Bessie Jones Get In Union

Bessie Jones
Get In Union
The Alan Lomax Archives/Association For Cultural Equity

Alan Lomax first visited the Georgia Sea Island of St. Simons in June of 1935 with folklorists Zora Neale Hurston and Mary Elizabeth Barnicle. There they met an ensemble called the Spiritual Singers Society of Coastal Georgia, organized two years earlier by Lydia Parrish (wife of painter Maxfield Parrish). Parrish had dedicated herself to preserving the spirituals, ring-plays, and shouts of the island's rich, isolated folk culture, with its roots running deep through the Antebellum South to West Africa. That summer, Barnicle, Hurston, and Lomax recorded several dozen sides of the Singers' sacred material for the Library of Congress, plus a handful of their tall tales and songs for work and play.

Returning to St. Simons in 1959, on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, Alan found the islands much changed. Still, the principals of the Spiritual Singers—Big John Davis (a former sailor and roustabout), fisherman Henry Morrison, and storekeeper Willis Proctor, the group's de facto leader— were still singing. They were significantly enriched by a profound new element: Bessie Jones.

Mary Elizabeth Smith Jones was raised in Dawson, in South Georgia, in a large and deeply musical family. She learned many of her songs from her mother, Julia—a dancer, singer, and autoharp player—and her step-grandfather, Jet Sampson. Sampson, who was born in Africa in 1836 and sold into slavery as a child, taught young Bessie about the slave experience and "the old ways." With formative musical experiences of church, school, and social functions, she was steeped in song.

She was first married to John Davis' nephew. After her husband died in 1926, spent the rest of the decade following Hatchet's death on an itinerant circuit, harvesting cotton in South and East Georgia and working odd jobs across coastal Florida—from taking in laundry in the Keys to cooking in Miami to cultivating new ground on Marco Island. In the years before she would be born again into the Holiness Church, she gambled, sang the blues, and even made and sold moonshine.

She met second George Jones, who became her second husband in 1928. After spending several seasons following the crops up the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Bridgeport, Connecticut. After visiting the Davises on St. Simons, Hatchet's family took George in "just like he was Cassius," and he convinced his wife to settle on the island. Bessie was welcomed into the close-knit community of the Spiritual Singers Society. To this community, she added her massive repertoire to the songs and dances of the Singers. Lomax was able to document the Singers music for Atlantic Records' "Southern Folk Heritage Series" and Prestige International's "Southern Journey." Both credited the group rechristened as the Georgia Sea Island Singers. The present digital-only release, with sixty tracks, by the Alan Lomax Archive, is an expanded version of the two-CD set issued by Tompkins Square in 2013. It features nine previously unreleased tracks.

The 60 tracks available on this digital release cover a broad spectrum of traditional African-American from children's songs to work songs and spirituals. Performances rename from unaccompanied vocals, vocals with call and response, performances with fife and drum, and more. There is Jones' stirring rendition "John Henry," as well as Bessie leading the Georgia Sea Singers' fervent version of "Daniel in the Lion's Den." There is plenty of zeal for "O Mary Don't You Weep," with the men taking the lead, while Jones is the only vocalist, "This Train Is A Clean Train" with unidentified percussion. Ed Young's fife and Nat Rahmings' drum enliven the rendition lively spiritual "Beulah Land," with Hobart Smith on vocal and banjo.

"You Got to Reap Just What You Sow / Just A Little Talk With Jesus," feature McKinley Peeble's raspy preaching vocal and guitar along with Jones' supportive singing. Then there are selections from the August 1965 concert presented by the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park and billed as a celebration of Southern African American traditional music and its antebellum echoes. Along with the Georgia Sea Island Singers, it featured Ed Young and the Southern Fife and Drum Corps, Gary Davis, and the Georgia Sea Island Singers. They improvised collaborative performances on stage. These include a raucous revival rent exuberance of "Before This Time Another Year," and the high spirits of children's songs "There Was An Old Lady From Brewster," and "Little Johnny Brown."

This digital release provides only a sample of the variety and richness of the songs presented on this remarkable collection of the music Alan Lomax recorded of Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Singers. "Get In Union" is a treasure chest of traditional African-American music. It is available from Bandcamp at https://alanlomaxarchive.bandcamp.com/album/get-in-union.

