Reviews of books that have held my interest. And things that happen along the way.
I have made it simpler to leave a comment. Just hit the comment selection and choose anonymous at the bottom- Or at my yahoo;
robertrswwilliams@yahoo.com
And let's not forget my friends at the Public Libraries!Most of my selections come from the Libraries listed on my sidebar. They are a great resource and a wonderful use of our tax dollars.
Have you hugged a Librarian today?
This is the story of Reverend Gary Davis, the blind preacher who gave up blues and jazz to play gospel music on the streets of New York City. He lived in Jamaica,
Queens in the 1960’s when I was growing up. Along with Moondog; the Viking poet of 6th Avenue; he was an iconic figure in the life of the city.This is the story of how he came to
be there and his influences upon modern folk music and even bluegrass.
If you
are a Jorma Kaukonen fan then you are already familiar with Reverend Davis’
work; though you might not even know it. His guitar style was completely his own and his delivery of contemporary classics such as "Hesitation Blues" is a spontaneous romp. While the rest of the country was "discovering" many of the old Delta Blues players like Sun House and John Hurt, Reverend Davis was championing the old time gospel music of his youth.
Instead of the usual review of the book by me, here’s Reverend Davis; let him tell you
the story in his own way.
This is one of the most beautiful performances of this song
you will ever hear. Gospel music is a balm for the pain in life. It gives hope
when all seems to be lost. The sorrow turns to hope and joy when set to music. In the world of gospel music, there is Aaron
Neville, and then everyone else. The only one, in my opinion, who even comes close,
is Solomon Burke. You Tube him sometime and treat yourself to an incredible
wealth of music from his 6 decades of recording.
In this beautiful spiritual; written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings; Solomon Burke teams with the writers to
deliver a beautiful performance of a haunting song, while all the while holding
out hope that he will overcome his troubles. There is another gospel song by the same name as this one, written by Antoine "Fats" Domino and Dave Bartholomew. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly as well as Solomon Burke. But this is the one that really hits "home" for me.
Lamenting that people “stand in line- just to hear me cry”
underscores the sorrow which the singer feels deeply, yet the audiences hunger
to see his suffering lifts him up spiritually. He will not go to the valley.
Instead, he sings his way through the pain, all the while praying for the
deliverance of those who would rather see him suffer, if only to assuage their
own pain.
The intersection of Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch gives
further credence to our ability to overcome our superficial differences when we
concentrate on our mutual emotions and needs. And music is such a great place
to begin that journey.
Note: real life partners Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been quietly influencing American independent music for several decades now. Her singing and writing, along with his deep love of playing guitar, combine together in such a way so as to communicate their love for one another to the audience without ever saying a word to one another. They are among my favorite musical artists.
Valley of Tears” by Gillian Welch and
David Rawlings
I've been riding high, but i don't know why
everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.
It's a sunny day and i'm on my way
but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of
tears.
People stand in line just to hear me cry.
I wanna know the other side
but everyone i choose only brings bad news.
Everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.
People stand in line just to hear me cry.
I wanna know what's on the other side.
I've been riding high, but i don't know why
cause everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.
It's a sunny bright day and i'm on my way
but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of
tears.
This song was originally recorded by Arthur Collins sometime
in the early 1900’s. I've seen it listed as 1905, which puts it in the category
of a waxed cylinder. It was recorded 2 more times by Claude Hopkins in 1935 and
then the Golden Gate Quartet in 1937. It
didn't do much after that for about 12 years until Phil Harris recorded it in
the 1947, the same year as the Jubalaires recorded theirs. (I’ll wager that
their recording preceded Mr. Harris’.)
It was the Jubalaires who really immortalized the song. That’s
the group you see singing it here. This film is from shortly after the records
release. It was later covered by artists such as the Big Bopper in 1958, and
then many more, including; The New Christy Minstrels in 1962; Jerry Reed in 1971;
Jim Kweskin in 1979; David Holt in 1986; and also the Robert Decormier Singers in
1996. I’m sure there are many others, but these seem to be the most well-known
versions.
