Ronnie Lovejoy passed away
Jeff Seale
Ronnie Lovejoy passed away this weekend from a sudden heart attack. Papa
Ray called someone down in Jackson, MS to verify.
a line about sending no flowers in the graveyard comes to mind.
Jeff
=====
I'm just sitting here wondering.
The world's gone to hell, and we blame someone else
for the trouble we're in.
In a big easy chair at the tv we stare
while the world caves in.
-Joe Ely, Dig All Night
__________________________________________________
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Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals.
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Chris Burger
of heart surgury for soul-bluesman Mr. Ronnie Lovejoy
awhile ago, but he was relatively young (barely 50 and
change)....I had hoped he would be around for some
time to come.
JUKE magazine (from the UK-one of the best blues rags
anywhere) did a great cover feature on Mr. Lovejoy not
long ago. RIP....
-Chris Burger
Boston
Chris Burger
I had the good pleasure of catching most of this new
series "American Roots Music" on PBS last night. It
started here at 10:30pm -here's hoping your local PBS
affiliate will be kinder.
Anyway, it's an excellent chance for anyone willing to
explore the commonalities of Blues, Country and
Western, gospel, etc. Blues fans like me are drawn in
because of the promised features or footage of Sonny
Boy Williamson (some very rare stuff I've never seen
before was previewed), as well as new work on Robert
Jr. Lockwood, B.B. King and James Cotton. Rufus Thomas
was briefly shown talking about the role of the Grand
Ole Opry in Black community, among many other nice
touches.
The debut episode had some obligatory feature on
Robert Johnson along with talking heads like Keith
Richards, Keb' Mo, and Bonnie Raitt -actually all
quite good. There was also a terrific piece on the
former "Blind Tom" bluesman turned gospel great Thomas
A. Dorsey, plus some great footage of Son House (that
I've never seen) doing "John The Revelator."
Blues fans who normally tune out country and western,
or "roots" will do well to soak up this series. Here's
more from a review yesterday.
-Chris Burger
Boston
************************************
PBS Grasps Our Music By Its 'Roots'
By DAVID HINCKLEY
(NY)Daily News Staff Writer (10/29/01)
When producers tackle a topic as broad as "American
Roots Music," a four-part PBS series that starts
tonight at 10 on WNET/Ch.13, their most painful
decision is what to leave out.
Do they try to mention everyone and run the risk of
ending up with a long, superficial list? Or do they
concentrate on the big names, hoping these stories
will convey the larger point?
Producer/director Jim Brown, whose past work includes
acclaimed films on the Weavers, Woody Guthrie and
Leadbelly, takes the second path and walks it well.
Tonight's first installment — the next three run on
successive Mondays — explains how radio, records and a
new instruction technique for harmony singing laid the
groundwork for what would come to be seen as America's
own distinct popular music.
There have been many attempts over the years to define
exactly what that phrase covers, and proponents of
several styles have maintained theirs is the only
authentic homegrown American music: jazz, blues, rock
'n' roll, gospel, country, rhythm-and-blues, popular
standards, bluegrass and so on.
Brown's most valuable contribution to this discussion
is that he says there's no need to choose. They all
evolved out of prior styles and they all have roots in
distant lands, the show points out, but the form in
which they emerged through Bessie Smith, Thomas A.
Dorsey, the Carter Family, Robert Johnson and other
early giants stamped each of them "Made in America."
To lay out his case, Brown employs the standard
technique of having critics and stars — including
Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt and Robbie Robertson —
contribute snappily edited sound bites.
This keeps the conversation lively, though it can also
be inhibiting, because it sometimes precludes analysis
that might be at odds with the stars' testimony.
The A.P. Carter segments, for instance, rightly hail
his vision and skill without mentioning part of that
skill was copyrighting existing music in his own name.
It also doesn't mention that the defining sound of the
Carter Family was Mother Maybelle's guitar.
But if there's room here and there for debate, Brown
nails a larger point: The material the fledgling
"music industry" tried to segregate and
compartmentalize was interwoven from the start. It
wasn't just that Thomas A. Dorsey injected blues into
gospel. Country and blues singers drank from the same
well.
While country singers like Uncle Dave Macon were
hardly enlightened on race, their music routinely
crossed the color line.