I received a download to review from a publicist. Here John Davis and Bessie Jones sing "Beulah Land."

Cary Morin Cradle to the Grave

Cary Morin
Cradle to the Grave
Maple Street Music

Of Native American ancestry (he is a Crow Tribe member), singer-songwriter-guitarist Cary Morin in recent years was a member of The Pura Fé Trio before his present solo career. This is his fourth CD, and completes a three-album project of acoustic recordings by him. The press release accompanying this release states "On 'Cradle to the Grave', Cary Morin brings together the great musical traditions of America and beyond like no other artist. These recordings provide a timeline of his songwriting and guitar work spanning 2014 to 2017. The lyrics range from blues to folk and sometimes shine a light on his Native American Heritage and small town life in America. At times, the collection conveys the simplicity of a single chord to complex finger-style guitar."

While there is definitely blues roots to the performances here (eight originals and three interpretations), tone might view this recording as as much folk or Americana. This is a minor point because Morin is wonderful guitarist, who sings with warmth and conviction and writes some real good songs. His rendition of "Mississippi Blues," a Library of Congress recording by a Willie Brown (not the Willie Brown associated with Robert Johnson or Son House), is a marvelously rendered performance full of scintillating guitar runs although taken as an uptempo romp. The title track, a straight blues performance, reflects his own realization that life is fleeting and his accompaniment complements his gospel-like pleas. "Laid Back" opens with more startling finger-style playing (reminds me of some of the more gifted guitarists of the folk revival) with his peppery tempoed singing.

"Dawn's Early Light," was written in support of the efforts of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and he notes, "This song may be an oversimplification of the situation, but I have always felt that the honoring of a treaty, no matter when it was made, is not a complex idea. History has proved this not to be the case, but I hope this time it is." It is followed by the jaunty "Lay Baby Lay," an original, not a cover of the Dylan folk-ballad. "Mishawaka" is a superb folk ballad. "Back on the Train" is his take of a number by the jam-band Phish, with more superb guitar and then followed by a marvelous folk take on Prince's "Nothing Compares To U."

The closing "Watch Over Me," is a different take on the theme explored on the opening title track as he sings about making his way through this world as he asks for one to watch over him as he is only a child. It is a strong close to this album of consistently superb performances. Not having heard of Morin prior to this recording, this writer was thoroughly impressed by him and believe many others will as well by this first-rate CD.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371) with some minor revisions. Here Cary performs the title track.

 

Toby Walker's Music Get's Much Mileage

Long Island's Toby Walker is among the most gifted acoustic blues and roots performers around today who has just released his latest album "Mileage." The title comes from the miles of traveling Walker has taken over the decades of his career illustrated from the stickers on his guitar case pictured on the cover. There is a nice mix of finger picking blues, some Doc Watson styled flat-picking and a Muddy Waters' cover ("She Moves Me") where his steel slide playing evoked the Black Ace.

Things get started with a delightful original co-written with Tom Griffith, "Seven-Dy Wonder," a humorous reworking of having a woman every day of the week theme with superb Piedmont styled guitar followed by a slightly rebranding of a classic Blind Lemon Jefferson recording, "See My Grave Is Swept Clean." "Jimmy Brown The Newsboy," is one of several numbers that have him in an old-timey/bluegrass/Irish folk mode reminiscent of Doc Watson, which similar wonderful picking on "Daly's Reel/Stoney Lonesome" and "Temperance Reel." Mookie Wilson's "My Baby Owns A Whiskey Store" is a delightful blues romp about having a new baby who takes care of Toby's needs since "he don't have to buy no more," set against a brisk, propulsive accompaniment.

Toby says he "can hardly get through without cracking up," when he performs Tim Wallace's "You Don't Really Care," and listening to this one wonders how many takes it took to record this delightful performance. It is followed by a classic honky-tonk styled country number, "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke." A brisk "Shortnin' Bread" is followed by a solo, acoustic rendition of Tiny Powell's recording' "My Time After A While." The original 45 was covered for Chess by Buddy Guy who copied Johnny Heartsman's guitar playing on Powell's original. Walker sounds vocally a bit like John Hammond here.

