Delta Blues: I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees

Delta Blues refers to a blues style originating in a section of the Mississippi Delta at the turn of the 20th century. The Delta region of Mississippi, the northwestern part of the state, was covered with plantations. Owned by Whites, but worked by African American sharecroppers, these plantations were conducive to the development of the blues: Large numbers of African Americans lived and worked in close proximity, exchanging music and stories, and isolation and inability to travel outside of the area allowed the Delta Blues to develop into an indigenous and distinctive style. The solo singer/acoustic guitarist became the genre's predominant performer type: The acoustic guitar was inexpensive and portable, the latter trait allowing blues musicians to move spontaneously from plantation to plantation to provide entertainment. The guitar style, at times deceptively simple sounding, often contained complex layered rhythms, and intricate slide work.The Delta Blues vocal style, which sprang from plantation field hollering, was richly ornamented, and powerfully projected. Below is a list of CDs featuring the Delta Blues, along with audio samples, available at your Glendale Public Libraries. Click on the song title to listen, and the album title to view the library record. Scroll to the very bottom of the page to subscribe.

Recommended Listening

     Bo Carter (1893-1964), an influential Delta bluesman, was known for lacing his songs with sexual innuendo.
-sample of Pussy Cat Blues from the album Twist it Babe, 1931-1940 by Bo Carter
     Son House (1902-1988) was a main source of inspiration for Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, and was a major innovator of the Delta style.
-sample of Special Rider Blues from the album Delta Blues featuring Son House
-sample of Death Letter from the album Blues: Son House
     Probably the most iconic blues figure ever, legend has it that Robert Johnson (1911-1938) sold his soul to the devil in exchange for extraordinary guitar playing skills.
-sample of I Believe I'll Dust my Broom from the album Robert Johnson, the Complete Recordings
     Tommy Johnson (1896-1956) was know for his musicality and showmanship, playing blistering blues riffs behind his head decades before Hendrix took the move worldwide.
-sample of Cool Drink of Water Blues from the album Tommy Johnson (1928-1929): complete recorded works in chronological order
     The first star of the Delta Blues, Charley Patton (1891-1934) had such celebrity and musical prowess that, to the dismay of plantation owners, workers would simply walk away from field work whenever he picked up his guitar to play.
-sample of Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues from the album Charley Patton, Founder of the Delta Blues, 1929-1934
     Bukka White (1906-1977) was recorded by folklorists John and Alan Lomax while serving time in Mississippi's Parchman farm prison. During his incarceration Shake 'em on Down, a song White recorded earlier, became a hit.
-sample of Shake 'em on Down from the album The Complete Bukka White
    Big Jo Williams (1903-1982) had a unique approach to the guitar: He added three strings, bringing the total to nine, and wore picks on his thumb and index finger.
-sample of She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain from the album Mississippi's Big Joe Williams and his Nine-String Guitar
-sample of She Left Me a Mule to Ride from the album Shake Your Boogie by Big Joe Williams
     Alan Lomax recorded Delta musicians Big Bill Broonzy (1893-1958) and Sonny Boy Williamson (1899-1965), along with Tennessean Memphis Slim (1915-1988) one day in 1948 as they reminisced and played music together. Lomax added field recordings to illustrate some of the history discussed by these legendary bluesmen.
-sample of Bama's Staggerlee from the album Blues in the Mississippi Night
     This rare recording from the 1920s and 1930s of women performing in the Delta Blues style features Mattie Delaney, Rosie Mae Moore, and Elvie Thomas.
-sample of Tallahatchie River Blues from the album Mississippi Girls (1928-1931): complete recordings in chronological order
     Negro Blues and Hollers is a compilation of field recordings collected by Library of Congress folklorist Alan Lomax, and the Fisk University in the early 1940s.
-sample of Low Down Dirty Dog Blues from the album Negro Blues and Hollers

Recommended Reading

The Land Where the Blues Began by Alan Lomax.
     Winner of the 1993 National Book Critic's Circle Award, and the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award, The Land Where the Blues Began is the result of years of fieldwork by folklorist Alan Lomax. In the book, Lomax explores African American culture in the Mississippi Delta at the turn of the 20th century, and examines how musical traditions from Africa helped nurture the development of the Delta Blues.

