HIL LIN I SUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

PRODUCTION NOTE

University of Illinois atUrbana- Champaign Library

Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007.

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OF TIE UNIVERSITYOF ILLINOIS

FEB 2 1962Vol. 2, No. 2

JIMM IE DRIFTWdOOD COMES toNOVEMBER 17 CONCERT

The Campus Folksong Club willpresent Jimmie Driftwood, "The BackwoodsTroubadour" in a concert of Ozark folkmusic on Friday, Nov. 17, 8 p.m. in122 Gregory Hall.

Driftwood has been described as acomposer, educator, singer and collector,and all of these he certainly is. Heis as much at home in the school roomas he is on the concert stage or beforethe microphone in an RCA recordingstudio. He taught in an Ozark 8-grade,one-room school before he finished highschool, and he also worked as a princi-pal, a superintendent of an independentschool system, and a remedial readingexpert.

The ballads that Jimmie collectsand composes reflect the history of ourcountry--songs like "The Battle of NewOrleans" and "The Tennessee Stud."

Jimmie has sung in Carnegie Hall,at the Newport Festival, at the Univ.of Calif., and on the campus of his AlmaMater at Conway, Ark. RCA has releasedfive Driftwood LP albums: "Battle ofNew Orleans," "Wilderness Road," "West-ern Movement," "Tall Tales in Song,""Songs of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb."

At his Nov. 17 concert Driftwoodwill sing pieces ranging from Britishballads to "Old Joe Clark,1m and will playhis homemade guitar, the "pickin'-bow,"and his old banjo "in a minor key." Forthe first time in any concert Jimmie hasagreed to play his mountain fiddle.

Tickets for the concert are $1.25,and may be purchased at the Illini Unionbox office or from members of the Club.

November 3, 1961

C FMUS

PROFESSOR FLANAGAN LAUNCHESCLUB SEMINAR SERIES

John Flanagan, English Dept.,opened our seminar series with aninformal talk on the colorful pageantryof Belgium.

Tuesday, Nov. 7, 4 p.m., DoyleMoore, Art Dept., will speak on "Ameri-

can Folk Instruments." He will supple-

ment his talk with slides and somemusical instruments that aren't "store-boughten."

Later this semester, HenriStegemeier, German Dept., will talk on"The Grimm Tales" and Joseph Gusfield,Sociology Dept., will take up problems

in "Urban vs. Rural Folklore."All seminars are in the YWCA Aud.

GUITAR-BANJO WORKSHOPS

Instrument workshops sponsored by

the Club got off to a damp but spirited

start on Oct. 28 with 20 people. Classes

currently in progress include beginningand intermediate guitar and banjo.

If anyone is interested in learningto play a folk instrument, this is a

great chance to do so in an economicalmanner. There is still time to joinone of the classes. Beginning and inter-mediate guitar classes are held in 114WEnglish Bldg. at 3 and 4 p.m., respect-ively, on Sat. Banjo classes are at1 p.m. on Sat. at 506 N. Wright, Champ.

Total cost for the lessons whichwill run through Dec. 16, is only $3.50.

AUTOHARP NEEDS

Autoharp welcomes editorial andtechnical assistance. Nuff saidl1

CURTIS JONES CONCERT

---a review by Dick Adams---

Curtis Jones is a blues singer in the tradition of Blind Lemon Jefferson,Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lightnin' Hopkins. His is not the slick,polished performance of the concert stage circuit. The music, Jones explains,"just comes from inside of you." His playing and singing have all the rough-ness and country charm of a true untrained folksinger. "Blues," he says, "issomething teachers can't teach in school. It ain't readin'...it ain't writin'.It has its own feelin'. It's all soul. I found myself sad and lonely so manytimes, I just have to let the feelin' out somehow."

And it comes out in lonely lines: "Woke Up this mornin' and found my babygone...Oh, baby, I'm so alone...I love my baby, but my baby don't love me."

Unlike Leadbelly and other blues singers, Jones left the guitar at an earlyage and turned to the piano. ("When I got to Dallas, I wanted that money...andthe piano, that's where the money was. The guitar's a lot easier, though. IfI'd of knowed what I was gettin' into, I never would've switched.") He's neverheard of people like Sonny Terry or Brownie McGhee, and he doesn't consider him-self a folksinger. If anything, he recognizes a kinship with jazz, and identifieswith jazz greats like Count Basie and Cab Calloway--men he met in his own Texas-Kansas City--Chicago wanderings.

But whatever the label, his music is a pure form of that amalgam of folkmusic and jazz known as "the blues."

