Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The 2011 Rhythm and Blues program was an exploration of the rich historical, cultural, and musical matrix of R&B. Through music and dance performances, workshops, and narrative discussions, the program considered R&B as a collaborative art form shaped by composers, performers, producers, and communities of listeners. Most importantly, it highlighted how music provides a dynamic lens to explore the relationship of African American history and experiences to American popular culture.
The history of R&B and the breadth of what it encompasses - socially, commercially, and artistically - suggests that it is not monolithic. It tells a complex story of many strands and experiences. A distinctly African American music drawing from the deep tributaries of African American expressive culture, it is an amalgam of jump blues, big band swing, gospel, boogie, and blues that was initially developed during a thirty-year period that bridges the era of legally sanctioned racial segregation, international conflicts, and the struggle for civil rights. Its formal qualities, stylistic range, marketing and consumption trends, and worldwide currency thus reflect not only the changing social and political landscapes of American race relations, but also urban life, culture, and popular entertainment in mainstream America.
This music that speaks about a history of marginalization and exclusion also tells a story about resilience and resistance. The 2011 Festival program underlined these latter qualities. It celebrated pioneers and iconoclasts, soloists and studio musicians, and relationships and collaborations through which a younger generation was taking ownership of the music. This was perhaps most dynamically revealed in the participation of the Stax Music Academy, a group of Memphis high school musicians who are learning leadership and teamwork skills through music that (in their own words) "embodies the spirit of harmony, respect and cooperation that defined Memphis' legendary Stax Records." These students not only learn the historic importance of the music, but also experience R&B through collaboration and practice as a living art form - an art form that Festival visitors in Washington could also experience vividly and directly on the National Mall.
Mark Puryear was Curator and Arlene Reiniger was Program Coordinator. Portia Maultsby, Bob Santelli, and Michael White constituted the Curatorial Advisory Committee. For the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Project Staff included: Lonnie G. Bunch, Director; Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Deputy Director; Timothy Anne Burnside, Research Assistant; Dorey Butter, Project Manager; Deirdre Cross, Public Programs Coordinator; Delphia York Duckens, Associate Director for External Affairs; Rex Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs; Cheryl Johnson, Government Relations Officer; LaFleur Paysour, Media Relations and Public Affairs; Dwandalyn Reece, Curator of Music and Performing Arts; and Kevin Strait, Project Historian.
The program was produced in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Presenters:
Lawrence Bradford, Timothy Anne Burnside, Rex Ellis, Tuliza Fleming, John Franklin, Charles Hughes, Beverly Lindsay-Johnson, Kip Lornell, Barry Lee Pearson, Jeff Place, Dwandalyn Reece, Tulani Salahu-Din, Randy Short, Kevin Strait
Participants:
WILLIAM BELL
William Bell, 1939-, singer, Atlanta, Georgia
Performing with the Stax Music Academy
THE DIXIE CUPS®
Barbara A. Hawkins, 1942-, vocals, Tampa, Florida
Rosa L. Hawkins, 1945-, vocals, Tampa, Florida
Athelgra Neville, 1944-, vocals, New Orleans, Louisiana
Marc Adams, 1952-, keyboards, vocals, New Orleans, Louisiana
Anthony Brown, 1960-, guitar, New Orleans, Louisiana
Gerald French, 1970-, drums, vocals, New Orleans, Louisiana
James Markway, 1952-, bass, Covington, Louisiana
Joseph Saulsbury, 1951-, saxophone, New Orleans, Louisiana
NAT DOVE
Nat Dove, 1939-, keyboards, vocals, Bakersfield, California
David Cole, 1957-, guitar, Berwyn Heights, Maryland
Keith A. Mathis, 1958-, horn section coordinator, trumpet, flugelhorn, Washington, D.C.
GLOBE POSTER PRINTING
Bob Cicero, 1947-, owner, Pasadena, Maryland
THE JEWELS
Sandra Bears, 1943-, vocals, Washington, D.C.
Marjorie Clarke, 1945-, vocals, Washington, D.C.
Grace Ruffin, 1944-, vocals, District Heights, Maryland
Ronald Campbell, 1951-, bass, Washington, D.C.
Ronald Ford, 1951-, drums, Washington, D.C.
Joe Phillips, 1951-, guitar, Suitland, Maryland
Ron Reace, 1956-, keyboards, Hyattsville, Maryland
DR. MABLE JOHN
Mable John, 1930-, musician, Los Angeles California
Performing with the Stax Music Academy Accompanists -- Performing with the Stax Music Academy AccompanistsMildred Spikes, 1942-, vocals, East Orange, New JerseyNorma Jenkins Williams, 1948-, vocals, Gaithersburg, Maryland
FERNANDO JONES
Fernando Jones, 1964-, guitar, Chicago, Illinois
Roy Boyd, 1955-, drums, vocals, Chicago, Illinois
Chip Ratliff, 1965-, bass, vocals, Morton Grove, Illinois
SHIRLEY JONES OF THE JONES GIRLS
Shirley Jones, 1953-, vocals, McDonough, Georgia
Farnetta L. Baker, 1967-, vocals, Bryans Road, Maryland
Anissa Hargrove, 1969-, vocals, Waldorf, Maryland
Lorree K. Slye, 1962-, vocals, Washington, D.C.
Keith D. Busey, 1960-, bass, Silver Spring, Maryland
Charles Jerome Deas, 1964-, percussion, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Jeno Marcus Meyer, 1972-, keyboards, Oxon Hill, Maryland
Joya Wesley, 1966-, group manager, Greensboro, North Carolina
KIM WESTON
Kim Weston, 1939-, singer, Detroit, Michigan
Performing with the Funk Brothers
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: 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
