Topic: Alan Lomax's Massive Archive Goes Online!

[uncle bud]

Further to the info on the John Dudley thread, these are the Lomax Southern Journey recordings released so far. The Cultural Equity website (http://www.culturalequity.org/features/globaljukebox/SouthernJourney/ce_features_SouthernJourney.php) says the following:

Compiled and annotated by Nathan Salsburg, the albums feature remastered audio from transfers of the original tapes, and include considerable previously unreleased material and extensive booklets of photos and notes.

Wave The Ocean, Wave The Sea (Catalog ID: GJ1001 / UPC: 847108063731), released on December 14, 2010, features recordings of Fred McDowell, Forrest City Joe and His Three Aces, Young Brothers' Mississippi Hill Country fife and drum ensemble, work songs and field hollers from Mississippi's Parchman Farm, the Silver Leaf Quartet from Virginia's Eastern Shores, Blue Ridge musical siblings Texas Gladden and Hobart Smith, Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers, the 1959 United Sacred Harp Convention, and WEUP Huntsville's Daddy Cool.

Worried Now, Won't Be Worried Long (Catalog ID: GJ1002 / UPC: 847108077318), released on December 21, 2010, collects recordings of Blue Ridge fiddler Norman Edmonds; blueswoman Rosalie Hill performing on Fred McDowell's porch; electric gospel from Ishman Williams and the William Singers; the United Sacred Harp Convention in Fyffe, Alabama; fife and drum music of the Mississippi Hill Country; the Bright Light Quartet, a group of menhaden fishermen of the Eastern Shores of Virginia; and Almeda "Granny" Riddle, the great balladress of the Ozarks.

I'll Meet You On That Other Shore (Catalog ID: GJ1003 / UPC: 847108057211), released on December 28, 2010, presents recordings of John Davis and the Georgia Sea Island Singers; Tidewater Virginia's Union Choir of the Church of God and Saints of Christ; Old Regular Baptist lining hymns from Eastern Kentucky; Ozark balladeer Neal Morris; work songs from Parchman Farm (the Mississippi State Penitentiary); octogenarian Charles Barnett on vocal and washtub; fiddler Carlos "Bookmiller" Shannon's rendition of "The Eighth of January"; Hobart Smith's performance of "Railroad Bill" - a formative influence on the 1960s Folk Revival; and one of the debut recordings of bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell.

I'll Be So Glad When The Sun Goes Down (Catalog ID: GJ1004 / UPC: 847108076212), released on January 18, 2011, collects recordings of Blue Ridge banjo legend Wade Ward alongside eighty-one-year old fiddler Charlie Higgins; Mississippi Hill Country church singers James Shorter and Viola James; early bluegrass from Hillsville, Virginia's Mountain Ramblers; John Dudley's blues from the Parchman Farm dairy camp; shape-note singing from the United Sacred Harp Convention; St. Simons' Georgia Sea Island Singers; and one of the debut recordings of bluesman Fred McDowell.

I'm Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die (Catalog ID: GJ1005 / UPC: 847108024497), released on January 25, 2011, features Bluebird hillbilly recording artists J.E. Mainer and his Mountaineers; menhaden fishermen chanties of the Bright Light Quartet; Blue Ridge country gospel composer and bus driver E.C. Ball; Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers; Pentecostal Holiness congregational singing from Memphis; the Mississippi Hill Country dance music of the Pratcher brothers; and one of the debut recordings of bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell.

The "Southern Journey" series is also available on LP through Mississippi Records.

[Cleoma]

These are really worth having, and Nathan Salsburg did a terrific job of programming.  Nearly every single cut on the set is wonderful (some of the hillbilly stuff isn't so strong, but some -- like the Almeda Riddle and Tex Gladden unaccompanied stuff -- is fantastic).  The early Fred McDowell (I think his first recordings ever) and the Jessie Mae Hemphill (recorded under the name Rosalie Hill) are amazing.  There's a ton of great stuff -- highly recommended!

[oddenda]

I'm pretty sure that Rosalie/Rosa Lee Hill is not Jesse Mae Hemphill. I think that George Mitchell also recorded her; may have been Jesse mae's mother or auntie.

pbl

[alyoung]

I'm pretty sure that Rosalie/Rosa Lee Hill is not Jesse Mae Hemphill. I think that George Mitchell also recorded her; may have been Jesse mae's mother or auntie.

pbl

Aunt. Rosa Lee Hill was a daughter of Sid Hemphill, who was Jessie Mae's grandfather (and a big influence on her).  George Mitchell did indeed record Rosa Lee Hill.

Al Y

[lindy]

Many of us have been aware for a while of this digitalization of Lomax's collection, but I haven't visited the site for many months. It looks like a lot has been added during that time.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/arts/music/the-alan-lomax-collection-from-the-american-folklife-center.html?hp

Lindy

Modified to add:

Curiously, the article doesn't seem to have a link to the Global Jukebox website. He it is:

http://www.culturalequity.org/features/globaljukebox/ce_features_globaljukebox.php

[westside ryan]

Alan Lomax's Massive Archive Goes Online!
There are over 17,000 recordings now available!

Here are the listings under "blues":

http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=343&idType=genreId&sortBy=abc

Here are the listings under "banjo tune":

http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=347&idType=genreId&sortBy=abc

Here's what's listed under "fiddle tune":

http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=304&idType=genreId&sortBy=abc

There's also quite a few videos as well. I've been enjoying what they've been putting up on youtube over the past few years.

http://www.culturalequity.org/rc/videos/video-guide_ap.php

Here's the story from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/03/28/148915022/alan-lomaxs-massive-archive-goes-online

[Norfolk Slim]

Now THAT is what the internet is for.

Wow.

Only skimmed the first page and already found something completely obscure that I just have to figure out and learn.

Fantastic.

[FlyFast]

That's amazing!  I could spend many days exploring all of that and I probably will.

[uncle bud]

We had 5 or 6 topics on this dating back to 2005 I believe, so I've merged everything. More on Lomax for folks if you click the Alan Lomax tag below.

Worth noting as well that some of those searches/tags at the Cultural Equity site are limited in results and don't pick up a lot of material. The banjo tune list misses all the Wade Ward, just for starters. I have found it is good to browse by collection/session. Lots of treasures.

[westside ryan]

@Uncle Bud: Thanks for pointing out the issues with the limited tags! I am off to find some Wade Ward right now!