The Pete Welding collection was compiled by leading blues and Jazz journalist and record producer Pete Welding throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Welding had a long and diverse career in which he wrote liner notes for 300 albums by everyone from Shuggie Otis to Frank Sinatra, helped run record companies like Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Records, and worked with some of the most famous blues musicians of all time including Muddy Waters, Son House, and Honeyboy Edwards—all of whom also have recordings at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The collection includes recordings of interviews and music, as well as lots of great photos. In this post you’ll read about the life and career of Pete Welding with links to some of the music he produced, and see photos of Big Joe Williams, Yusuf Lateef, Charlie Musselwhite, and other musical pioneers.
This post looks at a remarkable series of recordings and photos of Doug Quattlebaum, a South Carolina blues guitarist and singer who found his way to Philadelphia and got a day job driving a Mister Softee ice cream truck. He would park the truck and open for business, plug his guitar into the truck’s sound system, and play the blues until a large crowd had gathered. Then he’d sell them ice cream! In this post, you’ll see photos of Quattlebaum in action, read his story, and follow links to his music. Quattlebaum was recorded by leading blues and Jazz journalist and record producer Pete Welding, whose collection was compiled throughout the 1960s and 1970s and came to the American Folklife Center after his death. The collection includes recordings of interviews and music with many musical greats, as well as hundreds of great photos.
We're continuing the Homegrown Plus series with an entertaining and educational concert and interview by Reverend Robert B. Jones, Sr., an inspirational musician and storyteller celebrating the history, humor, and power of American roots music. His deep love for traditional African American and American music is shared in live performances that interweave timeless stories with original and traditional songs. For more than thirty years Robert has entertained and educated audiences of all ages in schools, colleges, libraries, union halls, prisons, churches and civil rights organizations. He brought that inspiration here to the Library of Congress on February 15, 2024, as part of the Homegrown series as well as the series "Live! At the Library," and as part of our celebrations of Black History Month. As an ordained minister and a Baptist pastor, Rev. Jones has an unwavering faith the cultural importance of sacred and traditional American roots music. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity is a story that we should celebrate, not just tolerate. This concert included blues, spirituals, gospel, rock, and even a touch of hip hop, delivered with voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica. Watch for the special sequence in which Rev. Jones is joined by his wife Sister Bernice Jones, his daughter Arnecia Jones, his son Robert Jones II (aka R.J.), and his daughter-in-law, R.J.'s wife, Sister Rosa Warner Jones. As usual for this series, you’ll find a concert video, an interview video, and a set of links to explore.
Back in February, we were delighted to host the first Homegrown concert of 2023 here at the Library of Congress. The concert was a solo performance by the banjo player, fiddler, and singer Jake Blount, an award-winning musician and a scholar of African American musical traditions. We presented Jake as part of Live! at the Library, the series featuring extended visiting hours and special programming every Thursday night. It was also part of the Black History Month celebrations at the Library of Congress and was presented in cooperation with the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. Like other blogs in the Homegrown Plus series, this one includes a concert video and a video interview with the featured performer (in this case Jake Blount), plus links and connections to Library of Congress collections.
In May, I wrote about a project that was keeping me busy, and providing a nice escape from the mental confines of my well-worn, Baltimore couch. While I cannot believe it is already August, I am happy to announce that the project is all set and ready to share! Chicago Blues and Jazz: Selections from …
This post is part of a series called Staff Finds During Difficult Times, in which staff members discuss collections and items that have been inspiring them while they are working at home during the Covid-19 pandemic or in other difficult circumstances. Find the whole series here! While working from home these weeks, I have been grateful …
This is a guest post by Marcia Segal, a Processing Archivist at the American Folklife Center. Legendary blues singer Mississippi John Hurt’s song “Avalon Blues” appears on numerous recordings in the Tom Hoskins collection: “…Avalon, my hometown, always on my mind…” Hurt first recorded the song in 1928. In 1963, musician and blues music fan …
Note: This is the third in a series of posts about the murder ballad “Batson.” This one discusses the version of the ballad performed by Wilson Jones, aka “Stavin’ Chain,” in light of the real-life Batson case. In previous blog posts about the murder ballad “Batson,” I looked at early versions collected by Robert Winslow …
Note: This is the second in a series of posts about the murder ballad “Batson.” This one discusses the performance recorded by John A. and Alan Lomax from a trio of musicians including Wilson Jones, a.k.a. Stavin’ Chain, in 1934. A little while back, I presented for the first time anywhere a version of the …
