Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 26, 1985.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, July 6, 1985.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The Mississippi Delta is the area formed by the alluvial flood plain of the lower Mississippi River and incorporating parts of four states, a region distinguished by both geographic and cultural characteristics. From the flat, rich land of west Tennessee through parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, the entire region owes many of its cultural traditions to the Mississippi River and the many smaller rivers that permeate the area, some with names reflective of the Native Americans who first settled there or other groups who came later. Entire communities, operating with varying codes and customs based on indigenous traditions, have evolved around the region's rivers and bayous: from the commercial fisherfolk, trappers, and towboat workers, whose houses often cluster near major rivers, landings, and levees; to African American ministers and their congregations, who wade into the waters to baptize believers "the old way"; to the privileged planters' sons, whose membership in the exclusive hunting clubs along the river is bestowed by the accident of birth. The rivers are imbued with personal, local, and regional symbolism and significance.
Today's Delta is still largely rural and agricultural, its economy very closely tied to the land. In spite of a century of clearing, cultivating, draining, and land leveling, the region retains its primitive swamps, bayous, and cypress brakes. It was the environmental wonder and agricultural richness of the region that led a diversity of cultural groups to settle there - or to be brought there, against their will, to cultivate its fields. For instance, in the 1890s several Mississippi plantation owners fretted over the declining work force and looked to Italy for a solution in the form of sharecroppers. Arkansas planters similarly brought Chinese to the Delta.
Though the largest percentages of residents today are black African Americans and white Anglo-Saxons, the region also has substantial populations of people of Jewish, Chinese, Lebanese, Syrian, Italian, Greek, and Mexican ancestry. One can observe small Chinese groceries in many Delta towns, the large presence of Italian families and traditions throughout Mississippi and Arkansas, and the wonderful assimilation of ethnic foodways such as Delta tamales, probably brought to the Delta by Mexican farm workers who came to earn a living in the cotton fields.
The Mississippi Delta program at the 1997 Festival cast its spotlight not only on the diverse musical traditions that evolved or were invented in the Delta, but also at the occupations associated with the land and water, the crafts and foodways that utilized the region's natural resources, the amusements that provided diversion to Delta residents, and the worshipping practices that gave them solace and strength.
The program was curated by a team that included Deborah Boykin, Joyce Jackson, Worth Long, Michael Luster, Maida Owens, Diana Parker, Tom Rankin, Arlene Reiniger, and Susan Roach. Arlene Reiniger also served as Program Coordinator.
Support for the program came from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, and the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds.
Presenters:
Deborah Boykin, John T. Edge, Joyce Jackson, Worth Long, Michael Luster, Francesca McLean, Maida Owens, Wiley Prewitt, Tom Rankin, Susan Roach
Participants:
HOME AREA
Gene Chinn, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Noah Chinn, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Bradley Chow, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Gilroy Chow, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Lisa Chow, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Sally Chow, Chinese traditions, Clarksdale, Mississippi
Dinni Clark, Southern cook, Columbus, Mississippi
Lawrence M. Craig, barbecue cook, DeValls Bluff, Arkansas
Alice Virden, gardener, flower arranger, Greenville, Mississippi
Edna White, tatter, Jackson, Mississippi
Tampa Wilson, basket maker, Bentonia, Mississippi
PLAY AREA
Delta Dance Hall
Eddie Cusic, blues guitar, Leland, Mississippi
THE TIM LAUGHLIN'S NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND, Dixieland Jazz -- THE TIM LAUGHLIN'S NEW ORLEANS DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND, Dixieland JazzEd Dowling, trumpet, New Orleans, LouisianaDavid Hansen, drums, New Orleans, LouisianaTim Laughlin, clarinet, New Orleans, LouisianaTom Roberts, piano, Annapolis, MarylandDavid Sager, trombone, Washington, D.C.
