from the stage or in the program of your upcoming performance, you will reaffirm your commitment to international friendship and take a stand against the divisive forces that took Danny’s life. As a member of this global network of concerts, your music will inspire your audiences with a sense of unity and purpose.
World Music Days is an “awareness raiser,” not a fundraiser. There is no financial obligation to participate.