Other pleasures include another Walker-Griffith collaboration, "Shakin' Her Bacon," with amusing, slightly naughty lyrics with his strutting accompaniment, a lively interpretation of Fats Waller's "Lulu's Back In Town, the melancholy ballad "Delia," and the hokum fun of "You're Gonna Look Like A Monkey When You Get Old," where Walker's slide playing sounds like he is in a Western Swing group. It is an exhilarating close to an album of diverse and varied material that is superbly performed. This marvelous recording can be purchased from Toby directly, http://www.littletobywalker.com/my-new-cd.html, as well as better retailers.

I received my copy directly from Toby. This review was written for Jazz & Blues Report which I do not believe has run it it and I apologize for not posting this review earlier. Here is Toby in live performance.

 

Harry Belafonte's Songs Of Life and Progress

Harry Belafonte’s Sing Your Song: The Music (Sony Masterworks) has been issued to accompany the acclaimed documentary Sing My Music (showing on HBO as I type this) on him as well as his published autobiography My Song: A Memoir By Harry Belafonte (Knopf). 17 performances include some of his more famous ones as he developed from a folk troubadour to legendary singer, actor, social activist and an icon. It is a remarkable life he has lived and the music here is part of proof of that statement.

This compilation opens with Mark Twain and includes Leadbelly’s loving ballad Sylvie backed by just a guitar (and in the case of the latter number a vocal chorus). On both the warmth of Belafonte’s singing is evident. I was not familiar with his rendition of Lord Melody’s Mama Look a Boo Boo, but it was one of his earliest recordings of Calypso which he helped popularize and others (written with his collaborator Lord Burgess) include the brassy Cocoanut Woman, and Banana Boat Song (Day-0). The latter number helped make his album Calypso 1956 the first album to exceed 1 million copies sold. Mixed in with lovely ballads such as Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair), it helps explain his great popularity (and of course his looks did not hurt that).

He starred in the movie Island In The Sun, and with Lord Burgess contributed the marvelous title song with a marvelous orchestra. There is also a lively rendition of the folk round, Jump Down Spin Around, while his rendition of King Radio’s calypso Man Smart (Woman Smarter) was covered by the Grateful Dead and The Carpenters among others. “Jamaica Farewell” is another familiar Belafonte classic as he sings about leaving his little girl in KIngston Town. Belafonte’s regular accompanist at the time, Millard Thomas, has lovely acoustic guitar breaks on this, and followed by Mathilda, another of his celebrated recordings.

His musical horizons would expand to incorporate African sounds as on a lovely vocal duet with Miriam Makeba, My Angel (Malaika), initially set against a soft guitar and percussion backing. Jump In the Line is a brassy song for the Trinidad Carnival that will be familiar from those who have seen the movie Beetlejuice (several other of these songs were also in that movie’s soundtrack). A duet with Odetta A Hole in the Bucket, from a 1959 television special still is highly amusing over fifty years later. Turn the World Around with its afro-beat rhythm was recorded in the US but never issued in the US although Belafonte did perform this with The Muppets and some will know it from that. Can't Cross Over (River Come Down), comes from that same 1977 session.

Obviously this compilation only scratches the surface of Belafonte’s remarkable recording career. There are two subsequent studio albums and several concert recordings that post-date the music on this. Still, Sing Your Song: The Music stands up as a terrific selection of Harry Belafonte’s music which includes notes on all the songs and is highly recommended.

A publicist sent me a review copy.

Ben Prestage's Lively Blues and Folk Roots!

Ben Prestage comes from a family rooted in music. His great-grandmother toured with Al Jolson and in tent shows, while growing up he was exposed to the blues. He has busked in Memphis, honed his skills as a one-man band and been a finalist in the International Blues Challenge. He has a self-produced two-cd recording, Live at Pineapple Willy’s, which is in Panama City, Florida, that showcases his one-man band style, adding a small drum kit to his facile guitar.

