Alan lomax blues books

A huge treasure trove of songs and interviews recorded by the legendary folklorist alan lomax from the 1940s into the 1990s have been digitized and made available online for free listening. This twodisc collection selects some of the best of these into a single package and the result is a wonderful and indispensable journey through the blues, beginning with the. Lomax of the archive of american folk song at the library of congress, alan lomax traveled the south from the brazos. Jelly roll morton had ben one of the leading musicians of the 1920s but the depression had had a major effect on mortons fortunes. Alan lomax is an ethnomusicologist, record producer, and network radio hostwriter. Weaving together the tales of muleskinners and roustabouts, church matrons and convicts, children and blind street singers, lomax gives us the rich, sorrowridden background of the blues. The bluesmen were the bards of americas last frontier, the rowdy mississippi delta, in the days of the cotton boom, of levee and railroad building. The association for cultural equity, a nonprofit organization founded by lomax in the 1980s, has posted some 17,000 recordings.

The list starts with general books of the blues essential reading, followed by blues artists in alphabetical order, interjected with blues books on particular themes. Alan lomax takes us on an adventure into the bad old days of the delta. For the first time, cultural equity executive director don fleming told npr. Alan lomax author of the land where the blues began. Jul 19, 2002 find alan lomax discography, albums and singles on allmusic. Charles kuralt interviews alan lomax, part 1 of 4 1991 duration. Blues in the mississippi night is the closest we have to hearing the reflection of some artists that lived just after the reconstruction era in america late 1800s to 1920 or so. Alan lomaxs wellknown skills as a folklorist were complemented by his ability to convey his findings with the kind of evocative prose that makes the land where the blues began such a fascinating read. Lomax later became responsible for introducing radio audiences to a number of folk and blues artists, including woody guthrie and burl ives. The alan lomax collection joins the material alan lomax collected during the 1930s and early 1940s for the librarys archive of american folksong, and its acquisition brings the entire seventy years of alan lomaxs work together under one roof at the library of congress, where it has found a permanent home. It takes the three blues men awhile before they give lomax some guarded trust and talk some. The land where the blues began, by alan lomax blues foundation. Lomax, carried on in the tradition of his father as an american folklorist and musicologist. Lomax relates the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his ventures to mississippi and arkansas and memphis.

Lo max produced recordings, concerts, and radio shows in the us and in. Lomax, alan, the land where the blues began, pantheon books, 1993. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first edition. Alan lomaxs most popular book is the land where the blues began. His music career was dormant at the time and he was working as the manager of a small. What he recorded back then was simply called music. He and alan were in greenville, mississippi, where they were to make some public.

I believe this is one of the most important books ever written about music, in my all time top ten. Works by alan lomax association for cultural equity. There are many fine books on the blues, so i thought i would share with you my recommendations. Most of the other blues songs collected by lomax were also from prisoners, including bukka white at mississippi state penitentiary at parchman. American folklorist and musicologist, born 31 january 1915, austin, texas, usa and died 19 july 2002, safety harbor, florida, usa. Alan lomax january 15th, 1915 july 19th, 2002, son of john a. Alan lomax collection the american folklife center, library. Alan lomax books list of books by author alan lomax. The lomax recordings are an inspiration to fine folks like chris s. Lomax also built on the interest created by his books, records, and. Alan lomax was the man who made that particular moment possible when, in 1948, he persuaded the parchman authorities to allow him to lug a cumbersome tape recorder to. Many of the songs were recorded on location by noted folklorist john a. Winner of a 1993 national book critics circle award, a rollicking memoir of the legendary folklorists journey into. A selfdescribed songhunter, alan lomax traveled the mississippi delta in the 1930s and 40s, at first with his father john lomax, later in the company sometimes of black folklorists like john w.

The man who recorded the world, john szwed, a biographer of miles davis and sun ra, covers the life of a tireless music folklorist and anthologist. Broonzy, william lee conley big billblues youre gonna be sorry t899r06. An anthology of song games from the eastern caribbean. His work includes the prizewinning 1990 pbs television series american patchwork and the multimedia interactive database called the the global jukebox, which he produced as an anthropologist for columbia university and hunter college. This book tells the tale, and is a fine companion to the cd. He recorded the source of the most original, american form of music. The land where the blues began is one of five films made from footage that alan lomax shot between 1978 and 1985 for the pbs american patchwork series 1991.

Alan lomax was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings. Charles kuralt interviews alan lomax, part 1 of 4 1991. Alan lomax biography the american folklife center library. I have read many books about how the humble blues men shaped the music and invented rock and this one is excellent. The land where the blues began by lomax, alan 1993. Jan 07, 2011 alan lomax was the man who made that particular moment possible when, in 1948, he persuaded the parchman authorities to allow him to lug a cumbersome tape recorder to the place where the inmates. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, paperback. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first edition abebooks.