All samples from allmusic.com. Send comments, questions, and corrections to mschmidt@glendaleaz.com.

Music of the Caribbean: passion, rhythm, and celebration!

 

The Caribbean, a crescent-shaped group of islands stretching from the tip of Florida south to Venezuela, is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse regions in the world. Coming from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, its people have created musical styles found nowhere else.  Jamaica's reggae and ska, Trinidad's calypso and soca, Puerto Rico's bomba and plena, Cuba's mambo and cha-cha-chá, and many other styles were born in this musically potent area. Below is a listening list, along with audio samples, of CDs available at your Glendale Public Library. Scroll to the very bottom of this page to follow this blog!

Cuba

     A fabulous introduction to Cuban music, Rough Guide to Cuban Music contains samples of nearly all of the island's major musical styles.
-samples of Elegba and Alafia from Rough Guide to the Music of Cuba
     Buena Vista Social Club is a critically acclaimed recording featuring musicians from the island's musically vibrant pre-Castro era.
-samples of Chan Chan and Pueblo Nuevo from Buena Vista Social Club

Haiti

     Rhythms of Rapture is on the highly reputed Smithsonian/Folkways label and contains both live ceremonial music, and studio recordings of popular songs.
-samples of Konbit Zaka and Bosou Djo Eya from Rhythms of Rapture-Sacred Musics of Haitian Vodou
     Rough Guide to the Music of Haiti introduces listeners to the musical wealth of one of the poorest countries in the world. 
-samples of Blakawout and Marassa Elu from Rough Guide to the Music of Haiti
Afro-Caribbean Rhythms from Haiti

Jamaica

     Described as more a Jamaican institution than a band, the Skatalites have been the preeminent studio/touring/back-up band on the island since the '60s.
-samples of Phoenix City and Skamania from Greetings from Skamania by the Skatalites
     When we think of Jamaica we think of reggae, and the Reggae Box is an excellent compilation of the genre's biggest stars.
-samples of  Trench Town Rock by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and The Harder they Come by Jimmy Cliff from The Reggae Box: the routes of Jamaican music

Puerto Rico

     Grupo Afro Boricua is a contemporary ensemble that performs the bomba and the plena, the two main traditional styles of Puerto Rico.
-samples of Afro Boricua and El Gallo Canta from Bombazo by Grupo Afro Boricua

St. Lucia

     Another Smithsonian/Folkways recording, Musical Traditions of St. Lucia is an introduction to the living musical heritage of these creole-speaking islanders.
-samples of Kwadril-Avantwa and Yang Miki Yang from Musical Traditions of St. Lucia, West Indies: Dances and Songs from a Caribbean Island

Trinidad

     Steel Band Music of the Caribbean is a wonderful introduction to music played on steelpans, an instrument originating from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
-samples of Mongoose and Tropical Bird from Steel Band Music of the Caribbean
     This Rough Guide title is an introduction to Calypso and Soca, Trinidad's two most famous musical styles. 
-samples of Bassman and Sayamanda from Rough Guide to Calypso & Soca

Compilations

     This music was collected in 1962 by Alan Lomax, an ethnomusicologist and one of the great collectors of folk music of the 20th century. Click here to link to Lomax's Caribbean field recordings online. 
-samples of Breakaway and Doption from Caribbean Voyage-Caribbean Sampler
     Spanish, French, British, and African influences are evident is this collection of island songs and dances.
-samples of Percy Where Him Gone? and Chi Chi Bud-Oh! from Caribbean Island Music-Songs and Dances of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica

Folk Music in the United States: from the rival to the present

     Most of us enjoy folk music, but what does the term folk music really mean? When the term was coined in the 1800s, it referred to the music of peasants and rural artisans, music that contrasted with that of elite society and the inner-city poor. Later, in the mid 1900s, music scholars and collectors established criteria for the application of the term: folk music had to be composed anonymously; it had to be transmitted orally; and it had to be free from the influence of popular, or art music. The anonymous-composition criterion was later relaxed, as it was agreed that the oral transmission of the music, and the refashioning such transmission invited, was what really gave folk music its character.

