He recorded the source of the most original, american form of music. For the first time, cultural equity executive director don fleming told npr. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first edition abebooks. Alan lomax takes us on an adventure into the bad old days of the delta.
Lomaxof the archive of american folk song at the library of congress, alan lomax traveled the south from the brazos. Blues songbook alan lomax on allmusic 2003 from 19331985, alan lomax along with his. Alan lomax books list of books by author alan lomax. Many of the songs were recorded on location by noted folklorist john a. 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 alan lomax, paperback. From 19331985, alan lomax along with his father, john a. The land where the blues began by lomax, alan 1993. Most of the other blues songs collected by lomax were also from prisoners, including bukka white at mississippi state penitentiary at parchman. The land where the blues began, by alan lomax blues. 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 is the author of the land where the blues began 4.
Alan lomax collection the american folklife center, library. There are many fine books on the blues, so i thought i would share with you my recommendations. 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. Works by alan lomax association for cultural equity. Alan lomaxs music archive houses over 17,400 folk recordings from 1946. Alan lomax biography life, family, story, death, wife. In this busy biography, columbia music professor szwed so what. Here are some of the highlights of alan lomaxs career which relate to mississippi and the delta blues. Alan lomax author of the land where the blues began. 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. Lo max produced recordings, concerts, and radio shows in the us and in. Lomax later became responsible for introducing radio audiences to a number of folk and blues artists, including woody guthrie and burl ives. The lomax recordings are an inspiration to fine folks like chris s.
He and alan were in greenville, mississippi, where they were to make some public. Lomax gathered fieldrecorded examples of africanamerican song forms, most of which ended up in the expansive library of congress american folk music collection. Lomax, alan, the land where the blues began, pantheon books, 1993. Broonzy, william lee conley big billblues youre gonna be sorry t899r06. 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. His music career was dormant at the time and he was working as the manager of a small. For the writer credits please be careful to choose the correct one. Jelly roll morton had ben one of the leading musicians of the 1920s but the depression had had a major effect on mortons fortunes.
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. Alan lomax travelled the deep south with portable recording equipment, hoping to capture the blues in its most pure form. 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. Lomax wrote or compiled several more books, including adventures of a ballad hunter and several coauthored with alan. Books by alan lomax author of the land where the blues began.
Alan lomax is an ethnomusicologist, record producer, and network radio hostwriter. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and filmma ker. Between 1951 and 1958, he traveled throughout europe, recording hundreds of folk songs in england, scotland, italy, and spain. The land where the blues began alan lomax new york. 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. Jul 19, 2002 find alan lomax discography, albums and singles on allmusic.
The land where the blues began by lomax, alan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Among them are such timehonored favorites as john henry, goin home. The land where the blues began, by alan lomax blues foundation. 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. Alan lomaxs most popular book is the land where the blues began. 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. Ledbetter, who was serving time for murder, had always claimed he killed in selfdefense, and the lomaxes championed his cause. An anthology of song games from the eastern caribbean.
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. When you click to this page, see the navigation on the right. Charles kuralt interviews alan lomax, part 1 of 4 1991. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and filmmaker. 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. This book tells the tale, and is a fine companion to the cd. Lomax of the archive of american folk song at the library of congress, alan lomax traveled the south from the brazos.
What he recorded back then was simply called music. 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. Buy a cheap copy of the land where the blues began book by alan lomax. Mississippi prison recordings 1947 and 1948 alan lomax. 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. The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first.
He attended the choate school in wallingford, connecticut and went on to earn a degree in philosophy from the university of texas at austin. 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. It takes the three blues men awhile before they give lomax some guarded trust and talk some. Weaving together the tales of muleskinners and roustabouts, church matrons and convicts, children and blind street singers, lomax gives us the rich, sorrowridden background. 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.
The land where the blues began by alan lomax, first edition. Lomax was born in austin, texas, the son of john lomax, himself a musicologist who had. Alan lomax has 29 books on goodreads with 3526 ratings. An excellent book was published in 2015 called folksongs of another. 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. January 31, 1915 july 19, 2002 was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. Lomax, carried on in the tradition of his father as an american folklorist and musicologist. Winner of a 1993 national book critics circle award, a rollicking memoir of the legendary folklorists journey into. Lomax also built on the interest created by his books, records, and. The association for cultural equity, a nonprofit organization founded by lomax in the 1980s, has posted some 17,000 recordings. I believe this is one of the most important books ever written about music, in my all time top ten. 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. The earliest recordings were made by john and alan lomax in harlan county in.
American folklorist and musicologist, born 31 january 1915, austin, texas, usa and died 19 july 2002, safety harbor, florida, usa. Collected and edited the contents of the world library of folk and primitive music, southern journey, and the folk songs of britain. Books axelrod, alan and harry oster, with winton rawls, the penguin dictionary of american folklore, penguin reference, 2000. 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. Charles kuralt interviews alan lomax, part 1 of 4 1991 duration. Alan lomax biography the american folklife center library. Alan went on to document the music of the region, including muddy waters historic 19411942 field recordings at stovalls plantation on the banks of. Lomax relates the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his ventures to mississippi and arkansas and memphis in 194142, 1947, 1959 and 1978, including his. 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. Lomax relates the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his ventures to mississippi and arkansas and memphis. Iconic figures of the transition from unplugged rural blues to the streetcar clang of the.
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. 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. 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 lomax has 29 books on goodreads with 3566 ratings. Alan lomax january 15th, 1915 july 19th, 2002, son of john a. Ballads, blues and bluegrass, an alan lomax documentary released in 2012. Alan lomax left us many amazing recording archives. 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. The filmwork of alan lomax is a resource for students, researchers, filmmakers, and fans of americas traditional music and folkways. The land where blues began by lomax, alan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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. Alan lomax was an american ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings. 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.
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