Craft Recordings proudly announces release Birthlight: Black Roots Music Compendium, an extensive overview of American black roots music. Produced by author, professor, and Grammy-nominated music historian Dr. Ted Olson, and Grammy-winning producer, musician, and author Scott His Billington, Birthright explores the rich and nuanced world of black roots music. I’d like to introduce_______ Across generations and genres, his 40 songs in this new collection showcase a wide range of styles, from gospel and blues to his Louisiana creole, jazz and gala music. Artists range from lesser-known musicians to John Lee Hooker, Odetta, The Staple Singers, and Lightnin’ Hopkins.
It will be available in 2-CD/digital format on February 17th and is available for pre-order today. Birthright includes the unreleased ‘Georgie Buck’ by the Carolina Chocolate Drops (a collection of musicians including Dom Flemons), as well as several rare songs. , Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson) features fiddler Joe Thompson. The 2-CD set includes insightful essays by musicians/scholars Corey Harris and Dom Flemons (both artists’ music is also on the album), plus an introduction by Olson and detailed tracks in his notes. is included. Through words and songs, Birthright not only seeks to honor the essential canons of American music, but also demonstrates the far-reaching influence of Black’s roots music on her popular culture, from country to hip-hop.
Birthright’s recordings date back to the 50’s, but we have to take into account the historic thru line that began centuries ago. “African music was woven into every aspect of life, and every song was specific to a particular time, festival, activity, or life event,” Harris wrote. “When our captive ancestors were driven from slave ships to the shores of strange lands, they had these songs.” In the horrors of slavery, music served as an important means of communication Did. While African drums are banned, Harris explains: However, no matter how many laws were passed, the rhythm could not be outlawed. ”
After abolition, black roots music was first recorded in the early 20th century by folklorists such as John Lomax. But in countries where racism is severe, few people hear it. Flemons said:
But these basic recordings were very important. Especially since black music and culture were commonly portrayed using grotesque stereotypes or Euro-his classical style. Instead, audio “removed any secondary ‘straightening,’ ‘sweetening,’ or ‘exaggeration’ of the music,” explains Flemons. “There is a new dialogue between folklorists and musicians, allowing subjects to ‘talk about themselves’ for the first time,” he continues. This early document is an important resource for understanding Black’s roots music of the past. ”
In the decades that followed, with the rise of the recording industry, regional musical styles developed and spread into the mainstream, with blues, jazz and gospel having major influences on popular music, rock and roll, soul and finally hip hop. . But while new generations continued to build on these foundations, as Birthright attests, black roots music never stopped thriving. “There has been a wave after wave of Black Roots artists building new bridges in the past,” adds Flemons. “Timeless, the musical innovations of the African and Caribbean diaspora, however sophisticated and undomesticated, still permeate the hands, feet, instruments and voices of these artisans. ”
Each track on Birthright offers an example of this rich musical tradition, including a variety of mid-century field recordings, whether recorded 60 or 6 years ago. To do. Among the highlights is her Bessie Jones’ “Yonder Come Day,” recorded in Georgia in 1973. Jones (1902–1984) was a member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers, founded to preserve the music of the Gullah culture of the southeast coast. Another notable selection of hers is “Eunice Two Step” by the famous duo of accordionist Bois Sec Ardoin and her fiddler Canray Fontenot. Recorded in the ’60s and sung in French, the song represents the “Creole” tradition and, as Ted Olson points out, “rural Louisiana blacks before the emergence of the more modern zydeco genre.” It reflects the old sound of music.” There are also more informal recordings, such as an incarcerated man singing a “work song”. Among them is Benny Richardson, who leads a traditional rendition of “Grizzly Bear” with fellow inmates in a Texas prison. Olson describes the song as follows: The “Grizzly Bear” character was a white jailer, while “Jack O’ His Diamond” implied a white prison warden. Recorded in the mid-’60s, the audio features a call-and-response style of singing that originated in West Africa.
In addition to field recordings, the collection features several famous legends, including The Staple Singers. Best known as ’70s soul stars, this family group started on the gospel circuit. His 1963 recording of Willie Johnson’s oft-covered “Motherless Children” featured patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children, Mavis, Yvonne, Cleosa and Purvis’ Cole and It features response vocals. Civil rights activist, singer and actress Odetta appears in the song “Special Delivery Blues”, originally recorded in 1926 by jazz her singer Sippy Wallace. John Lee Hooker (playing the classic “When I Lay My Burden Down”), Skip James (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”) and Lightnin’ Hopkins playing the influential “Automobile Blues” Blues Star also revisits Sleepy John Estes’ 1929 “Diving Duck Blues” by famous bluesmen of the younger generation, Taj Mahal and Keb Mo, in this collection.
Birthright also look to the future with songs inspired by contemporary acts. Among them is Lanky Tanky, who interprets traditional Gala music. The term “ranky tanky”, meaning “to be funky”, inspired both the group’s name and the songs included in this collection. Another example is the aforementioned Carolina Chocolate on his drop “Georgia Buck,” which shares his passion for the African-American string his band. The 2006 traditional song recording is a collaboration with mentor fiddler Joe Thompson (1918–2012). Meanwhile, world-famous a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock delivers the 19th-century spiritual tune “Study War No More.” More commonly known as “Down by the Riverside,” the song not only became a gospel staple, but also an anti-war anthem during the Vietnam War. Preservation Hall Jazz, a New Orleans institution His band plays “Bourbon Street Parade” on Paul’s Barbarin celebrating the groove of his beats, a joyous parade that is the heart of New Orleans music . Another of his mainstays in the Big Easy, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has continued the city’s brass band tradition since 1977, with his 2012 Caribbean-inspired song “Best of All.” will appear here.
