NRR Project: 'John the Revelator' (1938)

 

NRR Project: ‘John the Revelator’

Music and lyrics by Blind Willie Johnson

Performed by the Golden Gate Quartet

Recorded 1938

3:01

First of all, you have to read the explanatory essay by Kathyrn Kemp, which you can click onhere. It is outstanding, and tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

The evolution of gospel music is well worth looking into. How did religious music switch from solemn hymn-singing to the vibrant and jubilant sound of gospel music? The Golden Gate Quartet is one of the leading purveyors of what was this new kind of music. Integrating elements of the blues, close-harmony singing, and a throbbing beat, early gospel music was compelling and propulsive.

Many in the religious community objected to what they perceived as the secularization of church music. It took several years of success with the pubic to make the scoffers change their minds. Once adopted, the thrilling vocal techniques that give gospel its pep became an entry point into faith. (Later on, some gospel performers made the transition into rhythm and blues, most notably Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke.)

The Golden Gate Quartet attacks the song with fervor, with the supporting voices forming a chugging, insistent background to the verbal curlicues of the lead singer. The energy and feeling is intense, even transcendent.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: the Jelly Roll Morton interviews.

Resistance persistence

 

“The summer solider and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” -- Thomas Paine, Dec. 23, 1776

You are living in a police state. If you don’t know this by now, you missed the transition. It was as fast as the snapping-off of a light; one day we were a functioning democracy, the next armed, unidentified militant gangs were kidnapping innocent people off the streets and throwing them into concentration camps.

This is a fundamental problem. The current presidential administration is reportedly considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus (the right of an accused person to be brought before a judge, not held imprisoned indefinitely). However, in effect, this right has already been suspended for those suspected (not proven) to be in the country illegally, and for those who exercise freedom of speech that the government dislikes.

There is so much more malfeasance on top of this. Besides the staggering amount of corrupt, fortune-enhancing activities by the rich men who would run our country for their benefit, there is action against Black people, Latinx people, women, LGBTQ+ people . . . in fact, anyone not aligned with straight white Christian patrimony.

The other two branches of the federal government have already let us down. The Congress has proven itself unequal to the task of striking down these egregious criminals. The Supreme Court has enabled the dysfunction. It turns out that the checks and balances that preserved our free democratic state only work if the will to work them is there. This is a responsibility those supposedly in power have shirked, to our collective detriment.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, you can do something about it.

The ultimate political power in the United States is wielded by the people. Our consent is required for the conduct of government, for good or evil. Yet this power of consent has been largely abandoned; 90 million people did not vote in the last election, a number that is more than the number of votes either presidential candidate received. In short, too many people really don’t seem to give a shit about their quality of life, the right of their neighbors to live a peaceful life, or their children’s future.

Those who don’t actively resist these developments are in the same boat with those perpetrating them. Silence is consent. Do you really want to be on the side of the fascists? Of course not. Well, that means you need to go off your ass and do something about it. Compliance is complicity.

As the Declaration of Independence tells us, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

The almost insurmountable obstacle here is indifference. Resistance requires participation in the democratic process, through the use of your First Amendment rights of peaceful protest and freedom of speech. These must be exercised, frequently and energetically, in order to combat the erosion of liberties. Politicians don’t listen to a few dissenters, but as those numbers increase, so the mandate for change is more effectively promoted.

Now, here’s the problem – resistance is exhausting. There is no immediate gratification involved in resistance; it is hard to measure progress and daunting when it seems to change nothing. Here are some tips for persisting in resistance:

1.     It’s a job

The United States of America was founded on the principle of individual freedom and autonomy. With this principle, however, comes a responsibility. We are in charge, and we need to act like it. You are a boss. Resistance should become a daily practice, part of your routine. It’s a full-time job. You can write or call your representatives daily (5 Calls is a great phone app for that, for example). You can make a sign and march in the streets. You can spread the word. You can stand up when someone tries to take away the rights of those around you who are targeted for oppression.