Listening to his repertoire, one can appreciate the diversity of his repertoire that ranges from originals that are folk-styled, some acoustic rambles that are suggestive of the Grateful Dead and covers of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, John Hurt, Furry Lewis, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters and others. Prestage is capable of a hard driving rhythmic, finger-picking style as on the impressive folk original Confusion, although on his rendition of Step It Up and Go, he does race through the song too rapidly. John Hurt’s Candyman, is a lovely rendition followed up by a nice rendition of Furry Lewis’ Casey Jones, titled here Natural-Born Easeman.

His take on John Estes Someday Baby, has some nice slide guitar in the manner of Fred McDowell punctuated by his own foot drumming, while Stuggart, Arkansas, has a driving rhythm suggestive of Bukka White and Memphis, the last song on the first CD is a nice North Mississippi Hills styled performance, with another performance in this vein being his rendition of Goin’ Down South.

The Dead’s Friend of the Devil, is a nicely done number that showcases his adept fingerstyle guitar playing. another showcase for his playing is the folk instrumental Alleghany County, followed by a country gospel number (sounds like a classic Roy Acuff song), Lost Highway. Its quirky to hear his twangy guitar revive The Meters’ They All Asked For You, titled here, Audubon Blues. He does a nice take on Muddy Waters’ Can’t Be Satisfied, which shows his restrained slide being very effective.

I would not call him a great blues singer, but he does a credible job on the material here. Perhaps, he is moslty effective on the folk and country numbers and he is a fine guitarist. Even if a few numbers are clinkers, there is much to be enjoyed on this. His website is http://www.benprestagemusic.com, and there is a link to this and other CDs there.

This review originally appeared in the October15 - December 1, 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 321) and I believe I received my review copy from the publication.

The Resurrection of the Man in Black Chronicled

The Resurrection of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption and American Recordings
by Graeme Thomson
2011 - London:Jawbone Press (254 pages)

While not a full biography, Graeme Thomson’s “The Resurrection of Johnny Cash” is a remarkably thorough examination of the revival of Johnny Cash’s musical and career fortunes in the last years of his life. Cash of course emerged with Sun Records in the mid-fifties and then had a lengthy career on Columbia Records which included some major recordings, both thematic albums and “Live at Folsom Prison.” The Man in Black also had a weekly television show where he had an intriguing mix of performers from Louis Armstrong to Bob Dylan.

But as the 1980s came, and shifting personnel at Columbia as well as shifting musical trends and tastes, Cash found himself without a record contract as sales on his recordings dropped to the tens of thousands, well below what was required by the bean counters that were running the major labels. And as a concert act, he was increasingly a country oldies act, playing to older crowds that might flock to the Cash Theater in Branson, Missouri, or county and state fairs. And lets not talk about country radio, to which a new Cash release was no longer a must play. At the same time, Cash was having other personal battles including health issues and ongoing battles with addiction and a career that seemed directionless.

Thomson traces how the what superficially would seem to be the odd linkage between Cash and Rick Rubin, the head of Def Jam and Def American Records and known as the producer of hip hop and metal records. But it was a partnership that enabled Cash to return to prominence with nothing more simple than having him sing some songs accompanied solely by his own guitar. This simple idea recognized that Cash’s strength was his personality as a performer, undiluted by lavish accompaniments and production. This was evident with his Sun Records and the best of his Columbia recordings. His music had an integrity that resonated with listeners that transcended fans of country music that had been diluted. Many high moments and who can ever forget, having seen, the video for “Hurt.”

Interviews with countless interviews including Rosanne Cash, Nick Lowe, Rodney Crowell, Will Oldham, ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement, Adam Clayton of U2, Bruce Lundvall and others helps Thomson put together the story, taking us from the depths, to a show at the Viper Room in Hollywood, shortly after completing the “American Recordings,” and to an unforgettable set in Glastonbury in 1994. The recordings with what seemed as the time, unusual choices of material, are detailed as well as his health struggles that he fought through the final recordings with Rubin which includes a discussion of the production of Cash’s posthumous recordings and how they were compiled.

Thomson is to be thanked for this terrific chronicle of Johnny Cash’s last years. It is an excellent biography that is thoroughly researched, well written, handsomely published and certainly appeal to fans of Cash as well as contemporary popular music.

I received a review copy from a publicist.