Various Artists - Rock Me, Shake Me: Field Recordings Vol. 15: Mississippi 1941-1942

Artist:

Various Artists

UPC:

714298567229

Description:

Recorded in Mississippi in 1941-42. Includes liner notes by Bob Groom. Personnel: David Honeyboy Edwards (vocals, guitar); Sid Hemphill (vocals, violin); Alex Askew (guitar); Lucius Smith (banjo). Liner Note Author: Bob Groom. Recording information: Clarksdale, MS (09/??/1941-08/15/1942); Coahoma Co. Agricultural Schoo, Clarksdale, MS (09/??/1941-08/15/1942); Coahoma County, MS (09/??/1941-08/15/1942); Moorehead Plantation, Lula, MS (09/??/1941-08/15/1942); Sledge, MS (09/??/1941-08/15/1942). Arranger: Sid Hemphill. Rock Me Shake Me Field Recordings, Vol. 15: Mississippi is made up of field recordings of black musicians recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library Of Congress Folk Archives back in the early 1940s in Coahoma County, Mississippi. Most of the tracks here are unaccompanied spirituals, highlighted by Roxie Threadgill`s moving "I`m Goin Lean on the Lord," but there also several brief interviews and spoken pieces, including one called "Hitler Toast" (the toaster is not named), which details what Americans are going to do to various parts of Hitler`s anatomy when they find him. The strength of this collection, though, comes at the end, with six tracks by the blind fiddle player Sidney Hemphill, a veteran of the Mississippi fife and drum string band tradition. Hemphill`s "The Roguish Man" is divided into two parts here, actually three, since the cut called "Strayhorn Mob" is still the same song, and all three parts are actually the ultimate shaggy dog story generally known as "Arkansas Traveler." With hundreds of floating verse elements to choose from, Hemphill was able to expand or contract the song to suit his performance needs, and the longer versions form a hilarious and surreal comic epic that would make Bob Dylan proud, although Dylan never recorded anything so wild, exuberant, and other-worldly as this. ~ Steve Leggett

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Boll Weevil, The - Asa Ware (previously unreleased)
2. I Love My Jelly Roll - David Edwards (previously unreleased)
3. Holler - Charley Berry (previously unreleased)
4. Interview - Charley Berry (previously unreleased)
5. Holler - Charley Berry (previously unreleased)
6. Interview - Charley Berry (previously unreleased)
7. Hitler Toast - Unidentified Man (previously unreleased)
8. Rock Me, Shake Me - Manuel Casey (previously unreleased)
9. Witness for the Lord - Roxie Threadgill (previously unreleased)
10. I m Goin Lean on the Lord - Roxie Threadgill (previously unreleased)
11. Done Taken My Lord Away - Mrs. Johnson (previously unreleased)
12. Rock, Daniel - Roxie Threadgill (previously unreleased)
13. Shout for Joy - Mrs. Johnson (previously unreleased)
14. You Got to Stand Your Test in Judgement - Roxie Threadgill (previously unreleased)
15. Low Down Your Chariot and Let Me Ride - Roxie Threadgill (previously unreleased)
16. Father, I Stretch My Hand to Thee - Mrs Johnson (previously unreleased)
17. Interview - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)
18. Roguish Man, Pt. 1, The - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)
19. Roguish Man, Pt. 2, The - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)
20. Interview and the Strayhorn Mob - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)
21. Boll Weevil, The - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)
22. Interview and Turning of 4-Hole Quills - Alec Askew (previously unreleased)
23. So Soon I`ll Be at Home - Sid Hemphill (previously unreleased)

Album Information

Release Date:

07/02/2002

Type:

Collection

Genre:

Folk

Subgenre:

String Bands

Label:

Document (USA)

Producer:

Johnny Parth (Compilation)

Catalog Number:

5672

Original Release Year:

2002

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Mixed

Portions copyright 2005 Muze Inc. All rights reserved.