Jones' appearance here last Friday night before the University of IllinoisCampus Folksong Club was his first before a college audience in twenty-fiveyears. In the mid-30's, he once played for a small group at a rural college inArkansas. Most of his dates recently have been in night clubs, and that accountsfor the strange variety in Friday's program.

"I try to please the people," he says. "I want to give them what they wantto hear." That's why jones' personalized bluesy versions of "Begin the Beguine"and "Canadian Sunset" rested rather uneasily alongside "Lonesome Bedroom Blues,""The Rock 'N Roll Special," and "Pine Top Boogie." But the traditional bluesand boogie-woogie numbers, led by the driving rhythm of the lefthand on the lowpiano octaves, were the ones that really appealed to his listeners.

"Why didn't you play "Stag-O-Lee" and stuff like that?" someone wanted toknow after the concert. "Heck," Jones said, "I can play that sort of thing allnight. But I didn't know they'd go for it."

The people who handled his latest LP record album (Prestige Bluesville 1022)know what the folk market will go for, and what it won't. The number we heardas "The Rock 'N Roll Special" appears on the album re-titled "Midnight Special,"so as not to frighten the folk and blues fans away.

At the age of 54, and after twenty years without a really appreciative orattentive audience, Curtis Jones appears well on the way to a fruitful secondcareer--this time as a "traditional folksinger."

* * * * * * * * *

The Campus Folksong Club plans future free concerts. Dates are to beannounced in Autoharp, The Daily Illini, and the town press.

JOSH WHITE TO APPEAR

Josh White, universally acclaimed folk singer, will appear in a STARCOURSE extra concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 6, in the UniversityAuditorium. Tickets will be available in the Illini Union Box Office.

White, who is known for his unique guitar style and interpretation ofballads, blues, work songs and spirituals, served a long apprenticeshiplearning to interpret life through song. No one tawght him how to sing. Noone taught him how to play the guitar. He was born to a young Negro preacherand his wife in Greenville, South Carolina, and christened Joshua DanielWhite after the biblical warrior.

His family was poor, his father ill, so White at the age of seven gothis first job leading blind Negro singers from one street corner to another.He lived surrounded by poverty.

His blind masters, bitter with their own fate, were brutal. But theirvery cruelty, White says, contributed to his progress as an artist, for bychanging masters he came into contact with all the great street singers ofthe period, people like Blind Joe Taggart, Blind Blake, and Blind LemonJefferson.

When he was 11, White played second guitar on a record with Blind JoeTaggart in Chicago. Three years later, whe he returned to his familyts home,a record scout found him and offered him $100 to go to New York for a recordingsession. His mother said he could go if he pr-mised to sing only spirituals,no blues, for to religious Southern people, blues were "sinful". White agreed,but after cutting 16 sides in New York, he ran out of spirituals. So he recordeda few blues under a pseudonym, "Pine Wood Tom." Church groups praised thespirituals, but the blues records established his reputation as a singer.

White got some radio jobs in New York and sang in church concerts. Atone such concert he met his wife-to-be, Carol. Shortly after, White cut hisright hand on a milk bottle, injurying his hand severly. He took a job operatiggan elevator and slowly nursed his nearly paralyzed hand back to health.

After four years he was playing engagements in Greenwhich Village andsmart East Side supper clubs. He made history at Cafe Society with his bluesnumbers and set a precedent at the Blue Angel by keeping it open through thesummer season. White also won a following of intellectuals through his balladsof the Negro South.

After White had set unusual records in England on radio programs, hereturned to the states and made three movies: "The Walking Hills," "All ThatMoney Can Buy," and "Crimson Canary," He also played on Broadway in "LowerDepths" and "How Long Till Summer."

JOSH WHITE, SINGS

UNIVERSITY AUD.

DECEMBER 6

8: P M

FOLK MUSIC FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

It is not generally known to new folksong enthusiasts that the Library

of Congress has recorded much folk music. The music, in phonograph record

form, is available to the general public on both 78 and 33 1/3 rpm discs. It

is also available on tape. The preface to the current record catalog explains

the history and nature of the collection:

THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK SONG of the Library of Congresswas established in 1928. Through the efforts of many curators,the collections have grown to bo world famous. They now

include over 16,000 discs, reels of tape, wire, and cylinderscontaining more than 60,000 different songs and ballads,fiddle tunes, harmonica and banjo pieces, and other indigenousAmerican folk music. In addition to material from the UnitedStates, the Archive also houses folk music from many areasof Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and elsewhere.