     In the mid 20th century, political texts began to emerge in folk music. The emergence drew attention to the music and value of the working class, and of races struggling for equality. Consequently, it caused a shift in the focus of folk music from solely rural culture, to the culture of the industrial worker and the underprivileged. This shift coincided with the American folk music revival in the United States, a movement that became closely associated with the civil rights struggle. 

     Singers associated with the revival—Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, the Weavers, and Odetta, for example—helped popularize the genre and set the stage for the folk music stars of the 1960s: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and the like. Today, folk music in the United States remains a relevant and popular genre. Although the political messages of the revival and the 1960s have become less evident, contemporary folk music continues to have a rustic feel and acoustic instrumentation, both traditional hallmarks of the genre.

     Below is an annotated recommended listening list of CDs, along with audio samples, available at your Glendale Public Library. Click on the CD titles to view library records, and click on the sample links to hear audio clips.

Recordings Associated with the Revival and the '60s 

          Named after the famous park in New York City where folk singers congregated in the mid 19th century, Washington Square Memoirs is a 3-disc set containing tracks from almost all the major players of the folk music scene.
-samples of Codine by Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Suzanne by Judy Collins, from Washington Square Memoirs: the great urban folk boom, 1950-1970
     Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly were folk icons from the first half of the 20th century who had a profound influence on artists of the revival. 
-samples of Pretty Boy Floyd by Woody Guthrie, and Goodnight Irene by Leadbelly, from Folkways, the Original Vision: songs of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly
     Sing for Freedom contains selections of folk music that became closely associated with the civil rights movement. 
-samples of Keep Your Hands on the Plow, and Keep Your Eyes on the Prize, from Sing for Freedom: the story of the Civil Rights movement through its songs
     The Newport Folk Festival began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The 1963 festival is noted for introducing Bob Dylan, performing as a guest of Joan Baez, to the world.
-samples of Playboys and Playgirls by Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, and Talking Atomic Blues by Sam Hinton, from Newport Broadside: Newport Folk Festival 1963
     After receiving classical voice instruction, and gaining experience performing in musicals, Odetta fell in with the folk crowd and became one of the strongest voices of the revival and the civil rights movement.
-samples of Take this Hammer, and Shame and Scandal, from The Best of Odetta: Ballads and Blues by Odetta
     Released in 1975, a solid decade after the folk boom of the mid 1960s, Diamonds and Rust is the work of an folk icon eager to expand. The album contains songs written by Baez, and by Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Jackson Brown, John Prine, and Janis Ian.
-samples of Diamonds and Rust, and Fountain in the Snow, from Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez

Contemporary Folk Artists

     The Carolina Chocolate Drops is a three-piece string band heavily influenced by traditional bluegrass and jug bands. 
-samples of Trouble in Your Mind, and Cindy Gal, from Genuine Negro Jig by the Carolina Chocolate Drops
     This year, Civil Wars won Grammy Awards for best country duo/group performance, and best folk album.
-samples of Barton Hollow, and Forget Me Not, from Barton Hollow by Civil Wars
     Head and the Heart is a folk group from Seattle that incorporates into its sound country-rock and pop.
-samples of Lost in my Mind, and Honey Come Home, from the self-titled album Head and the Heart
     Dylan LeBlanc is a gifted folk artist from Louisiana. Paupers Field was released in 2010, when Dylan was still a teen.
-samples of 5th Avenue Bar, and Emma Hartley, from Paupers Field by Dylan LeBlanc
     Normally considered an electric pop band, Magnetic Fields explores a stripped-down acoustic sound on Realism.
-samples of You Must Be Out of Your Mind, and We Are Having a Hootenanny, from  Realism by Magnetic Fields
     OK, the Wailin' Jennys are not from the U.S., but this all-female, Canadian folk trio is definitely worth a listen.
-samples of Bird Song, and Asleep at Last, from Bright Morning Stars by the Wailin' Jennys.
     Abigail Washburn, born Illinois, is a singer/songwriter whose main instrument is the banjo.
-samples of Last Train, and City of Refuge, from City of Refuge by Abigail Washburn


All samples are from allmusic.com. Send all comments, corrections, or additions to mschmidt@glendaleaz.com.