The Jubalaires were a gospel oriented group from Florida
originally comprised of Orville Brooks, Ted Brooks, Caleb Ginyard and George
McFadden. At times the group included J.C. "Junior" Caleb Ginyard and
even Willie Johnson. There have been many incarnations of the group over the
decades since these men performed, all calling themselves some sort of derivative
of the Jubalaires name. There are the Fairfax Jubalaires, the Sunset Jubalaires
and etc. They all perform reasonably well, in the same style as the original
Jubalaires, which is reminiscent of the Mills Brothers, with their tight
harmonies sounding almost as one voice with different layers.
The group originally recorded under the name of The Royal
Harmony Singers, beginning in 1936. In 1941 they relocated to Philadelphia. At
that time the group was composed of Brooks as baritone; Willie Wright as tenor;
Elijah Wright as bass; (he was soon replaced by Biggie McFadden); and the
talented Billie Lee Johnson joined as guitarist in 1946. There had been quite a
few others on guitar before him, but his style complimented the groups vocals
in a way no other guitarist had done before.
The groups greatest success came in 1942 with their hit
recording of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” which reached #10 on the
R&B charts for the week of November 14, 1942.
By 1946 the group was appearing on shows such as Arthur
Godfrey’s radio program on CBS. A short time after that Willie Johnson left the
Golden Gate Quartet to become leader of the Jubalaires. They recorded on Decca,
King and even Capital Records.
For a more lengthy history of this group please use the following
link;
Note: You will have to scroll about halfway down the page
before you see the Jubalaires, but it’s worth the trip as the article is much
more detailed than my own.
The song itself is about a Preacher who goes hunting on the
Sabbath, knowing that it’s wrong. He encounters a bear larger than he can
handle and finds himself supplicating the Lord to help him in his time of need,
all the while knowing he has left his own flock to fend for themselves.
THE PREACHER
AND THE BEAR
(Traditional / Joe Arzonia)
The preacher went out a huntin’, it was on one Sunday
morn’
It was against his religion, but he took a shotgun along
He got himself a mess o’ mighty fine quail and one old
scraggly hare
And on the way home he crossed the path of a great big
grizzly bear
Well the bear got down lookin’ ready to charge
The preacher never seen nothin’ quite that large
They looked each other right smack in the eye
Didn’t take that preacher long to say bye
The preacher, he run till he spotted a tree
He said, "Up in that tree’s where I oughta be"
By the time that bear made a grab for him
The preacher was a sittin’ on top a that limb
Scared to death, he turned about
He looked to the sky and began to shout
"Hey lord, you delivered Daniel from the bottom of
the lion’s den
You delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale and then
The Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
So the good books do declare
Hey lord, if you can’t help me,
For goodness sake don’t help that bear"
Yea, look out preacher!
Well, about that time the limb broke off
And the preacher came tumblin’ down
Had a straight razor out of his pocket
By the time he lit on the ground
He landed on his feet right in front of that bear
And Lord, what an awful fight
The preacher and the bear and the razor and the hair
Flyin’ from left to right
Well first they was up and then they was down
The preacher and the bear runnin’ round an’ round
The bear he roared, and the the preacher he groaned
He was havin’ a tough time holdin’ his own!
He said, "Lord if I get out a here alive
To the good book I’ll abide
No more huntin’ on the Sabbath day
Come Sunday I’m headin’ to the church to pray"
Up to the heavens the preacher glanced
He said, "Lord won’t you give me just one more
chance"
So the preacher got away, he looked around
Seen a tree where he’d be safe and sound
Jumped on a limb, turned about
Looked to the sky and began to shout
"Hey lord, you delivered Daniel from the bottom of
the lion’s den
You delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale and then
This is an outstanding live version of Little Richard
performing “Long Tall Sally” on an American TV show from 1956. It’s pure raw
rock and roll as only Little Richard could deliver it. Within about 7 more
years the Beatles would intersect with Mr. Penniman and he would teach Paul
McCartney how to sing this song at the Royal Variety Show for Queen Elizabeth.