The collection of records has been largely made in thefield with portable recording equipment. The Library ofCongress cooperates with many institutions, universities,colleges, and qualified individuals in providing them withtapes for recording experiments. It strives to maintain acentral repository of significant materials by duplicatingthe collections assembled by others as well as throughits own initiation. Field trips are frequently madepossiblea through grants -in-aid from cooperating uni-versities and institutions where the expenses are notborne by the individual scholar. Almost every region of theUnited States is represented in the Library's collectionof field recordings. Special encouragement is given to theestablishment of archives in each state, in order thatscholars may have locally available the materials of theirown region. These regional archives are normally housed inthe library of a state university.

The field recordings of the Library of Congress are anessential part of the cultural heritage of the Americanpeople. Their collection and preservation afford scholars,folklorists, and the general public an opportunity to study,to appreciate, and to absorb the traditions of America thatare preserved in song and dance,

This catalog of phonograph records in entitled: FOLK MUSIC: ASelection of Folk Songs, etc. This excellent catalog is obtainable uponremittance 6of-5 to: i

Recording LaboratoryMusic DivisionLibrary of CongressWashington 25, D.C.

To date more than 60 Long Playing 12" records have been released fromArchive field recordings. These albums contain descriptive brochures editedby outstanding American folklorists: Alan Lomax, Ben Botkin, George Korson,Charles Seeger, Aichard Waterman, Frances Densmore, Bertrand Bronson, etc.The scope of available discs is seen in a sampling of album titles: "Anglo-American Ballads," "Songs of the Sioux," "Child Ballads Traditional in theUnited States," "Sacred Harp Singing," "Songs and Ballads of the AnthraciteMiners," "Songs of the Michigan Lumberjacks," etc.

THE MYSTERIES OF A HOBO'S LIFE

(Air: "The GirlP,

I Left Behind Me.")r(

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I took a job on an extra gang,Way up in the mountain,

I paid my fee and the shark shipped meAnd the ties I soon was counting.

The boss he put me driving spikesAnd the sweat was enough to blind me,

He didn't seem to like my pace,So I left the job behind me.

I grabbed a hold of an old freight trainAnd around the country traveled,

The mysteries of a hobo's lifeTo me were soon unraveled.

I traveled east and I traveled westAnd the "shacks" could never find me,

Next morning I was miles awayFrom the job I left behind me.

I ran across a bunch of "stiffs"Who were known as Industrial Workers.

They taught me how to be a man --And how to fight the shirkers.

I kicked right in and joined the bunchAnd now in the ranks you'll find me,

Hurrah for the cause -- To hell with the bossAnd the job I left behind me.

This parody is from the pen of T-Bone Slim, Wobbly (Industrial Workers of theWorld) poet, songwriter, and columnist. It can be found in the current (1956)Twenty-ninth Edition of the IWW Little Red Songbook. Like pieces by Joe Hilland Ralph Chaplin, "The Mysteries of a Hobo's Life" is intended "to fan theflames of discontent." The music above is from John Walsh's singing of thewell known Irish and American folksong.

N TKIC R*)AD•*i • letters from former members **

DICK KANAR -- Boulder, Colorado -- Oct. 18, 1961

... I caught a bus from St. Louis to Hays, Kansas. You may have wondered why Iwent to Hays; there is a college there. This, however, turned out to be a worth-

less choice. The school at Hays is a small one and one which is not used to

bearded people. Anyway, to go on, it was an all night bus ride, with very littlesleep. The following night I slept in a laundromat and then in the morning leftfor Denver. This was an all day ride and I got there around 10:00 in the evening.I decided to go to Boulder and didn't get there until 2:00 in the morning.

In Boulder, I was pretty well stuck. I tried to sleep in a park, but it wasjust too cold. I found another laundromat (for a change) but I was unable tosleep there because of piped-in music played very loud. Around 11:00 in the morn-ing I telephoned Professor Fishman (Economics), but he wasn't home. I went to theU. of Colorado Union and promptly fell asleep.

Sunday I met Bill Becker's friend, Dave Wood, who is a pretty good guitarist,and a very nice guy. Monday I unsuccessfully tried to find a job. Tuesday I dugditches for four hours and made $5. I really needed it by that time, because Iwas out of money, out of cigarettes, and almost out of Bugler tobacco. Luckily,the Fishmans were feeding me, and very well I might add.