BIG LUCKY & HIS MIGHTY MEN OF SOUND, Traditional Blues, Memphis, Tennessee -- BIG LUCKY & HIS MIGHTY MEN OF SOUND, Traditional Blues, Memphis, TennesseeShirley Bobo, vocalsLevester "Big Lucky" Carter, guitar, vocalsWillie "Boogieman" Hubbard, keyboardsMelvin Lee, bassDavid Valentine, drums, vocals
KENNY BILL STINSON & THE ARK-Louisiana-MYSTICS, Rockabilly -- KENNY BILL STINSON & THE ARK-Louisiana-MYSTICS, RockabillyKevin Gordon, electric guitar, Nashville, TennesseePaul Griffith, drums, Nashville, TennesseeLorne Rail, bass guitar, Nashville, TennesseeKenny Bill Stinson, piano, guitar, W. Monroe, Louisiana
SWEET MISS COFFY & THE MISSISSIPPI BURN'IN BLUES BAND, Soul Blues -- SWEET MISS COFFY & THE MISSISSIPPI BURN'IN BLUES BAND, Soul BluesDennis Bonds, guitar, Jackson, MississippiGregory Dishmon, drums, Pearl, MississippiVeeta Hatten, keyboards, vocals, Jackson, MississippiWillie James Hatten, bass guitar, Jackson, MississippiGeorge Myrick, guitar, Jackson, MississippiClaude C. Wells, keyboards, Jackson, Mississippi
THE RUFUS THOMAS GROUP, Rhythm & Blues, Memphis, Tennessee -- THE RUFUS THOMAS GROUP, Rhythm & Blues, Memphis, TennesseeJimmy Kinnard, bassCharles Pitts, guitarJames Robertson, drumsJim Spake, tenor saxMarvell Thomas, keyboardsRufus Thomas, vocalsScott Thompson, trumpet
WINNSBORO EASTER ROCK ENSEMBLE, Winnsboro, Louisiana -- WINNSBORO EASTER ROCK ENSEMBLE, Winnsboro, LouisianaHattie M. AddisonLaketa AddisonBooker T. BurkhalterSheila JacksonJimmy JonesTammie LynchShirley SpearsRev. Lionell Wilson
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1997 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this
Collection Director:
Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957 Search this
Container:
Box 262A, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1928 - 1968
Restrictions:
Image number 011 "Holiday Handcraft" has been removed from the slideshow due to culutral sensitivity.
Collection Rights:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from the National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Mike Seeger-MC; Chet Parker, Howard Mitchell and Grant Rogers--Faded coat of blue--Red wing; Alice Gerrard-MC; George Tucker--Old Kentucky moonshiner--Utah Carroll--State of Arkansas--Strawberry roan--Farmer's curst wife; Buell Kazee-- Rowan County crew--Faded coat of blue--Jonah and the whale
Track Information:
101 Hammered Dulcimer / Chet Parker, Grant Rogers, Howie Mitchell. Dulcimer.
102 Ballad Singer / George Tucker.
103 Banjo Player and Ballad Singer / Buell Kazee. Banjo.
General note:
DPA number 69.101.48
Local Numbers:
FP-1969-7RR-0048
General:
CDR copy
69.101.48
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, July 5, 1969.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The third program to focus on a particular State, the Arkansas presentations at the 1970 Festival sought to give visitors an overview of the State's folklife and to present an intensive picture of the persistence and variety of the area's folk cultural patterns. The Swiss and Italians who settled in Arkansas in the late nineteenth century with the black farmers of the delta and with the mountaineers, whose forebears hailed from Britain, are contributors to the patchwork of traditional cultures characterizing the State of Arkansas. Festival programming sought to emphasize this diversity and mutual influence. Musician Jimmy Driftwood loaded up a bus with dozens of his friends and neighbors from Mountain View and nearby Ozark communities and drove two days to Washington. Other presentations included electric blues from West Memphis and black gospel singing, as well as various string band traditions. Craft presentations included chairmakers, musical instrument makers, tool makers, and decorative arts, as well as makers of wine and sorghum.
Sponsorship for the Arkansas presentation came from the Honorable Winthrop Rockefeller, Governor of Arkansas, the Arkansas State Parks Recreation-Travel, and the Crossett Art League.
