Topic: African American Blues & White String Band Cross Fertilization

[EyesNotChops]

Hi, I'm new to this site so perhaps I'm posting this to the wrong forum:

There is an essay by (probably) John Cohen or (perhaps) Mike Seeger on the cross fertilization of African American blues and white string band (I think) music.  I'm sorry to be so vague but it's been a long time ago that I read it.  Anyhow, if anyone knows the source it would really be helpful to me.

(Not) BTW:  I can't believe this website.  As a would-be country blues singer and guitarist who's in the middle of the Mojave desert in a small town, this is like a lifeline to me.  What a revelation!!!

Thanks--and yes, I did send a contribution.

[frankie]

Hi EyesNotChops - welcome to weenie...  I can't help you with that essay, but it also sounds like the kind of thing that Tony Russell might write.  Right in his kitchen!

[EyesNotChops]

I posted this, mistakenly, to another forum and if you've already read this, my apologies but I think it's more appropriate here and may get more responses:

Hi, I'm new to this site so perhaps I'm posting this to the wrong forum:

There is an essay by (probably) John Cohen or (perhaps) Mike Seeger on the cross fertilization of African American blues and white string band (I think) music.  I'm sorry to be so vague but it's been a long time ago that I read it.  Anyhow, if anyone knows the source it would really be helpful to me.

(Not) BTW:  I can't believe this website.  As a would-be country blues singer and guitarist who's in the middle of the Mojave desert in a small town, this is like a lifeline to me.  What a revelation!!!

Thanks--and yes, I did send a contribution.

[uncle bud]

Yes, sounds much like the ground Tony Russell covers in Blacks, Whites and Blues. Which is definitely recommended reading.

BTW, I merged topics and moved. EyesNotChops, if you post to the wrong board, you could request that one of the moderators move it. ANd welcome to Weeniecampbell!

[EyesNotChops]

Uncle, thanks for moving this.  Uncle and Frankie:  I wasn't familiar with Russell's book but googled it and it looks as if it covers much of the same ground.  However, I was looking for an essay that I had read, that I would like to distribute to our "blueshounds" group.

Thanks again, guys.

[uncle bud]

Yeah, I mentioned Russell's book in part because it fit the subject matter but also because it's really quite short by book-length standards, so could qualify as an essay in some ways (albeit a long one).

No sign of an essay that fits the bill on Cohen's website. http://www.johncohenworks.com/about/vitae.html

[uncle bud]

Essay of possible interest by the late Charles Wolfe:

http://nativeground.com/rural-black-string-band-music-charles-wolfe/

[EyesNotChops]

Thank you Uncle.