Happy 100th Birthday, Arizona! Celebrate our State's Wonderful Musical Legacy!

Happy 100^th Birthday, Arizona! Our state is traditionally known for the five Cs: cattle, citrus, climate, cotton, and copper, but Arizona is also known for its many wonderful musicians. Below are brief overviews of some of the state’s many famous musicians and ensembles, along with recommended listening and audio samples from albums available at your Glendale Public Library. Click on the CD title to view the library record, or click on the sample link to hear an audio clip. Check out some CDs and join your Glendale Public Library in celebrating the state’s wonderful musical legacy.


Michelle Branch was born in Phoenix in 1983 and grew up in Sedona. Her first two albums on a major label, Spirit Room (2001), and Hotel Paper (2003), were very successful and led to her winning, or being nominated for, several prestigious industry awards. Branch and longtime friend Jessica Harp then worked together as The Wreckers and released the album Stand Still, Look Pretty in 2006. The album was successful and the duo was nominated for Country Music Association and Grammy awards, As a solo artist, or as a member of The Wreckers, Branch has also collaborated with Carlos Santana, rockabilly/country artist Chris Isaak, and hip-hop artist/producer Timbaland.
--sample of Everywhere from the album Spirit Room by Michelle Branch
--sample of Love Me Like That from the album Hotel Paper by Michelle Branch
--sample of My, Oh My from the album Stand Still, Look Pretty by The Wreckers
--sample of I Lose My Heart from the album Mr. Lucky by Chris Isaak


Originally from Detroit, Vincent Furnier (aka Alice Cooper) spent his teen years in Phoenix where he formed his first band, the Earwigs. The band changed its name to the Spiders, to Nazz, and then to Alice Cooper. At some point during these name changes the band moved to Los Angeles and signed with Frank Zappa’s label, Straight. With assistance from soon-to-be legendary producer Bob Ezrin, the band found its stride with their third album, Love it to Death. Alice Cooper became a solo act in 1975 with the release of Welcome to my Nightmare. 
--sample of Escape from the album Welcome to my Nightmare
--sample of Wish You Were Here from the album Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
--sample of I Love the Dead from the album Billion Dollar Babies
--sample of Be My Lover from the album Killer

Duane Eddy, Lee Hazelwood, and Al Casey worked together in the 50s and 60s to create some of the most enduring guitar-driven instrumental rock ever. DJ and recording pioneer Hazelwood discovered guitarist Duane Eddy in Coolidge, AZ. The two wrote songs together and developed the twang-guitar sound that would make a legend out of Eddy. Guitarist/keyboardist Al Casey, a sessions musician in Phoenix, wound up playing on several Hazelwood-produced recordings, and became a member of Eddy's band, the Rebels. Casey also wrote the Duane Eddy hit Ramrod, and co-wrote Forty Miles of Bad Road, another hit for Eddy.
--sample of Rebel Rouser, and Forty Miles of Bad Road by Duane Eddy from the album Rock Instrumental Classics vol.1-The Fifties
--sample of Because They're Young by Duane Eddy and the Rebels from the album Rock Instrumental Classics vol.2-The Sixties


Formed in Tempe in the late 80s, the Gin Blossoms were a popular bar band that delivered melody-driven pop rock music.  After a debut album on a regional label, and an EP on A&M Records, the band hit the big time in 1992 with the full-length New Miserable Experience.  Containing 5 hit singles, the album was a big success. Close to the time of the album’s release, however, the band fired their main songwriter, the immensely talented, yet troubled, Doug Hopkins.  Shortly thereafter, Hopkins committed suicide. The Gin Blossoms recorded three more albums but were never able to match the appeal and success of New Miserable Experience.
--samples of Found Out About You, and Hey Jealousy,
from the album Outside Looking In: the Best of the Gin Blossoms

