Various Artists – Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium
Disc 1: 20 Tracks 72 minutes
Disc 2: 20 Tracks 68 minutes
Starting with a sprightly take of “Bourbon Street Parade” from the 50th anniversary concert by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, this outstanding collection takes listeners on a journey of discovery through the world of music created by African-American artists. Utilizing a heady mix of styles from across the nation, the two discs paint a vivid portrait of the impact these artists, and many others, have had on our nation’s musical culture.
The package includes a 46 page booklet that features notes from musicians Corey Harris and Dom Flemons that provide some cultural perspectives while touching on the conditions that gave rise to the music in its earliest forms. Historian Ted Olson delivers an opening statement, then provides brief descriptions for each track. Interspersed throughout the booklet are color and black & white photos of many of the artists. It is a wealth of information, particularly for artists that listeners are not familiar with.
Harris sings and plays guitar on “Station Blues,” joined by Sharde Thomas on the cane fife and three drummers, paying tribute to the legacy of Othar Turner, Thomas’ grandfather. That is followed by the deep blues of Mississippi Fred McDowell, playing slide guitar on an unaccompanied rendition of “61 Highway.” The music shifts to the East coast where the original Carolina Chocolate Drops – Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson – backed fiddler Joe Thompson on an unreleased version of “Georgie Buck,” showing that the string band tradition still had plenty of life.
Tracks by Lightnin’ Hopkins, the Staple Singers, Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry, Skip James, and Clifton Chenier give listeners some familiar names to enjoy, with “Blues Before Sunrise” by McGhee & Terry being a notable performance. James lays down a haunting remake of his original, “Hard Time Killing Floor,” take that burrow deep in your soul.
The real pleasure of collections like this is discovering artists for the first time. One highlight is the group Ranky Tanky on a song by the same name that is brimming with energy and plenty of infectious rhythms. Their 2017 album received a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Equally fine is “Grizzly Bear,” sung by Bennie Richardson on a recording done in 1975 at a Texas penitentiary, with vocal accompaniment by other members of the work gang, highlighting the vocal call and response tradition. Listeners get a glimpse of the Mardi Gras Indian culture on the Golden Eagles run- through of the New Orleans standard, “Little Liza Jane,” featuring Big Chief Monk Boudreaux on the vocal. The influential guitarist Joseph Spence created interest in the calypso sounds of his native Bahama, getting the attention of artists like Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. You may very well fall under his spell too after hearing “We Will Understand It Better By And By.”
Highlights on the second disc include Odetta’s marvelous vocal power illuminating a stirring take of “Special Delivery Blues,” while a once rare John Lee Hooker track finds the legend playing an acoustic guitar as he takes listeners to church on “When I Lay My Burden Down.” Any song that features Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ is bound to delight, and so it does when cover “Diving Duck Blues.” The intricate guitar picking of Mississippi John Hurt is highlighted on his classic, “Candy Man,” while Professor Longhair reminds why he achieved legendary status with his own classic, “Go To The Mardi Gras.”
Olson outlines the story of Leslie Riddle, a guitarist who helped his neighbor, A.P. Carter, with songwriting, and taught Maybelle Carter some of his guitar techniques. While the Carters went on to become the first family of Country music, Riddle’s skin color kept him from getting any recognition for his contributions. His solo rendition of “Titanic” is a mesmerizing piece of music-making. Another memorable turn occurs on “Pretty Polly,” a tune that originated several centuries ago as an English ballad. Over the insistent rhythm from Roy Andrade’s fine banjo picking, singer Amythyst Kiah’s striking voice relates in compelling fashion the story of a murder most foul. Another fascinating track comes from the efforts of folklorist Bruce Jackson to document the oral traditions on Texas prison farms, where men weren’t much more than a number. He will only be remembered as a prisoner named Peter, but his eloquent statement on standing up as a man foreshadows the rise of rap music.
The collection ends with the noted female group Sweet Honey In The Rock making a joyful noise as they harmonize beautifully on an impassioned version of “Study War No More,” tying together the various threads that flow through the two discs, particularly those of peace, harmony, and social justice.If you care about music, especially the sounds that have resonated from generations of Black artists, this project will bring you several hours of powerful music that inspires and gives hope for a brighter day.
