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Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door
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Subject: Announcing Playing for the Man at the D From: Joe Offer Date: 25 Feb 23 - 02:24 AM From Thomas Stern: On August 4, Smithsonian Folkways will release Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958 – 1971, a compilation of previously unheard field recordings from Robert “Mack” McCormick's legendary blues archive. Today, hear the first track, "Train Roll Up," by Leroy "Country" Johnson and Edwin "Buster" Pickens. The collection will be released on CD and LP box sets, which include a 128-page book of photographs from the archive and essays by leading blues scholars from the Smithsonian and beyond. The vinyl set marks the largest vinyl box set in Smithsonian Folkways history, with six LPs of music. In the 1950s and '60s, the blues was the dominant form of Black vernacular music throughout Texas and the surrounding areas. In segregated neighborhoods, community members gathered in saloons, dancehalls, and each other’s homes to hear their neighbors sing their stories of sorrow, heartbreak, jubilation, and triumph. McCormick, an academically untrained but fanatical devotee of the blues, stepped into this world and became one of its most devout advocates and documentarians. By photographing Black and Latino Texans and their neighborhoods, as well as recording and interviewing musicians — many of whom never set foot into a proper recording studio — McCormick endeared and eventually embedded himself into these communities. By the time he died in 2015, McCormick had amassed a collection of 590 reels of sound recordings and 165 boxes of manuscripts, original interviews, research notes, photographs, playbills, and posters. Because McCormick never published or released most of these materials, his collection became a thing of legend and intense speculation among scholars, blues aficionados, and musicians alike. Playing for the Man at the Door is the first compilation of music drawn from this fabled collection, which indelibly documents a pivotal moment in African American history. It features never-before-heard performances not only from musicians who became icons in their own right (including Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb) but also, crucially, performers whose names may be unfamiliar to even the most devoted blues fans and scholars. Newly mastered recordings and accompanying photographs bring to life many of these forgotten figures: offering insight into their lives and illuminating in new, enlightening ways their joys and anguish, deep social connections, distinctive voices, and cultural networks. The collection spans gospels, ragtime, country blues dirges, the unclassifiable music of George “Bongo Joe” Coleman, and more, showing that no community, no matter how tight knit, is monolithic. This release is a partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, which will exhibit items from the collection beginning June 23. On April 4, Smithsonian Books will release Biography of a Phantom, a book on the life and legacy of blues musician Robert Johnson that was left unfinished and unpublished at the time of McCormick’s death. “McCormick’s field recordings allow us to ponder the possibilities, power dynamics, problems, and promise associated with interactions between ‘folklorists’ and ‘the folk,’ between a white collector and mostly Black artists, at a time and in places where Jim Crow traumas continued to prevail,” says John Troutman, curator of music at the National Museum of American History, co-producer of Playing for the Man at the Door and editor of Biography of a Phantom. Main Folkways Page for the Album (click) |
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Subject: Mack McCormick From: Thomas Stern Date: 25 Feb 23 - 09:18 PM Smithsonian Folkways has announced the forthcoming release of recordings made by Mack McCormick: Folkways - Mack McCormick Playing for the Man at the Door On August 4, Smithsonian Folkways will release Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958 – 1971, a compilation of previously unheard field recordings from Robert “Mack” McCormick's legendary blues archive. See also the Mudcat thread for Robert Johnson" https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=172152&messages=4 Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 26 Feb 23 - 08:45 PM track lists for anyone interested: Smithsonian Folkways SFW40260 August 2023 3-CD/6-LP 128p book Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971 1 Mojo Hand Lightnin' Hopkins 04:03 2 God Moves on the Water Mance Lipscomb 02:33 3 The Clinton Robert Shaw 