Just prior to the show the Fab Four met with Little Richard who showed McCartney how to “ball up some saliva at the back of your throat” and just let it rip! McCartney took the advice and “Ripped It Up” that night and even a few weeks later on Swedish television when he gave the best performance of this song by the Beatles. Just watch Ringo beat the hell out of those drums, and then catch the expression on the face of the emcee as he tries to cope with something he has never experienced before. Beatlemania was about to go worldwide.
This is for the person, or persons, responsible for the carnage in Boston last week. Johnny Cash, who was an anti-war activist during Vietnam, expresses his outrage here over those who work so hard to make our existence in this life a hell on earth. Sometimes, a little fire and brimstone is appropriate.
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee
talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down.
Jerry Lee Lewis grew up in a religious atmosphere. His two cousins; the legendary Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart, also made their fortunes entertaining people using the gospel; Mickey as a performer, and Jimmy as a preacher; entertaining people in his own unique way. But Jerry Lee took a slightly different
path, and wound up entertaining people by playing rock and roll, with gospel
music, also making a fortune in the bargain. See the difference? Neither do I.
This recording of the iconic country ballad “Life Is Like a
Mountain Railroad” was evidently inspired by Mr. Lewis knowing the song; which
was written in 1890; coupled with his having just recently seen the TV movie “Mr.
Horn”, with David Carradine and Richard Widmark. That film was made for TV and
later remade into the feature film “Tom Horn” with Steve McQueen. It’s the
story of an overly idealistic frontiersman, cavalry scout and bounty hunter who
takes things too far, and is hung for his excesses in 1903.
The book was originally written as a novel by William
Goldman and found its way to television in the late 1970’s. Apparently, Mr. Lewis
had seen the film and remembered the old gospel song from his youth. The song
was written by a Baptist Minister named M.E. Abbey as a hymn, with the only
written part being the chorus. The other lyrics were added later by Eliza R.
Snow. Curiously the song was copyrighted in 1890 by Abbey and Tillman, with no
mention of Ms. Snow’s contribution. The song has been a staple in country music
for almost a century now, with recordings by just about everybody from the
Carter Family to Linda Ronstadt.
The message in the song is pretty clear; life is like a
mountain railway, with cliffs on one side and a steep wall of rock on the
other. That’s the path of the “straight and narrow”. No room for error. The
engineer is all of us, who must work hard at keeping the train on the track
against the overwhelming obstacles which life constantly heaps in our path. And
of course, there is always someone who watches over us, lending an unseen hand
when the going gets too rough for us to handle.
In the film “O Brother Where Art Thou” with George Clooney
there is a band called the Soggy Bottom Boys. They perform the perfect version
of the song “Man of Constant Sorrow” which was recorded by a partially blind
fiddle player from Kentucky named Dick Burnett sometime in the 1940’s. Decades later
the song became the mega hit we all know today.
The song “Man of Constant Sorrow”/ “I Am a Man of Constant
Sorrow” was written in 1913 by Dick Burnett, who claimed to have gotten the
idea for the tune from a fellow musician. Originally titled “Farewell Song”, it
was included in the 1913 publication of Mr. Burnett’s songs. It was recorded as
early as 1928 by Emry Arthur. Many folk musicians have laid down their own
version of the song over the years, but the Soggy Bottom Boys version from the
film will undoubtedly go down as the best version ever recorded, or performed.
The musicians in the movie are comprised of Dan Tyminski and
several others associated with Allison Kraus and Union Station. But once upon a
time there was a band called the Foggy Mountain Boys, which; as you
might notice; is the complete opposite of the name of the band in the movie.
