Sample

Heavy rain and

climbing up the tree.

And

stopped to observe and perceiving the

situation.

Having conducted me into her hut she lighted up a lamp spread a mat on the floor told me

that I might remain there for the evening. Finding that I was very hungry she said she would

procure me something to eat. Accordingly she went out and returned in a short time with

a very fine dish. Which having caused to be half broiled upon some numbers

she gave me for supper. The rites of hospitality being thus performed

toward a stranger in distress.

My worthy benefactress pointed to the mat telling me that I might sleep there without apprehension

of the female part of the family who had stood gazing on me while all the while in

fixed astonishment to resume their task of spinning cotton in which they continued to

employ themselves a great part of the night. They lightened their labor by

songs one of which was composed extemporaneously for I was the subject of it.

It was sung by the young women. The rest joined in a sort of chorus. The

air was sweet and plaintiff and the words literally taken translated to. The

winds soared and the rain fell. The poor white man faint and weary

came and sat under our tree. He has no mother to bring him milk no

wife to grind his corn and the chorus would chime in let us pity the

white man. No mother has he.

When the European Mungo Park wrote of his experiences and travels in the interior of

Africa and 1799 he wrote of the people and their customs as might

a Martian among earth men. All things about the Africans were alien to him

and his European upbringing caused him to be continually surprised by the level of

cultural achievement of the people he met. He expected savages

and he found instead a dizzying number of cultures cultures at peace with their environment

cultures rich in artifact and means of artistic expression. Unlike

the Europeans who during the Renaissance had driven the secular way between his art and his

life. The Africans are in general and his music in particular were

characteristically functional musicologist Ernest Borneman has

cited some basic types of songs common to West African cultures and

songs used by young men to influence young women. Which of course includes all sorts of

courtship challenge and scorn songs songs used by workers to make their

tasks lighter. Songs used to preserve and pass along the cultures from older

men to adolescent boys and so on to the African separation of

music dancing songs the artifacts in a man's life or

the worship of his gods was and is inconceivable.

That.

Was.

The thing.

No matter what.

Thank you both Robert Hicks and his brother Charlie are

dead now but a blues enthusiasm George Mitchell managed to find a sister

still living in Atlanta. Confirm her he was able to get some of the details of their lives.

Seems they were raised on a farm in Walton County about 25 miles east of Atlanta.

Charlie started playing first and Bob picked it up from him when he was 14. Bob

came to Atlanta in 1980 when he was 18. He was a yard man for a while

then he worked at the new Biltmore Hotel. Then he worked as a car hop in a barbecue shack in

one of Atlanta's Ritz sex in Buckhead. Customers used to ask for songs

along with their chicken and chops and he played for parties after work. So he became

known as barbecue Bob. Except for some of his songs barbecue

Bob was not an important influence on the development of any major blues style.

The Atlanta singers were too local too personal in their introspection and lost out

to the fierce emotionalism of the Mississippi men. But Bob was a true blues man.

His songs had an emotional consistency even when he was doing things to please the wide

audiences in the mansions on Peachtree Street. And there was often a rather harsh

reality in his verses. He didn't have any of the easy lyricism of the Carolina

singers for instance. But he possessed an earnest sincerity and it left its imprint on the

music of the Atlanta man with whom he traveled.

In the words of his sister barbecue by Robert Hicks lived a fast life.

And he died of tuberculosis a few months after his last recording session.

He was 29 years old when he died.

Right I'm going to bring you gentlemen thank you thank you.

Don't you.

Find it.

OK. I'm. Kidding.

OK.

You know just standing.

There. OK.

Come on.

And then.

And then.

He called himself the king of all the guitar players in the whole world

and extended over a lot of Tory self-appreciation perhaps. But how do you lead better.

The fable Leadbelly of the Texas and Louisiana penitentiary the sweet singer from the

swamp lands was undoubtedly one of the most talented and influential artist to ever have

graced the scene of American traditional music.

How do you lead bettor was born on January 21st 1885 in the Kato Lake

District near more explored Louisiana close to the Texas Louisiana line.

His childhood like that of many of the blues singers we've discussed was filled with hard

work in the cotton fields and music in his spare time. By the time he'd reached

his teens Leadbelly had mastered the accordion harmonica piano

guitar and mandolin. His virtuosity and musical instruments however only

contributed to his personal problems which included a marriage of 15

followed by his desertion to Texas to work in the cotton fields there followed by a working

association with Blind Lemon Jefferson which lasted two years followed by the

death of one will Stafford of New Boston Texas in 1917

after a fight with Leadbelly over the affections of a local girl

Leadbelly was found guilty of murder and assault to commit murder and he was sentenced to 30

years in the state penitentiary at Huntsville.

After six and a half years of ascent Leadbelly was released from prison or from

prison by Gov. Pat Knapp who had become a Leadbelly fan during an inspection tour of the

prison camp. However just five short years later he was again found guilty

of assault to commit murder. This time in Louisiana and he was sentenced to 10

years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. This time he served

four years of the sentence until pardoned by Governor OK Allen was

impressed by the sincerity of Lead Belly's music and who felt that he could make a living singing

his music rather than brawling and fighting.

Leadbelly upon his release work for John Lomax the folklorist traveling to various

parts of the country and performed one of the first concerts at Harvard University

where he was very well received.

While artists like JBL and R were playing the clubs in England out front were

hundreds of England's youth who could feel the truth of the words the depth of the feelings

the driving quality of the music. And who were to take those blues and sang them and

play them with even greater intensity than ever song or played before.

I am not.

Willing.

To play.

In. Bird. Kill.

Some. People such. As just a.

Bunch. Of.

Kids to.

Eat.

And.

Eat.

Thank you.

That when the first wave of talent washed ashore from English riding on the coattails of the

blues men from whom they had learned a new revolution in music began to take shape.

A rueful ocean in which old racial walled in which previously held

attitude came tumbling down in the music along with what the slave the Tin

Pan Alley dragon and take the music out of the hands of the manipulators.

Placing it right back in the hands of the talent.

This is the national educational radio network.