Now, is it fair that this amount of effort needs to expended, when you already have a life with plenty of demands on your time? No, it’s not. Too bad. We are all part of this ongoing experiment, and our participation in a free society means that, in time of crisis, we have to do pain-in-the-ass things to a bunch of pain-in-the-ass people. In a time when our vision of good government is under assault, it means you have to gird your loins and grind out acts of justice, acts of mercy, acts of compassion, on a daily basis. If you thrive on defiance, there is plenty to go around. 

2.     Lessen the stressin’

In order to sustain any kind of effort, you need resources – not only physical, but mental and emotional. Protest can be draining, especially when you don’t see the fruits of your actions right away. This means you need to step up your self-care. Be nice to yourself. Make time for those activities that make you feel human. There will be days when it all seems hopeless. It’s OK to feel down and discouraged. It just takes that little bit of extra effort to get back up again and take it on the chin, and continue to resist.

But, take breaks. Obsessing about all the bad news coming down the pike can lead to hyper-vigilance, paranoia, perpetual agitation, analysis paralysis. Get away from the headlines, the doomscrolling. Make room for friends and family, for laughs, for art, for music, or something silly, anything, something simple that brings you joy. In this way you can recharge your batteries. In this way, you can stop dictators from living rent-free in your head. 

3.     All together now

 Form alliances. If you are out there busily standing up to bullies, you will inevitably come into contact with similar-minded people. Develop these relationships, make friends, exchange contact information. Look for groups that align with your sensibilities and join them. There always have been and still are many organizations fighting for justice. Get involved. If change is to take place, it will only do so if a preponderance of people get up on their feet and make their voices heard.

Now, is there safety in numbers? Probably not. Anybody who steps out of line, who refuses to cooperate, who calls the bastards out on their shit, has the potential to be a target. If you resist, the odds are that sooner or later you will suffer for it. The alternative, however, is a miserable life controlled by greedy, sadistic ideologues who don’t care about you or your values.

Welcome to the Resistance. No kings.

NRR Project: Franz Boas and George Herzog Recording of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Dan Cranmer (1938)

 

NRR Project: Franz Boas and George Herzog Recordings of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Dan Cranmer

Recorded 1938

I have not much to say about this entry. The explanatory essay of Rainer Hatoum covers the ground thoroughly and expertly; read it here. The recordings are filed away safely in research libraries but are not readily available to the general public.

Cultural anthropologist Franz Boas had been exploring Inuit and Northwest Native American culture since the 1880s. First using fragile wax cylinders, then more hardy media such as acetate-coated aluminum discs, he recorded all he could of tribal songs, rituals, and stories. These recordings saved the lore of the Kwakwaka’wakw people and for that we can be grateful.

Unfortunately, the trend of scientific interest in Native American culture developed only after the decimation of the millions of Native Americans who were wiped out by white predation. Artifacts such as these represent a belated but sincere effort to increase understanding, knowledge, and tradition.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: John the Revelator.

NRR Project: Sol Ho'opi'i plays 'Fascinating Rhythm' (1938)

 

NRR Project: ‘Fascinating Rhythm’

Music by George Gershwin; Lyrics by Ira Gershwin

Performed by Sol Ho’opi’i and His Novelty Five

Recorded 1938

2:46

First, read the explanatory essay by Guy Cundell; it’s top-notch! He knows his stuff.

This performance is an example of the mutation and development of a certain kind of instrument and a certain kind of music. The “steel guitar” is simply a guitar played utilizing a steel bar on the strings, thus the name. The tradition of laying the guitar flat and playing it that way originated in Hawaii, and when electric guitars were invented, the first kind produced were steel guitars.

Sol Ho’opi’i was a genius on the instrument, and in this selection, you can hear him ringing the changes, improvising wildly as he plows through several choruses of the song, backed up by a subdued but steady supporting cast of rhythm players. Though couched in the chords familiar from Hawaiian tunes, this version of the Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm” is really a jazz piece.