The Foggy Mountain Boys were together as a band from 1948-1970. That’s quite a
run.
Seen here on a local TV broadcast from the 1950’s are the
real Foggy Mountain Boys, composed of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Paul Warren
on fiddle, the great Josh Graves on dobro, with cousin Jake doing the lead singing.
They only ever had a single #1 hit record; which was the “Ballad of Jed
Clampett” for the TV series “The Beverly Hillbillies” in 1962. They also wrote
and performed the theme song with Waylon Jennings “I’m a Good Ol’ Boy” for the
TV series “Dukes of Hazard” in the 1980’s.
Sunday Television in rural America is something many of us
from the big cities missed out on. The shows were not as sopshicated as the
variety shows coming out of New York and Los Angeles, but; just as with last
week’s Sunday post; they offer a very realistic look at what American’s found
entertaining during the decade preceding the Second World War. We were fat and
happy; and as a nation we knew no real rival.
These old TV shows are a real treat to watch. They tell us
so much about who we are today. Perhaps, somewhere in these old shows, there is
a hint of what began the great American decline which we are currently
experiencing. But, all of that aside, they are also great entertainment from an
era long gone.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of Gillian Welch and
David Rawlings. The two partners; in life as well as music; have given me more
joy through their music than you can imagine. Their music is pure Americana,
drawing on the roots of gospel, rhythm and blues, folk and a touch of bluegrass
thrown in for good measure. They are the archetypical troubadours of their
time.
In this song from 2009, Ruby’s lover laments that he has
been unable to climb her golden stairs, which lead to the paradise he feels
could be theirs if only she would let him in. But he also realizes that she is
surrounded by her luxuries; indeed she is trapped by them, inside a tower that
hasn’t got a door. So, not only can’t she get out, he can’t get in, unless she “lets
down her golden hair.”
He compares himself to an old time telegraph man, with a
single purpose in mind; to repair that which is broken. Sadly, he realizes that
certain things; once broken; can never be fixed. A beautiful, haunting song,
this one makes you marvel at what can be done with 4 simple chords. This performance is from an NPR “Tiny Desk” concert which
aired on February 5th, 2010. The song was written by Ms. Welch.
It’s not too often that I write about the same artist, or
any subject, two days in a row. But while looking at videos of Tennessee Ernie
Ford for yesterday’s post reviewing “River of No Return” by Jeffrey Buckner
Ford, I ran across this video of Odetta performing on the Tennessee Ernie Ford
Show sometime in the 1950’s. It’s so good that I did not want it to get “lost”
in the review. So, I decided to wait and post it separately, which also gives
me a kind of day off.
Tennessee Ernie Ford was pigeon holed as a performer, and is
remembered largely for his pea-picking songs, and of course “16 Tons.” But the
man literally knew no bounds, and was equally comfortable in all genres, from
jazz, blues and pop, to classical music. In 1960 he even did a half hour
version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Mikado” on TV, giving me my first taste of “musicals.”
In this film from his show, Mr. Ford sits down with the
legendary Odetta, and together they perform Merle Travis’ “Nine Pound Hammer”,
and Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty”. Early television was filled with
moments of uncertainty, error, and sometimes pure brilliance. This performance
was one of the latter.
Today would have been Elvis Presley's 77th birthday. This clip is from the so-called Elvis "Comeback" special, which aired in December 1968. The show featured Elvis "in the round", as shown here, as well as in production numbers featuring Ann-Margret and a slew of dancers. But the best part of the show was the entire half hour spent "in the round", as above, with Elvis doing what he did best, singing and clowning around.
These were the days before he got the cape. All of the guys around him were with him from the very beginning, and he is completely relaxed and comfortable in his performance. If you have never seen this show before, you are cheating yourself. This is real gospel infused, rhythm and blues just as it was done in Sun Studios in the 1950's. This was the last time Elvis would appear as just plain Elvis.
