E04 Alan Lomax

A celebration of the life and extraordinary work of American folklorist Alan Lomax and how his calling to record the world changed the course of 20th century music with his legacy of over 10,000 recordings. We’ll talk with Lomax historian and archivist Don Fleming about Lomax’s groundbreaking work in the American South during the 1930s, trace Lomax’s path abroad and his efforts to record and capture the traditional music of countries across the world, talk with Todd Harvey of the Library of Congress about his efforts to preserve Lomax’s legacy, and find out how Alan’s long-held dream of providing unlimited access to his work is now becoming reality in the Internet Age. 

 

Episode Transcript

 

Content warnings: explicit lyrics on the translation of Jelly Roll Morton’s “C’était N’aut’ Can-Can, Payez Donc (If You Don't Shake, You Don't Get No Cake)”

 

Host: Jeff Haas

Guests: Don Fleming, John Szwed, Todd Harvey

 

Music

• Mississippi Fred McDowell “What's the Matter Now?”
• Bookmiller Shannon “The Eighth of January”
• Mississippi Fred McDowell “When You Get Home, Write Me A Few Little Lines”
• Son House “Delta Blues”
• Alan Lomax “Early in the Mornin'”
• Lead Belly “Matchbox Blues”
• Muddy Waters “Take A Walk With Me”
• Ervin Webb “I'm Goin' Home”
• Woody Guthrie “Do Re Mi”
• Alan Lomax “Lenga Serpentina (Serpent Tongue)”
• Sidney Carter “Worried Now, Won't be Worried Long”
• Boy Blue “Dimples”
• Jelly Roll Morton “Ain’t Misbehavin’”
• Jelly Roll Morton “C’était N’aut’ Can-Can, Payez Donc (If You Don't Shake, You Don't Get No Cake)”
• Lead Belly “Goodnight, Irene” 
• Muddy Waters “I Be’s Troubled”
• Georgia Turner “The Rising Sun Blues”
• The Animals “House of the Rising Sun”
• E.C. Ball “Tribulations”
• Muddy Waters “Louisiana Blues”
• Rosalie Hill “Rolled and Tumbled”

 

Original Air Date: April 13, 2012

 

Radio broadcast produced by Lou Blouin and Jeff Haas

Radio broadcast audio engineering by Jack Conners and Brock Mormon

Podcast produced by Sam Boase-Miller and Erik Saras

Podcast audio remastering by Sam Boase-Miller

Transcripts and show notes by Erik Saras

 

Theme Song: Jeff Haas Trio & Friends “Giving In”

 

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The New Jazz Archive radio broadcasts originally sponsored by Chateau Chantal. The New Jazz Archive receives no revenue from podcast reissues of radio broadcasts.