As Ho’opi’I plays, he goes farther and farther out with his chromatic leaps and chord changes, demonstrating the versatility of the instrument. Playing like this developed other instruments such as the dobro, a favorite of bluegrass musicians, also played flat and with a bar. Country music would pick up on the distinctive sound and adapt it to their own uses as well.

It’s a great example of a marginal, minority-made music making its way into the culture, transforming it and itself at the same time.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: Franz Boas and George Herzog recording of Kwakwaka’wakw Chief Dan Cranmer.

NRR Project: 'The Cradle Will Rock' (1937)

 

NRR Project: ‘The Cradle Will Rock’

Music, Lyrics, and Libretto by Mark Blitzstein

Performed by the Federal Theater Project

Recorded 1938

55 min.

It was the show they could not kill, and it’s still relevant today.

It was the brainchild of Mark Blitzstein (1905-1964), an American composer, lyricist, and librettist of some, er, note. He was a child prodigy; fortunately, he came from an affluent family and could afford to continue his musical studies. He learned his craft at the Curtis Institute of Music, and from European mentors such as Arnold Schoenberg and Nadia Boulanger.

Although initially averse to the work of modern composers such as Kurt Weill (who composed The Threepenny Opera with playwright Bertolt Brecht in Berlin in 1928), he gradually came around to using their style. This approach wedded lyrical scoring with bluesy, angular, vernacular tunes. Additionally, he used Sprechgesang, a German expressionist approach that weds speech and singing. As a result, his work on Cradle was very reminiscent of composers of the day such as Weill and Hans Eisler.

Blitzstein was a confirmed leftist, and he didn’t care who knew it. He played a musical sketch on prostitution for a visiting Brecht, who encouraged him to expand and develop it. He stated, “There is prostitution for gain in so many walks of life: the artist, the preacher, the doctor, the lawyer, the newspaper editor. Why don't you put them against this scene of literal selling.” Blitzstein got to work on the bitterly satiric fable that is Cradle.

In it, a prostitute in Steeltown, U.S.A. is picked up for soliciting and brought to night court. There she meets a timid druggist who has lost his store after witnessing an anti-union bomb that killed his son and three others. Also in the court is the town’s anti-union Liberty Committee, mistakenly arrested as union sympathizers. This group begins to bleat for Mr. Mister, the town’s leading industrialist, to bail them out.

One by one, each of the community leaders is co-opted by Mr. Mister, whose economic power means that what he says, goes. Reverend Salvation, newspaper Editor Daily, college President Prexy, Doctor Specialist, and artist Yasha and Dauber all kowtow to him, and follow his orders to support the conduct of war (in order to sell more steel), and to suppress of the working man.

Into this situation steps union organizer Larry Foreman. Mr. Mister tries to bribe him, but Foreman rejects him and summons the people to rally for solidarity and united action. “When the wind blows, the cradle will rock!” he sings.

At this point in American history, socialist thought was at the forefront of the culture. Violent strikes had marred the landscape, and Communism had not yet been discredited. Blitzstein played the score for New York theater groups, to no avail. Finally, he played it for the 21-year-old wunderkind actor and director Orson Welles, who then advocated for the play’s mounting to producer John Houseman, who was with the Federal Theatre Project, a New Deal government entity that funded arts and entertainment programs across the country.

The opera went forward. Rehearsals began in March of 1937. A theater was hired, elaborate sets were built, costumes were constructed, an orchestra was assembled. However – right-wing politicians got wind of the plan to mount a pro-labor show on Broadway, and behind the scenes they sought to cancel the production. Using the excuse of budget cuts, the show was targeted for shutdown. On June 14, the opera had its dress rehearsal; on June 15, the government padlocked the theater. Sets and props and costumes were trapped inside, unusable.

Performances were already sold out, and the play had nowhere to go. Finally, on June 16, Houseman found another vacant Broadway theater, and quickly rented it. The cast, the crew, and an audience of 600 marched 21 blocks north to it, and prepared to present the show in a bare-bones version.