Books by alan lomax author of the land where the blues began. The earliest recordings were made by john and alan lomax in harlan county in. Lomax was born in austin, texas, the son of john lomax, himself a musicologist who had. Alan went on to document the music of the region, including muddy waters historic 19411942 field recordings at stovalls plantation on the banks of. Among them are such timehonored favorites as john henry, goin home. The tietamping and woodcutting chants, field hollers, and the occasional blues recorded by alan lomax on paperbacked tape at mississippis parchman penitentiary in 1947 and 1948 remain among the most vivid documents of this genre of african american song. For the writer credits please be careful to choose the correct one. Between 1951 and 1958, he traveled throughout europe, recording hundreds of folk songs in england, scotland, italy, and spain. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and filmma ker.

The filmwork of alan lomax is a resource for students, researchers, filmmakers, and fans of americas traditional music and folkways. Most of what is known today about many of the greatest early delta bluesman is due to the efforts of folklorists john, and his son, alan lomax, supported by robert gordon, samuel charters, harry oster and lawrence gellert, who worked for the archive of american folk song at the library of congress. Collected and edited the contents of the world library of folk and primitive music, southern journey, and the folk songs of britain. When you click to this page, see the navigation on the right. January 31, 1915 july 19, 2002 was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century.

The land where the blues began, by alan lomax blues. Revered by all musicloving peoples as the patron saint of folk preservation, alan lomax wandered around early americas prison camps, honkytonks and bordellos with recording equipment in an ongoing mission to document the deeprooted music of the southlands everyday layman. Ballads, blues and bluegrass, an alan lomax documentary released in 2012. Alan lomax is the author of the land where the blues began 4. Lomax gathered fieldrecorded examples of africanamerican song forms, most of which ended up in the expansive library of congress american folk music collection. The land where the blues began by alan lomax in the 1930s, library of congress archivist and blues aficionado alan lomax visited the mississippi delta with his folklorist father, john lomax. In this busy biography, columbia music professor szwed so what. Alan lomax was with his father when he discovered legendary blues singer and guitarist huddie ledbetter, better known as leadbelly, at angola prison in texas.

The land where the blues began alan lomax new york. The life of miles davis recounts lomaxs six decades of field trips seeking out and recording folk music untainted by commercial jazz and pop influences, especially in the american south, where he discovered blues luminaries muddy waters and lead belly. Crisscrossing the towns and hamlets where the blues began, lomax gave voice to such greats as leadbelly, fred macdowell, muddy waters, and many others, all of whom made their. Blues songbook alan lomax on allmusic 2003 from 19331985, alan lomax along with his. Ledbetter, who was serving time for murder, had always claimed he killed in selfdefense, and the lomaxes championed his cause. Lomax wrote or compiled several more books, including adventures of a ballad hunter and several coauthored with alan. The land where the blues began by lomax, alan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Alan lomax has 29 books on goodreads with 3526 ratings. He attended the choate school in wallingford, connecticut and went on to earn a degree in philosophy from the university of texas at austin. An excellent book was published in 2015 called folksongs of another. See all books authored by alan lomax, including the land where the blues began, and the folk songs of north america in the english language, and more on.

Buy a cheap copy of the land where the blues began book by alan lomax. A selfdescribed songhunter, alan lomax traveled the mississippi delta in the 1930s and 40s, at first with his father john lomax, later in the company sometimes of black folklorists. January 31, 1915 july 19, 2002 was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings o f folk music of the 20th centu ry. Alan lomax travelled the deep south with portable recording equipment, hoping to capture the blues in its most pure form. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first. Lomax also built on the interest created by his books, records, and broadcasts with concert series such as the midnight special at town hall, which brought 1940s new yorkers blues, flamenco, calypso, and southern ballad singing, all still relatively unknown genres. Alan lomax collection the american folklife center. Weaving together the tales of muleskinners and roustabouts, church matrons and convicts, children and blind street singers, lomax gives us the rich, sorrowridden background. Here are some of the highlights of alan lomaxs career which relate to mississippi and the delta blues. Alan lomax has 29 books on goodreads with 3566 ratings.

He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and filmmaker. Alan lomax left us many amazing recording archives. The land where the blues began by alan lomax abebooks. A selfdescribed songhunter, the folklorist alan lomax traveled the mississippi delta in the 1930s and 40s, armed with primitive recording equipment and a keen love of the deltas music heritage. From 19331985, alan lomax along with his father, john a.

Books axelrod, alan and harry oster, with winton rawls, the penguin dictionary of american folklore, penguin reference, 2000. Iconic figures of the transition from unplugged rural blues to the streetcar clang of the. Alan lomax biography life, family, story, death, wife. Lomaxof the archive of american folk song at the library of congress, alan lomax traveled the south from the brazos. During his lifetime, alan lomax received many honors and awards, including the national medal of arts, the national book critics circle award for his book the land where the blues began, a special grammy award in 2002 for his lifelong contributions to music, and a living legend award from the library of congress. These are documentary sound recordings of rural kentucky music and lore made for the library of congress by john lomax and his son alan together and separately over about a four year period in the 1930s and early 1940s. Alan lomaxs music archive houses over 17,400 folk recordings from 1946. The land where blues began by lomax, alan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Lomax relates the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his ventures to mississippi and arkansas and memphis in 194142, 1947, 1959 and 1978, including his.