Birthright’s voices are unique, but all share a common theme. As Harris so eloquently puts it, “When we listen to the artists on this set, we are listening to people who decide to express themselves. Over the hustle and bustle, Saccharine wants to be heard over his pop and soulless glamour’ industry. When power outages strike and the internet goes down, some of us still play music and share our joys and sorrows in songs. Black roots music is a testament to the fact that even when modern civilization has fallen, we have the strength and spirit to rise again. We just need to hold on to our roots. This is the perfect place to start. ”
click Here To pre-order/pre-store Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium.
Tracklist (2-CD):
CD1
1. Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Bourbon Street Parade
2. Corey Harris and Shade Thomas – Station Blues
3. Mississippi Fred McDowell – 61 Highway
4. Joe Thompson – Carolina Chocolate Drops featuring Georgie Buck*
5. Lanky Tanky – Lanky Tanky
6. Etta Baker – One Dime Blues
7. Bois Sec Ardoin and Canray Fontenot – Eunice Two Step
8. Lightnin’ Hopkins – Automobile Blues
9. Benny Richardson – Grizzly Bear
10. Staple Singers – Motherless Children
11. Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry – Blues Before Sunrise
12. Dink Roberts – Fox Chase
13. Martin, Bogan, Armstrong – Sweet Georgia Brown
14. Golden Eagles – Little Liza Jane
15. Clifton Chenier and his band – Ay-Tete Fee
16. Skip James – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
17. George Louis New Orleans Jazz Band – Weary Blues
18. Bessie Jones – Yonder Come Day
19. Joseph Spence – We Will Understanding It Better By And By
20. Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Best of All
CD2
1. Cedric Burnside – Step In
2. Amythyst Kiah – Pretty Polly
3. Ronnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden – St. Louis Blues
4. Layla McCullah – Money is King
5. Dom Flemons – Polly Puts The Kettle On
6. Taj Mahal and Keb Mo – Diving Duck Blues
7. Boozoo Chavis – Crying Blues
8. Campbell Brothers – Morning Train
9. John Lee Hooker – When I Lay My Baden Down
10. Leslie Riddle – Titanic
11. Professor Longhair – Go to Mardi Gras
12. Mississippi John Hurt – Candy Man
13. Jesse Fuller – San Francisco Bay Blues
14. Odetta – Special Delivery Blues
15. John Jackson – Step It Up And Go
16. Tut Washington – Arkansas Blues
17. Reverend Gary Davis – Lo, I Will Be With You Always
18. An Inmate Named Peter – Ups On The Farm
19. Cephas & Wiggins – John Henry
20. Sweet Honey in the Rock – Study War No More
※unpublished
Tracklist (Digital):
1. Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Bourbon Street Parade
2. Corey Harris and Shade Thomas – Station Blues
3. Mississippi Fred McDowell – 61 Highway
4. Joe Thompson – Carolina Chocolate Drops featuring Georgie Buck*
5. Lanky Tanky – Lanky Tanky
6. Etta Baker – One Dime Blues
7. Bois Sec Ardoin and Canray Fontenot – Eunice Two Step
8. Lightnin’ Hopkins – Automobile Blues
9. Benny Richardson – Grizzly Bear
10. Staple Singers – Motherless Children
11. Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry – Blues Before Sunrise
12. Dink Roberts – Fox Chase
13. Martin, Bogan, Armstrong – Sweet Georgia Brown
14. Golden Eagles – Little Liza Jane
15. Clifton Chenier and his band – Ay-Tete Fee
16. Skip James – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
17. George Louis New Orleans Jazz Band – Weary Blues
18. Bessie Jones – Yonder Come Day
19. Joseph Spence – We Will Understanding It Better By And By
20. Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Best of All
21. Cedric Burnside – Step In
22. Amythyst Kiah – Pretty Polly
23. Ronnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden – St. Louis Blues
24. Layla McCullah – Money is King
25. Dom Flemons – Polly Puts The Kettle On
26. Taj Mahal and Keb Mo – Diving Duck Blues
27. Boozoo Chavis – Crying Blues
28. Campbell Brothers – Morning Train
29. John Lee Hooker – When I Lay My Baden Down
30. Leslie Riddle – Titanic
31. Professor Long Hair – Go to Mardi Gras
32. Mississippi John Hurt – Candy Man
33. Jesse Fuller – San Francisco Bay Blues
34. Odetta – Special Delivery Blues
35. John Jackson – Step It Up And Go
36. Tuts Washington – Arkansas Blues
37. Reverend Gary Davis – Lo, I Will Be With You Always
38. An Inmate Named Peter – Ups On The Farm
39. Cephas & Wiggins – John Henry
40. Sweet Honey In The Rock – Study War No More
※unpublished