Maybe the most heartening message from this series is
that American music is always a few steps ahead of
America.
E-mail: dhin...@edit.nydailynews.com
FINI
Jinx...@aol.com
<< quite good. There was also a terrific piece on the
former "Blind Tom" bluesman turned gospel great Thomas
A. Dorsey, plus some great footage of Son House (that
I've never seen) doing "John The Revelator." >>
The Son House footage came from a "Camera Three" segment done at the CBS
Studio in New York City. He did several songs alone, one or two with Jerry
Ricks and at least one with Buddy Guy who was also appearing on the show.
Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
Norma Victor
bluesfantom
> The Son House footage came from a "Camera Three" segment done at the CBS
> Studio in New York City. He did several songs alone, one or two with Jerry
> Ricks and at least one with Buddy Guy who was also appearing on the show.
I would love to see Jerry Ricks and Son House together. Even young upstart
Buddy Guy would be fun. I saw the PBS thing and it was great, although I'd
love to see and hear more footage and less talking head, eg, the Carter
Family vs the Whites would have been more appealing to me. Anyway, query:
Blind Willie Johnson also does "John the Revelator" yet Son gets writer's
credit. What's the deal (and I'm really not trying to start nothin', just
an inquiring mind).
tom
Jinx...@aol.com
<< Anyway, query:
Blind Willie Johnson also does "John the Revelator" yet Son gets writer's
credit. What's the deal (and I'm really not trying to start nothin', just
an inquiring mind). >>
I registered a copyright on Mister House's arrangement of the composition.
When director John Landis was considering the song for "Blues Brothers, 2000"
I made him aware of this and he said that the song had been brought to him by
Taj Mahal who had learned it from Mister House.
Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
Joel Fritz
folk revival of the 50s and early 60s--many copyrighted versions of
traditional material. Seems to me to be a perfectly reasonable thing. I'd
guess Buddy Bolden's version of "Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor" was a lot
different from (and probably better than) mine. <g>
Blue Stew
part 1 so if anyone knows when it will be re-run, I'd certainly appreciate a
heads up.
Thanks, Mike M.
pam
night's show - - but a search on my local ETV website shows that it will air
again at midnight on November 4, part 2 will air on November 6 and be repeated
at midnight on November 11.
There is a website for the program and you can search for your local station
at: http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic
Pam
Chris Burger
*********************************
I did mean that, thanks! Thomas A. Dorsey's story has
to be one of the most interesting blues-to-gospel
lives out there...
-Chris B.
>
> There was also a terrific piece on the former
> "Blind Tom" bluesman turned
> > gospel great Thomas A. Dorsey,
Jinx...@aol.com
<< I did mean that, thanks! Thomas A. Dorsey's story has
to be one of the most interesting blues-to-gospel
lives out there... >>
Although Martin Luther King, Jr. was much younger that Thomas A. Dorsey, Rev.
King had a premonition that he would not live a long life.
He asked Rev. Dorsey if he would sing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" at his
funeral.
. . . and so he did . . .
Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
Chris Burger
Tom!)actually wrote "Precious Lord" to me is
phenomenal. (Not as incredible as the tale behind
"Amazing Grace" -but close!)
The footage in the "Roots" show of Dorsey singing it
shortly before his death in front of a congregation
was very moving.
-Chris B.
Dana
> "Amazing Grace" -but close!)
>
> The footage in the "Roots" show of Dorsey singing it
> shortly before his death in front of a congregation
> was very moving.
>
> -Chris B.
Would you mind sharing the tale behind "Amazing Grace". It has always
been one of my favorite songs & I would be interested in knowing more
about it's origin?
Thanks,
Dana
__________________________________________________
>
Dana
> plus some great footage of Son House (that
> I've never seen) doing "John The Revelator."
This, for me, was the highlight. I have never had the opportunity to
actually
see any footage of Son House making music before. Awestruck is a
relevant adjective.
It is such a treat to be able to see these musicians perform. Within
the first few minutes I found myself parked on the floor about 2 feet
from the television.... spellbound like a small child watching the
Wizard of Oz for the
first time.
Dana
Ron Weinstock
<< cburg...@yahoo.com (Chris Burger) wrote in message
news:<2001103015364...@web14101.mail.yahoo.com>...
> plus some great footage of Son House (that
> I've never seen) doing "John The Revelator."