Jimmy Eat World, a four-piece rock ensemble, was formed in Mesa in 1994. Positive response to early recordings caught the attention of Capitol Records, and the band released their first major-label album, Static Prevails, in 1996.  Jimmy Eat World switched labels to Dreamworks for the release of their third album, Bleed American. The album, featuring a more traditional rock approach, differed from the emo sound of their earlier recordings and launched the band into international stardom. The band continues to be productive and released Invented, their 6^th album, in 2010.

--sample of The Middle from the album Bleed American

--sample of Dizzy from the album Chase the Light

--sample of My Best Theory from the album Invented

The Meat Puppets were formed in Phoenix in 1979 by brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood, and their friend Derrick Bostrom.  Although part of the underground punk scene, the Meat Puppets were known for changing their sound from album to album and were hard to accurately categorize.  The band enjoyed critical acclaim for years, but large scale commercial success eluded them until tours with Nirvana and Soul Asylum, and a guest appearance on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, introduced the band to a larger audience.

--samples of Swimming Ground and Animal Kingdom from the album Up on the Sun

Stevie Nicks was born in Phoenix in 1948. She and her partner, Lindsey Buckingham, joined rock band Fleetwood Mac in 1974. The band’s next two albums, the self-titled Fleetwood Mac in 1975, and Rumors in 1977, became two of the best selling albums in rock music history. Nicks released the solo album Bella Donna in 1981. Bella Donna was immensely successful and featured collaborations with Don Henley and Tom Petty, as well as the guitar-driven hit Edge of Seventeen.
--sample of Landslide from the album Fleetwood Mac
--sample of Dreams from the album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
--sample of Edge of Seventeen from the album Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks


Born in 1929, Buck Owens found himself in AZ as a young boy when the family vehicle broke down in the Tempe/Mesa area.  The family decided to stay the east valley, and some years later a teenaged Buck cut his teeth playing guitar in Phoenix honkytonks. Buck went on to become a country music icon and a successful businessman. He was once the owner of KNIX, one of the most popular country music radio stations in the Phoenix area.
--samples of My Heart Skips a Beat, and Cryin' Time
from the album Very Best of Buck Owens, Volume 2


Glendale native Marty Robbins was born in 1925. While in his 20s Robbins, along with his band the K-Bar Cowboys, played in Phoenix clubs and was featured on valley radio shows. Aware of Marty’s local following, television producers recruited him to host the music variety show the Western Caravan.  Exposure on television attracted the interest of recording and publishing companies, and Marty’s career began to take off. Although known primarily as a country music singer/songwriter, Robbins also experienced success with Hawaiian-style, rock, and pop music, and as an actor in feature films.
--sample of El Paso from the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
--sample of Ka-Lu-A (Love Song of Kalua) from the album Hawaii’s Calling Me
--sample of A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) from the album The Story of my Life: the Best of Marty Robbins, 1952-1965


Tucson native Linda Ronstadt was born in 1946. After a failed start as vocalist in the folk rock band the Stone Poneys, Ronstadt launched a solo career. Her fourth solo album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel, was wildly successful. Produced by the legendary Peter Asher and featuring an impressive list of backing musicians, the album contained the iconic hit You're No Good and set the standard for the 70s soft rock genre. After a string of successful rock albums Ronstadt diversified by performing on Broadway and recording pop standards, country, cajun, and mariachi music.  
--sample of You're No Good from the album Heart Like a Wheel
--sample of Burn's Supper from the album Adieu False Heart by Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy
--sample of Tu, Solo Tu from the album Canciones de mi Padre

All samples are from allmusic.com. Send any comments, corrections, or additions to mschmidt@glendaleaz.com.