- TT ---- -Wnwiesday nighu I went tIo ite Colo-i.. U. folksong club me

They are only about one step above the "Channing-Murray setsing stage." They have a slight chance of improving; theirdent, has some good ideas and he was very anxious to hear whhad done at Illinois. Thursday I went to Colorado Springsusing what I had left of the $5 I had made on Tuesday. Iwent to the ranch (recommended by a folk fan I met in Bostonbut George Norris, the owner had no work for me. He was ablme for a few hours--ten to be exact. He paid me $15 and I 1

DAVE HUEHNER -- San Francisco, California -- Aug. 28, 1961

... Well as you can see we (Warren Leming and I) made it.and a half weeks ago we drove over the Bay Bridge in my oldlooking like two migrant workers who had stuffed all theirworldly goods into a space far too small and headed West. Ttrip out was uneventful as the car ran fine and all we did wthe scenery. That is with exception for the side trip we took to Okemah, Okla.We spent a day looking around the town with Bound for Glory in our hands tryingto find places Woody mentions. At the cemetery we ran into an old-timer, LawrencePayne, who remembered the Guthrie family quite well. I have a few pictures ofthe town and one of the family houses.

Dave & Vera Fredrickson let us pad out in their garage in Berkeley for aweek and were a great boon in introducing us to people on the folk scene aroundCal. The word I get around Cal is that all the "folkniks" from Illinois seemsharp and have a deep interest in folkmusic. This, I feel, speaks well for theCampus Folksong Club. As for San Francisco I think it's the greatest town inAmerica. The more I see of it the more I become infatuated with its' houses,people, feelings, contrast and movement. What I dig most is that this is the onlycity I have come across that doesn't seem to dominate the individual. I feel freehere, which I could never find in any other American city. It's great' ...

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FOLKLORE IN PAPERBACKS--continued from previous issue-- --compiled by Joe Zderad--

Chase, Richard. AMERICAN FOLK TALES AND SONGS. illus.Signet Kay (New American Library) KD340, 1956. $.50.

Here is an excellent book! If you are just now becoming interested infolklore, or if you're an old hand at it, Mr. Chase's sampler of Anglo-Americanlore is one of the best investments you can make. It covers an immense area ofAmerica's wit and wisdom -- tales, songs, ballads, jokes, games, hymns, customs,dances, even tombstone inscriptions -- yet there is a wealth of detail. Get it

Lynn, Frank. SONGS FOR SWINGIN' HOUSEMOTHERS.Chandler Publications Co., 1961. $1.95.

Words and music to more than 300 songs, ranging from "Abdul bulbul amir"to "Zum gali gali," are presented in this paperback. Besides songs for swingin'housemothers, there are also songs for linguists (lyrics in foreign languages),serenades, blues, drinking songs, calypsos, sea songs, spirituals, and a goodhandful of just about everything else. The quality of the book suffers (perhapsdue to the quantity of songs), in that the elite type print is not ideal. Thereare handy indexes: titles, first lines, subject phrases.

Marais and Miranda. FOLKSONG JUBILEE.Ballantine F432K, 1960. illus. $.50.

Josef Marais has gathered 52 songs from all over the world for this gener-ously illustrated collection, including a goodly number of African Veldt songs forwhich Marais and Miranda are internationally known. Each song has a brief proseintroduction in addition to the words, music and guitar accompaniment. Mr. Marais"has set his songs to music written especially for the guitar which is also easilyadaptable for the piano," and many of them include his own translations. Some ofthe songs are happy, some are sad; all are enjoyable.

Nettl, Bruno. AN INTRODUCTION TO FOLK MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES.Wayne State Univ. Press (W.S.U. Studies No. 7), 1960. $2.50.

The title is an accurate one, and 32 musical examples supplement the text.As stated in the preface, there is "no overall survey or summary of (Americanfolk music) ... in its entirety. The folk music of non-English-speaking groupshas been especially neglected in attempts to survey the field. This volume isintended to fill in that gap. ... It does not pretend to be definitive nor topresent new material ... (its) purpose is to introduce the layman to the greatvariety of forms and cultures represented in the folk music in this country."

Silber, Irwin, and Ethel Raim. AMERICAN FAVORITE BALLADS; TUNES ANDSONGS AS SUNG BY PETE SEEGER.Oak Publications, 1961. illus. $1.95.

This book offers about 80 of Pete Seeger's all-time favorite Americanballads, music and words, as he likes to sing them. Each song has a brief prose

introduction, usually a source credit, by Pete himself. A discography and a page

of guitar chords are included in this well-edited volume. Good cuts and illus-trations carry out the musical themes.

-- to be continued-"

FOLKLORE SEMINARi_ 1

THE CAMPUS FOLK SONG CLUB

PRESENTS

Nov. 7A. Doyle MooreDept. of Art"American Folk Instruments"

Dec. 5Henri StegemelarDept. of German"The Grimm Tales"

Jan. 9Joseph R. GusfieldDept. of Sociology"Urban vs. Rural Folklore"

7

AT THE Y.W.C.A. AUDITORIUM ON TUESDAYS AT 4 PM