This, for me, was the highlight. I have never had the opportunity to
actually
see any footage of Son House making music before. Awestruck is a
relevant adjective. >>
I remember going to the Museum of Broadcasting in NYC and they had a special
series on jazz on TV with a programm devoted to the Studio 3 series that day
and in the description of the problem it mentioned one show with Gerry
Mulligan and the blues show with Buddy Guy. The blues program was the last of
the four showspresented and it opened with Son House. It was one of the most
exciting television shows I ever saw and to hear him and see him talk and
perfotm added a certain touch to those recordings.
Ron
Dave Morefield
From: "Dana" <loveinv...@yahoo.com>
To: <BLU...@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 17:28
Subject: Re: PBS Grasps Our Music By Its "Roots"
> (Not as incredible as the tale behind
> > "Amazing Grace" -but close!)
> >
> > The footage in the "Roots" show of Dorsey singing it
> > shortly before his death in front of a congregation
> > was very moving.
> >
> > -Chris B.
>
>
>
> Would you mind sharing the tale behind "Amazing Grace". It has always
> been one of my favorite songs & I would be interested in knowing more
> about it's origin?
>
> Thanks,
> Dana
Dana,
I know you directed your question to Chris, who will probably give you a more
complete answer than I can, but I'm horning (pun to follow) in anyway.
My community concert band did an arrangement of Amazing Grace a few years back. The
first time we played it in concert our director announced the song and told the story
of its composition, which I had never heard before until that very afternoon.
It seems that it was written by a former captain of a slave ship. He eventually
repented from his evil ways and felt great remorse. After years of sufferring from
the memories of his crimes against humanity he found God, and his burden was lifted.
I, an avowed athiest, was so moved by the story that I had a hard time playing my
simple part on euphonium that day.
Yours truly,
Dave Morefield
BJL
Newton and set to a traditional tune. Read more about it here
http://www.anointedlinks.com/amazing_grace.html
JL
BluesB...@earthlink.net (Dave Morefield) wrote in message news:<005e01c16302$6bd83360$65d3b3d1@h8v7h0>...
Dana
A big Thanks to everyone for the background info on "Amazing Grace".
While I had always been curious of the circumstances behind that song,
I never would have imagined a remorseful slave ship captain.......
louis...@virgin.net (BJL) wrote in message news:<826ba429.01110...@posting.google.com>...
Fishell
former slave-ship captain who was an atheist until a particularly bad storm
at sea on May 10, 1748. Desperate and afraid, he prayed for the first time
in his life. The ship (and its cargo) made it through the storm, and Newton
was changed forever -- well, actually he kept on hauling slaves across the
Atlantic for six more years, but he said that night was the beginning of his
conversion. He lived the rest of his life as a devoutly religious man and
wrote hundreds of hymns:
http://tch.wordnic.com/bio/n/e/newton_j.htm
Here are the oldest known lyrics, from 1779:
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis'd good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine.
And here are some other verses that have been added over the years:
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear.
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for ev'ry one
And there's a cross for me.
As we now lay our garments down
Upon our beds to rest,
So Death ere long disrobes us all
Of what we now possess.
But wait! There's more:
Shall I be carried to the skies
On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fight to win the prize
And sail through bloody seas?
Amazing grace has set me free,
To touch, to taste, to feel;
The wonders of accepting love,
Have made me whole and real.
And for anyone who'd like to do it in Scots-Gaelic:
O Miorbhail gràis! nach brèagh an ceòl;
'S e lorg mi 's mi air chall,
Air seachdran dorch', gun neart, gun treòir,
'S a dh'fhosgail sùilean dall.
'S e gràs thug eòlas dhomh air in' theum;
'S e gràs thug saors' is sìth;
'S cha cheannaicheadh òr a' chruinne-chè
Chiad-là bha fios nam chrìdh'.
Tro iomadh cunnart's trioblaid chruaidh
Thug E gu sàbhailt mi.
An gràs a shaor bhon bhàs le buaidh
Chan fhàg's cha trèig gu sìor.
San dachaigh bhuan gun uair gun tìm,
'S deich mìle bliadhn' mar là,
Cha sguir an ceòl's chan fhàs iad sgìth
A'seiinn a chaoidh mun ghràs.