Music by black Americans (as far as I know). Not much in the way of spoken word stuff aside from Malcolm X’s speeches. Also: very little experimental music. The only artist in my vinyl collection who I knew wasn’t a white dude was Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, which was really disheartening to realize. Still covered a lot more ground than I typically do, with funk, jazz, electric Chicago blues, and vaudeville blues in addition to the usual country blues and gospel.
A couple of mistakes I feel the need to note: I gave the wrong name of the artist for “Time Is On Our Side” and thought Revelation Funk was part of the song title instead of one of the artists involved, and I said the boys from Street And Gangland Rhythms were homeless but they actually lived in public housing.
And apparently today is Bessie Jones‘ birthday (2/8/1902-7/17/1984). Alan Lomax called her “the Mother Courage of American Black traditions.” Happy birthday, Bessie. Thanks for your amazing music.
Air date: February 8, 2017
Background music: Jimi Hendrix – Young/Hendrix (from Nine To The Universe)
00:00:00 Talk break
00:02:32 Herbie Hancock – Hornets (from Sextant)
00:22:11 Bessie Johnson – The 1927 Flood (from 1928-1929 (Sanctified Volume 1))
00:25:21 Leadbelly – National Defense Blues (from Keep Your Hands Off Her)
00:28:26 De Ford Bailey – The Alcoholic Blues (from Harmonica Showcase – De Ford Bailey And D. H. “Bert” Bilbro 1927-31: Complete Recordings In Chronological Order)
00:31:28 Talk break
00:36:14 Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe – M’Bondo (from Timon Irnok Manta)
00:38:00 Malcolm X – Violence And Non-Violence, Human Rights And Civil Rights (from Speaking)
00:53:54 The Soul Rebellion Orchestra & Revelation Funk – Time Is On Our Side (from Dolemite Soundtrack)
00:57:19 Bessie Jones – This Time Another Year (from Georgia Sea Islands, Volume 1)
01:00:21 Talk break
01:04:37 Wicked Witch – Under Your Spell (from Chaos 1978-86)
01:13:00 Elmore James & John Brim – Whose Muddy Shoes (from Whose Muddy Shoes)
01:16:17 Victoria Spivey – Black Snake Blues (from Songs We Taught Your Mother)
01:20:28 Blind Joe Taggart – Strange Things Happening In The Land (from A Guitar Evangelist 1926 to 1931)
01:23:30 Unknown artist – Stackerlee (from Negro Prison Songs (From The Mississippi State Penitentiary))
01:27:33 Funny Papa Smith – Honey Blues (from 1930-1931 The Original Howling Wolf)
01:30:36 Talk break
01:34:22 Dollar Brand – Cherry / Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro (from African Portraits)
01:36:38 Unknown artist – Percussion Ensembles (from Street And Gangland Rhythms: Beats And Improvisations By Six Boys In Trouble)
01:40:07 Rev. G. I. Townsel – A Sermon Fragment (from Negro Church Music)
01:44:04 Ella Jenkins – An American Chain Gang Chant (from Call And Response: Rhythmic Group Singing)
01:47:33 Rev. C. L. Franklin – I’m Going Through; I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry (from I Heard The Voice)
01:55:31 Lonnie Holley – Earthly Things (from Just Before Music)
02:01:47 Talk break