Fieldworkers:
Mae Francis Johnson, Brenda Jones, Worth Long, Mack McCormick, Bernice Reagon, Jerry Ricks, Jane Sapp
Participants:
Craftspeople
Myra Adams, 1906-1987, corn cookery, Arkansas
Dallas Bump, 1918-2016, chair maker, Arkansas
Fred Bump, 1894-1977, chair maker, Arkansas
Floyd Carter, fishing lures, Arkansas
Ruth Marie Carter, fishing lures, Arkansas
Charles Christian, chair maker, Arkansas
Betty Christian, chair maker, Arkansas
Junior Cobb, wood carver, Arkansas
Jimmy Nelson, wood carver, Arkansas
Isaac Doss, blacksmith, Arkansas
Deborah Gibbs, silhouette cutter, Arkansas
La Vonne Gibbs, silhouette cutter, Arkansas
George Gibson, basket maker, Arkansas
Ben Harris, cooper, Arkansas
Roy Harris, 1920-, carver, doll maker, Arkansas
Alma Harris, 1919-1993, carver, doll maker, Arkansas
Violet Hensley, 1916-, fiddle maker, Arkansas
Sandra Hensley, fiddle maker, Arkansas
John C. Hoovler, 1908-1993, knife and tool maker, Arkansas
V. Otis Johnson, turkey caller maker, Arkansas
Len McSpadden, dulcimer maker, Arkansas
Elliott Hancock, dulcimer maker, Arkansas
Alice Merryman, corn husk broom and doll maker, Arkansas
Bill Phillips, log cabin builder, Arkansas
Claude Phillips, log cabin builder, Arkansas
Tim Sparks, basket maker, Arkansas
Morbuert Stewart, corn miller, Arkansas
Kevin Stewart, corn miller, Arkansas
Ira Tillman, Sr., sorghum maker, Arkansas
Erma Jean Tillman, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Harvey Lee Tillman, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Ira Tillman, Jr., sorghum maker, Arkansas
Johnny Lee Tillman, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Fred Tillman, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Willie Lee Tillman, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Dorothy Tillman Husky, sorghum maker, Arkansas
Essie Ward, 1902-1981, country scene painter, Arkansas
Herman Wiederkehr, 1895-1985, wine maker, Arkansas
Al Wiederkehr, 1897-1974, wine maker, Arkansas
Brenda Wiederkehr, wine maker, Arkansas
Gail Wiederkehr, wine maker, Arkansas
Grace I. Wilson, quilter, Arkansas
Performers
Children's Game Group, black singing games, Arkansas
Copeland Family Band -- Copeland Family BandPercy Copeland, 1914-2008, member of family band, including harmonica and strings, ArkansasIda Copeland, 1918-1997, member of family band, including harmonica and strings, ArkansasDale Copeland, member of family band, including harmonica and strings, ArkansasBetty Lou Copeland, 1958-, member of family band, including harmonica and strings, Arkansas
String band -- String bandLonnie Avey, 1910-1983, guitarist in string band, ArkansasSeth Mize, 1901-1977, fiddler in string band, ArkansasBookmiller Shannon, 1908-1985, banjo player in string band, ArkansasBob Blair, fiddler in string band, ArkansasWesley Blair, guitarist in string band, ArkansasDean Hinsley, mandolin in string band, Arkansas
Ira Tillman Family, shape note singers (7-shape), Arkansas
Sherman Ward, 1933-1995, guitarist and singer, Arkansas
Phyllis Whitfield, dulcimer player, Arkansas
Joe Willie Wilkins Blues Band -- Joe Willie Wilkins Blues BandJoe Willie Wilkins, 1923-1979, lead guitarist, ArkansasTheophlies "Fat Hurd" Hessensha, 1922-1977, drummer, ArkansasHouston Stackhouse, 1910-1980, rhythm guitarist, ArkansasWillie Kilgrew, bass player, ArkansasSammy Lewis, harmonica player, Arkansas
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1970 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections , Smithsonian Institution.
Part 1: Traditional banjo tunes performed by Mr. and Mrs. Wade Reedy of Rugby, VA
Side 1.
1. Old Jimmy Sutton
2. Lonesome Road
3. Cluck Old Hen
4. Cripple Creek
5. Cindy
6. Black-Eyed Susie
7. Comin' Round the Mountain
8. Skip To My Lou (sounds like Bile Dem Cabbage Down)
9. Johnson Boys
10. Wildwood Flower (guitar solo)
11. Walkin' In the Parlor
12. Soldier's Joy
13. Sally Goodin
14. John Henry
Part 2: Traditional songs sung by Estil (Slim) Ball (elsewhere known as "E.C. Ball")
Side 1. Accompanying himself on guitar. One guitar solo. Recorded in Rugby, VA.
15. Home Sweet Home (guitar solo)
16. Pretty Polly
17. Devil & the Farmer's Wife
18. I Am a Pilgrim
Part 3: Kelly Lundy
Side 1. Recorded in Dalehart, VA.
19. Sinful To Flint
20. Molly & Tenbrooks
Part 4: Ed Spencer (banjo) and his brother Cecil (guitar)
Side 2. Playing traditional tunes, with occasional singing. Recorded in Volney, VA.
21. Pretty Polly
22. Old Reuben
23. Cumberland Gap
24. Goin' Round This World, Baby Mine (vocal)
25. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
26. Cripple Creek
27. Skillet Good & Greasy
28. John Henry
29. Mississippi sawyer
30. Black-Eyed Susie
31. Old Jimmy Sutton
32. Cluck Old Hen
33. John Hardy
34. Sugar Hill
35. Arkansas Traveler
36. New River Train
37. Careless Love (vocal)
38. Ain't Gonna Rain No More (vocal)
39. Coney Island (guitar solo)
40. Trouble In Mind (vocal)
41. Cindy
42. Shortnin' Bread
43. Redwing
44. Groundhog
45. Wish I Was a Single Girl Again
46. Johnson Boys
47. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
48. Quit Knockin' On the Henhouse Door
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Eric H. Davidson audio recordings, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Eric H. Davidson audio recordings, 1958-1985. Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