02:18 4 Sugar Blues Kid Wiggins 02:44 5 St. James Infirmary Dudley Alexander and Washboard Band 04:16 6 Darlin' (You Know I Love You) Cedell Davis 02:55 7 You Gonna Look Like a Monkey Dennis Gainus 02:25 8 One Room Country Shack Grey Ghost 03:42 9 Groceries on My Shelf (Piggly Wiggly) Edwin "Buster" Pickens 04:26 10 3 O'Clock Blues Hop Wilson 04:52 11 Anything from a Foot Race to a Resting Place Jealous James tanchell 03:11 12 Salty Dog Rag James Tisdom 03:18 13 Goin' to the River Gozy Kilpatrick 01:35 14 Quills Joe Patterson 01:14 15 Ma Pa Cut the Cake Lightnin' Hopkins 01:42 16 Crazy About Oklahoma Otis Cook 03:12 17 Little Red Rooster Grey Ghost 03:51 18 My Work Will Be Done The Spiritual Light Gospel Group 03:00 19 Steel Guitar Rag James Tisdom 01:42 20 Tall Angel at the Bar Mance Lipscomb 03:02 21 This Whole World's in a Sad Condition George "Bongo Joe" Coleman 08:59 22 World's in a Tangle Lightnin' Hopkins 05:51 23 Someday Baby Robert Shaw 05:39 24 It's Alright CeDell Davis 03:36 25 Cryin' Won't Make Me Stay R.C. Forest and Gozy Kilpatrick 01:54 26 China Tea Allen Van 02:31 27 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is George "Bongo Joe" Coleman 03:24 28 Tom Moore's Farm Lightnin' Hopkins 04:34 29 Tom Moore's Farm Mance Lipscomb 04:56 30 Don't Do Me No Small Favors (Help the Bear) Jealous James Stanchell 01:37 31 Fox Chase Billy Bizor 02:20 32 Black Widow Spider Blues R.C. Forest 02:03 33 Come and Go with Me to That Land Hardy Gray 05:26 34 Rollin' and Tumblin' CeDell Davis 03:18 35 Train Roll Up \ Leroy "Country" Johnson with Edwin "Buster" Pickens 01:44 36 Shorty George Edwin "Buster" Pickens 04:32 37 Matchbox Blues Joel Hopkins 01:49 38 It's My Life Baby Blues Wallace 04:16 39 Hello Central, Gimme 209 Andrew Everett 03:08 40 Bad Lee Brown Jim Wilkie 02:33 41 Tin Can Alley Blues R.C. Forest and Gozy Kilpatrick 02:49 42 Medicine Show Pitch Murl "Doc" Webster 01:52 43 So Different Blues Mance Lipscomb 02:45 44 I Feel So Good James Tisdom 02:41 45 Mr. Charlie Lightnin' Hopkins 04:51 46 The Ma Grinder Edwin "Buster" Pickens 02:08 47 Deep Ellum Blues Paul Elliott 02:37 48 K.C. Ain't Nothing but a Rag Andrew Everett 02:00 49 Lonesome Road Kid Wiggins 02:24 50 Old Judge Blues Dennis Gainus 03:15 51 The Slop Melvin "Jack" Jackson and Lightnin' Hopkins 02:24 52 Corrine, Corrina Lightnin' Hopkins 03:20 53 Talking Blues Jimmy Womack 01:35 54 Good Times Here, Better Times Down the Road Joel Hopkins 03:05 55 Put Me in the Alley Robert Shaw 02:26 56 Auctioneer Walter Britten 00:35 57 Runaway Hardy Gray 03:27 58 Broke and Hungry Hop Wilson 04:14 59 Big Road Blues Mager Johnson 03:46 60 Casey Jones Mance Lipscomb 02:27 61 Atomic Energy Jimmy Womack 02:15 62 Natural Born Lover Long Gone Miles with Lightnin' Hopkins and Love Crazy 04:24 63 Swanee River Boogie E.B. Busby 01:44 64 Rock Me Baby Long Gone Miles 02:53 65 Blues Jumped a Rabbit Lightnin' Hopkins 03:51 66 George Coleman for President, Nobody for Vice President George "Bongo Joe" Coleman 03:12 77 Records (UK) 77-LA-12-2 LP 1960 booklet Candid – CJM 8026 LP 1961 A Treasury of Field Recordings - Volume 1: Traditional Music And Song A1 Harry Stephens– The Streets Of Laredo A2 Jimmy Womack– Talking Blues A3 Jimmy Womack– The Jealous Lover A4 Harold Burton & Group– Yellow Gal A5 Andrew Everett (2)– K.C. Ain't Nothing But A Rag A6 Ed Badeaux– The Waitress And The Sailor A7 Lightnin' Hopkins– Corrina, Corrina A8 Mrs. Melton– The Ballad Of Davy Crockett A9 John Anderson*– The Miller Boy A10 R.C. Forest And Gazy Kilpatrick– Cryin' Won't Make Me Stay A11 Dudley Alexander & Washboard Band– Baby, Please Don't Go B1 Dennis Gainus– You Gonna Look Like A Monkey B2 Jim Wilkie (3)– Bad Lee Brown B3 Pete Rose (5)– Sand Mountain Blues B4 Linna Belle Hafti– Soldier, Will You Marry Me B5 Joel Hopkins– Good Times Here, Better Down The Road B6 John Lomax Jr.*– The Grey Goose B7 Andrew Everett (2)– Hello, Central, Gimme 209 B8 Edwin Pickens– Blues In The Bottom B9 Joseph Johnson*, R.G. Williams & Group*– Shake It, Mister Gator B10 Grover Dickson & Group– Grizzly Bear 77 Records (UK) 77-LA-12-3 LP 1960 60pp book A Treasury Of Field Recordings - Volume 2: Regional And Personalised Song A1 R. G. Williams & Group– Hammer Ring A2 Harry Stephens– Night Herding Song A3 Jealous James Stanchell– Anything From A Foot Race To A Resting Place A4 Jack Jackson*, Lightnin' Hopkins–The Slop piano A5 Paul Elliott (11)– Deep Ellum Blues A6 Jimmy Womack– Atomic Energy A7 George Coleman (2)– This Old World Is In A Terrible Condition Vocals [Monologue], Whistling, Vocals [Barking], Rattle, Drum [Oil Drum] – George Coleman (2) B1 Gozy Kilpatrick– Goin' To A River Written-By, Vocals, Harmonica – Gozy Kilpatrick B2 Percy Wilborn Quartet*– Oh, What A Time (A History Of World War II) B3 Anonymous*– Tom Moore's Farm Vocals, Guitar [Uncredited] – Mance Lipscomb B4 Lightnin' Hopkins– Tom Moore's Farm B5 John Lomax Jnr.*– Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos B6 William Spross, Harvey Krueger– The Boogie Woogie Machine Vocals – Harvey Krueger Zither – William Spross B7 R. C. Forest, Gozy Kilpatrick– Tin Can Alley Harmonium – Gozy Kilpatrick Written-By, Vocals, Guitar – R. C. Forest B8 John Q. Anderson– The Waco Girl Vocals, Guitar – John Q. Anderson Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 26 Feb 23 - 09:38 PM a quick comparison of the titles on Smithsonian-Folkways show only the following (14) previously issued on 77Records treasury. perhaps alternate recordings ?? 77 Records (UK) 77-LA-12-2 LP 1960 booklet Candid – CJM 8026 LP 1961 A Treasury of Field Recordings - Volume 1: Traditional Music And Song 63 A2 Jimmy Womack– Talking Blues 48 A5 Andrew Everett (2)– K.C. Ain't Nothing But A Rag 62 A7 Lightnin' Hopkins– Corrina, Corrina 25 A10 R.C. Forest And Gazy Kilpatrick– Cryin' Won't Make Me Stay 7 B1 Dennis Gainus– You Gonna Look Like A Monkey 40 B2 Jim Wilkie (3)– Bad Lee Brown 54 B5 Joel Hopkins– Good Times Here, Better Down The Road 77 Records (UK) 77-LA-12-3 LP 1960 60pp book A Treasury Of Field Recordings-Volume 2: Regional And Personalised Song 11 A3 Jealous James Stanchell– Anything From A Foot Race To A Resting Place 51 A4 Jack Jackson*, Lightnin' Hopkins–The Slop piano 47 A5 Paul Elliott (11)– Deep Ellum Blues 61 A6 Jimmy Womack– Atomic Energy 29 B3 Anonymous*– Tom Moore's Farm Vocals, Guitar [Uncredited] – Mance Lipscomb 28 B4 Lightnin' Hopkins– Tom Moore's Farm 41 B7 R. C. Forest, Gozy Kilpatrick– Tin Can Alley Harmonium – Gozy Kilpatrick Written-By, Vocals, Guitar – R. C. Forest Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Joe Offer Date: 27 Feb 23 - 01:01 AM I look at all those songs, and I wonder how in the world they were able to license all those songs. I had a heck of a time getting licenses for the blues chapter of the Rise Again Songbook. You want the actual songwriter to get the royalties and not just some company that stakes a claim on a song to make a buck. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 27 Feb 23 - 06:02 AM Joe, I know that copyright is a minefield but these are/were all field recordings of material which I believe is mostly in the public domain. I believe that all(?) Mac's archives are in the Smithsonian and as they Smithsonian/Folkways are the people issuing the material why would there be a problem?. I still have my vinyl copies of the original 77 label material. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST Date: 19 May 23 - 04:08 PM As for the copyrights, we (Smithsonian) will pay the publishing companies. As for the sound we hired a guy to track down all the estates where they could be found. Will gladly pay any others that come forward if they can show they are the estate. Jeff Place- producer of set |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 12 Aug 23 - 08:38 PM NPR all things considered Mack McCormick Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 24 Aug 23 - 09:40 PM The set is available now - magnificent book. Looking forward to listening. The box is LP size (as is book). The 3 CDs are in paper sleeves, mounted on indentations in the box liner - imo not very secure, but adequate. Box width is twice the width of the book, so uses more shelf space than necessary - minor quibble. Since I was acquainted with McCormick and have long treasured the 77-Records LPs, I am very much a partisan for these recordings. Hope others will seek and listen to this production and contribute comments! Best wishes, Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 17 Oct 23 - 08:09 PM Washington Post article: https://wapo.st/3M2nKRS Are there no traditional music/blues folks on this blog anymore ?? Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 18 Oct 23 - 05:08 AM Well I am for one but must admit that we appear to be a rare breed here. I haven't bought this set as my house is already bursting with books, vinyl, CDs, DVDs etc. Space and time are a problem. The interest in blues appears to be very small indeed unless you think it is worthwhile posting such material as "Happy Birthday" to long dead musicians. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Oct 23 - 10:58 AM He spent a lifetime collecting the blues. The Smithsonian listened. Smithsonian’s Folkways label and American History Museum are releasing Robert ‘Mack’ McCormick’s tapes, research and writings as part of Folkways’ 75th anniversary The article in the Washington Post starts: Robert “Mack” McCormick’s life was all about the blues. His Houston home was stuffed with reel-to-reel tapes, research files and vinyl records. But by the time he had died at age 85 in 2015, few really knew what his collection contained. That included his daughter, Susannah Nix. She was 3 when he finished his last significant project, the liner notes for a 1974 album featuring 1920s recordings by Texas musician Henry Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST,Jerome Clark Date: 18 Oct 23 - 11:57 AM I am a keen follower, both reader and listener, of traditional music, including downhome blues. The McCormick set is as magnificent a collection of rural music as you'll ever hear in any genre or style. Everything about the package is a triumph. |
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Subject: Playing for the man at the door From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 09 Nov 23 - 03:55 AM Among my 80th birthday presents was this 3-CD and lavishly illustrated book of the field recordings of Texas Blues and folk by Mack McCormack from Smithsonian Folkways. Lots of Lighning Hopkins and Mance Lipscom, but many others more obscure. Expensive but a delight. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Playing for the man at the door From: GUEST Date: 09 Nov 23 - 02:51 PM MANCE LIPSCOMB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUHfrX2wcAQ |
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Subject: RE: Playing for the man at the door From: Thomas Stern Date: 09 Nov 23 - 08:38 PM there is already a thread on this https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=172156 Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 10 Nov 23 - 04:15 AM I couldn't find the earlier thread (which is why I put it on my Wishlist in the first place ) so thanks to the elves for consolidating. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 18 Oct 23 - 05:08 AM Well I am for one but must admit that we appear to be a rare breed here. I haven't bought this set as my house is already bursting with books, vinyl, CDs, DVDs etc. Space and time are a problem. The interest in blues appears to be very small indeed unless you think it is worthwhile posting such material as "Happy Birthday" to long dead musicians. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: GUEST,Jerome Clark Date: 18 Oct 23 - 11:57 AM I am a keen follower, both reader and listener, of traditional music, including downhome blues. The McCormick set is as magnificent a collection of rural music as you'll ever hear in any genre or style. Everything about the package is a triumph. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Oct 23 - 10:58 AM He spent a lifetime collecting the blues. The Smithsonian listened. Smithsonian’s Folkways label and American History Museum are releasing Robert ‘Mack’ McCormick’s tapes, research and writings as part of Folkways’ 75th anniversary The article in the Washington Post starts: Robert “Mack” McCormick’s life was all about the blues. His Houston home was stuffed with reel-to-reel tapes, research files and vinyl records. But by the time he had died at age 85 in 2015, few really knew what his collection contained. That included his daughter, Susannah Nix. She was 3 when he finished his last significant project, the liner notes for a 1974 album featuring 1920s recordings by Texas musician Henry Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Thomas Stern Date: 17 Oct 23 - 08:09 PM Washington Post article: https://wapo.st/3M2nKRS Are there no traditional music/blues folks on this blog anymore ?? Thomas. |
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Subject: RE: Playing for the man at the door From: GUEST Date: 09 Nov 23 - 02:51 PM MANCE LIPSCOMB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUHfrX2wcAQ |
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Subject: Playing for the man at the door From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 09 Nov 23 - 03:55 AM Among my 80th birthday presents was this 3-CD and lavishly illustrated book of the field recordings of Texas Blues and folk by Mack McCormack from Smithsonian Folkways. Lots of Lighning Hopkins and Mance Lipscom, but many others more obscure. Expensive but a delight. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 10 Nov 23 - 04:15 AM I couldn't find the earlier thread (which is why I put it on my Wishlist in the first place ) so thanks to the elves for consolidating. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Playing for the man at the door From: Thomas Stern Date: 09 Nov 23 - 08:38 PM there is already a thread on this https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=172156 Thomas. |
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