Ironically, the musician’s union nixed the use of the orchestra, and Actors’ Equity wouldn’t allow anyone onstage without the assent of the original producer – the U.S. government, technically. But the players refused to admit defeat. Blitzstein sat at the piano onstage, pounding out the score solo. In the audience, cast members sat among the audience members, leaping to their feet when it was their turn to sing.

The result was electrifying. The rebellious energy of the performers met with the enthusiasm of the crowd, and the applause at the end was deafening. The show lived. Two days later, the Theatre Guild stepped up to produce the opera, and soon it was being seen in New York and across the country.

The recording is posited as the first complete recording of a Broadway show. The censorship of the show led Welles and Houseman to form the Mercury Theatre, soon to be noted for its dynamic and controversial offerings.

To this day, it remains a wry, beautiful testament to the struggle of working people to overcome the domination of moneyed interests in American society. In 90 years, there is still plenty of inequity to be opposed. Not much has changed.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: Sol Hoopii and his Novelty Five play Fascinating Rhythm.

NRR Project: The Andrews Sisters sing 'Bei Mir Bistu Shein' (1937)

 

NRR Project: ‘Bei Mir Bistu Shein’

Written by Jacob Jacobs, Sholom Secunda/Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin

Performed by the Andrews Sisters

Recorded Nov. 24, 1937

3:10

This amazingly catchy song made the Andrew Sisters’ career; it boasts not one but two origin stories. Its tale is a twisted one.

The song was originally composed by Sholom Secunda and Jacob Jacobs for the 1932 Yiddish musical, I Would If I Could (Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht, or “You Could Live, But They Won’t Let You”.) Though the musical is justly forgotten, this single song from the score meandered through the Jewish-American culture of the day, becoming extremely popular in Jewish resorts and on Jewish bandstands. (“Bei Mir Bistu Shein” translates as “To Me You’re Beautiful”.)ar

However, despite attempts to sell it to big-name entertainers, the songwriters wound up selling the rights for a mere $30. Now, one of two things happened. First, Jenny Grossinger of Grossinger’s Catskills Resort taught to the African-American singing duo Johnnie and George. Then Johnny and George performed it at New York’s Apollo Theater, where songwriter Sammy Cahn heard it and saw its potential.

The second version is that bandleader Vic Schoen discovered the sheet music in a Yiddish music store, then passed it along to music publisher Lou Levy, who passed it to Cahn. Ultimately, Cahn and Saul Chaplin crafted catchy English-language lyrics after record producer Joe Kapp rejected a Yiddish-language recording of the song.

The Andrews Sisters, Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne, had been singing together since they were 7, and had been supporting the family as performers since the age of 12. Up to this point in their careers, they lived in the shadow of America’s first great close-harmony sister act, the Boswell Sisters. However, the Boswells had broken up in 1936. The stage was empty, and the Andrews Ssiters stepped in.

Their approach is jaunty and swinging, with much more of aa rat-tat-tat precision edge in comparison to the Boswells, who had a much smoother, silky finish to their vocals. They pop the delivery and swing hard, backed up by  solid musical ensemble. Saucily, the English lyricists turned the dilemma of adequately translating a foreign song into the central conceit of the song itself. The words are memorable:

“Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some

Until I first met you, I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me

You're really swell, I have to admit you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
All the things that you do to me

Bei mir bist du schoen, please let me explain
Bei mir bist du schoen means you're grand
Bei mir bist du schoen, again I'll explain
It means you're the fairest in the land

I could say "Bella, bella", even say "Sehr wunderbar"
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schoen
So kiss me and say you understand”

The song was insanely popular. It sold a quarter of a million records, and more than 100,000 copies of sheet music Within three months, at least six other recording artists tackled it. It made the Andrews Sisters career, and they became one of the best-known participants in the Swing Era.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: The Cradle Will Rock.

