A 50th Celebration of Arhoolie Records

 


Arhoolie records, one of the great American labels, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend. The record company  is the brainchild of Chris Strachwitz, a German immigrant who has left an indelible mark on the nation's sound-scape. The catalog of Arhoolie reads like a who's who in Cajun, Zydeco, Tex-Mex/Tejano, Bluegrass, Gospel, Blues, Country and Jazz music, making it one of the premier roots record labels in the world. Some of the many musicians who have recorded for Arhoolie are Clifton Chenier, Big Mama Thornton, Mance Lipscomb, Earl Hooker, Flaco Jimenez, Lightning Hopkins, Treme Brass Band, Beausoliel, and the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra.

The story of Arhoolie's longevity and broad tastes really reflect Chris Strachwitz's love affair with all types of American music. Over the years of personally knowing Chris and having been introduced to so much music through his recordings, it is easy to see how he fits into any musical setting. Chris has an aura with an incredible musical halo. The music seems to become magical or at least magical musical moments occur when Chris is present. There was a time in the nineties at Zydeco accordionist Geno Delafose's farm in Eunice when I first met Chris; soon after a multicultural jam took place in Geno's barn which could only have been topped by the wonderful spicy food served up his mama. Even last year, when Chris showed up in my courtyard as a guest of the band fat my annual Jazz fest party, there came a magical musical moment. I had just received a vintage 1930s book of Haitian sheet music as a winning EBay bid which I, of course, had to show to Chris. He promptly said, "let’s see if the band (Seva Venet's Storyville String Band) could play one of these Haitian numbers." They did, and little magic occurred, again orchestrated by Mr. Chris.

As part of the 50th celebration of Arhoolie Records "Hear Me Howling: Blues, Ballads and Beyond," a 4 CD set, has been released along with text by Adam Machado. The book has 136 full color pages and 150 photographs and features recordings made by Chris Strachwitz in the San Fransisco Bay area in the 1960s. These 72 tracks, many of which are previously unissued, concentrate on Strachwitz's home recordings from this time period. Strachwitz was very interested in the blues men who had found their way from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to find work in the ship yards of San Fransisco Bay. All of the recordings come together to show the broad expanse of his musical taste as well as the magical musical things that happen around this tall, slender soft spoken man.

Some of the musical highlights on the four CD set include the Skid (jug) Band doing a version of "Junko Partner," Bluesman Jesse Fuller covering an old vaudeville number of Bert Williams and some delightful comic wordplay in Bob Neuwirth’s "Come See." You'll be transported back into the sixties with the original recording of Country Joe and the Fish doing “Fixing To Die Rag," made famous at Woodstock some years later. Louisiana is represented by wonderful sides by the Hackberry Ramblers, Clifton Chenier and John Semien and The Opelousas Playboys. Two unreleased songs by New Orleans bluesman Lonnie Johnson are included and other bluesman represented are Rev. Gary Davis, Fred McDowell and Mance Lipscomb.

So celebrate Arhoolie this weekend by digging out your favorite Arhoolie LP or CD and consider picking up "Hear Me Howling; Blues, Ballads and Beyond" a 4 CD set of gems that will give you a view in to the world and music of Chris Strachwitz.

Classic Sounds of New Orleans

Whenever most people discover New Orleans music, they find a level of excitement and feeling that they might never have experienced in any other kind of music. For many, a hunger grows with each visit or listening experience: music from this city is deep in feeling and will move you out of your seat and, if you live in the city, out into the street. If you don't live here, watch out. The newest release by the keeper of America's Americana, the Smithsonian Institute, is full of New Orleans' musical treats discovered by different generations of folklorists, music historians and music lovers who came to the city on a quest to study, listen, feel and move to the music of New Orleans.

The 'Classic Sounds of New Orleans' CD on the Smithsonian Folkways label is due out on July 27th and includes 25 songs culled from recordings that were made in the city originally for Moses Asch's pioneering recording company, Folkways Records. They focus on material recorded by music historians Frederick Ramsey, Jr., and Samuel Barclay Charters, Harvard undergrads David Wyckoff and Alden Ashforth and blues folklorist Harry Oster. The material ranges from sounds of the streets to traditional jazz, blues and sacred music as only New Orleans people make it.



From the streets we have the street cries of fruit vendor Dora Bliggen, a hand and knee slapping performance by an anonymous shoeshine boy, street musician harmonica player, Freddie Small's rendition of "Tiger Rag, the call and response of Mardi Gras Indian gang, Red White and Blue and a street parade by the Eureka Brass Band. We are brought to church by street evangelist Sister Dora Alexander on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter and given an interpretation of "Dark Was the Night," by Rev. Lewis Jackson and Charlotte Rucell, also introduced is the Choir of Pilgrim Baptist Church recorded in 1954. Some of the music found in a traditional jazz funeral as done by the Paulin Brass Band round out the tribute to music in the streets.

The city's blues roots are not left unturned in the 'Classic Sounds of New Orleans.' That part of the tribute starts with Punch Miller's rendition of “Bucket’s Got A Hole in It,” a song that is said to have been in the repertoire of Buddy Bolden. A cut from the classic Folkways recordings of Snooks Eaglin is added as are songs by blues men Champion Jack Dupree, Lonnie Johnson and Roosevelt Sykes.

Traditional jazz musicians that are part of the CD are Emile Barnes, Baby Dodds, Kid Clayton and Billie and De De Pierce. The Six and Seven-Eighths String Band of New Orleans are also part of the recordings as are more musical surprises.

The Smithsonian Folkways 'Classic Sounds of New Orleans' CD has something for everyone and will entertain and educate listeners both in New Orleans and around the world. It's almost like a visit to a New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 10 years before it first started.