NRR Project: Artie Shaw plays 'Begin the Beguine' (1938)

 

NRR Project: ‘Begin the Beguine’

Written by Cole Porter

Performed by Artie Shaw and his Orchestra

Recorded July 24, 1938

3:14

“Begin the Beguine” was the tune that made Artie Shaw’s career. He hated it.

“’Begin the Beguine’ is a pretty nice tune. But not when you have to play it 500 times in a row,” he said.

The great songwriter Cole Porter wrote it while on a cruise ship in the Pacific. (The beguine is a Latin dance somewhat like a slow rumba.) It premiered in October 1935, in the musical Jubilee. It achieved minor notice at the time, and was covered by Xavier Cugat and his orchestra in its original rhythm.

But when Shaw selected the song for his own orchestra, he and arranger Jerry Gray decided to swing it in 4/4 time. The tune was not thought to be a winner; it was released on the B side of a record featuring “Indian Love Call” on the other side.

Its success was undeniable. Above the solid rendition of the melody in the horns, Shaw’s clarinet soars gracefully above it. It’s upbeat and catchy as hell, and the nation went nuts over it. It became the top-selling recording of 1938. The song made Shaw and his band famous, opening the door for them. Soon Shaw was all over the radio, and headlining sold-out concerts around the country.

However, Shaw was not pleased. He was unique in that he continually tried to stretch the boundaries of what was possible musically. Unlike other musical geniuses such as Duke Ellington, Shaw was extremely difficult to deal with. He was not content to simply play popular dance music, forming and re-forming units of musicians in order to work out his ideas.

"I don't attempt to ram hackneyed, insipid tunes down the public's throat,” he wrote, “just because they've been artificially hypoed to the so-called 'hit' class. This policy of trying to maintain some vestige of musical integrity has, naturally, earned me enemies, people who think I'm a longhair, impressed with my own ability. Nothing could be farther from the truth. My faith in dance music — I refuse to call it swing — borders on the fanatic. I have the utmost respect for the many real musicians who are creating a new music as important as the classics . . .”

For instance, in 1935 he created “Interlude in B-flat,” which featured just him, a rhythm section, and a string quartet. In 1940 he formed the Gramercy Five, which included a harpsichord and an electric guitar. He would cut a few sides with a given ensemble, then disbanded, moving on to the formation of yet another group. (He ran through eight wives as well.)

He had a great ear for talent. Among his hires were drummer Buddy Rich, singer Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Mel Torme, Ray Coniff. With them, he continued to hammer at the idea of making jazz more than just popular fodder. It helped that Shaw was (in my opinion) the greatest clarinetist of the era, looser in approach than Benny Goodman and more robust than Sidney Bechet. He has a beautiful tone, and is an endlessly inventive improviser.

After a tour in 1954, Shaw put down his instrument for decades, citing his insatiable perfectionism as a cause. In fact, it was this and his emotional abusiveness that doomed his marriages and his music-making. He moved on to other concerns; he wrote an excellent autobiography, The Trouble with Cinderella.

Eventually, in his 70s he returned to the instrument and played a bit here and there. He was still a lyrical performer, decades after his first big success.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: the Andrew Sisters sing ‘Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen’.

NRR Project: The Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)

 

NRR Project: The Wisconsin Folksong Collection

Collected by Sidney Robertson and Helene Stratman-Thomas

Collected 1937 - 1946

I could not do better than James P. Leary’s excellent explanatory essay on the selection, which you can read here.

Essentially, two different researchers, Sidney Robertson and Helene Stratman-Thomas, traveled through the state of Wisconsin, recording more than 900 folk songs, many in the languages that immigrants brought with them when they came to America.

Here is the first example I have found of an extensive collection for the Registry which has been digitized and can be searched or leafed through online (find it here). Waltzes, polkas, ballads, laments – it’s all here and available for your perusal.

The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Nest time: Artie Shaw plays Begin the Beguine.