'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)

Subject: 'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 08:41 PM

"Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass", filmed in 1961, will be at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Tuesday June 19. I, of course, will have left town the day before. :-\

From the Association for Cultural Equity site:

An intimate song swap filmed in Lomax's apartment, spontaneously arranged after a 1961 Clarence Ashley concert at Carnegie Hall, produced by the Friends of Old-Time Music. Crowding into Lomax's West 3rd Street walk-up were Ashley, Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Watson, Jean Ritchie, Jack Elliott, Peter LaFarge, the New Lost City Ramblers, Memphis Slim, and Willie Dixon. Directed by Alan Lomax, filmed by George Pickow, sound by Jean Ritchie. (60 minutes)

Some folks say that Bob Dylan and Suze Rotalo were both there too.

I found this when I was googling for more info after seeing a clip that The Southern Folklife Collection recently shared on Facebook: clip from John Bishop. Bishop says, "Media-generation.com will be putting out the DVD when I finally finish The Land Where The Blues Began." The ACE says you can pre-order the DVD from Media-Generation, but they don't have any listing for it yet. But they're a small operation so I bet you could contact them and do it.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: 'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 10:50 PM

It's screening here soon (next week or the week after or thereabouts) at the Grammy Museum in downtown L.A. Tickets $13.
I'm confused, though, since the screening blurb says the length is 37 minutes, while the item Becky has posted says that it's 60 min long. Hmmm.

Subject: RE: 'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 10:59 PM

Yes, Mary Katherine, it's June 19. You're right, that discrepancy in length is weird. It's possible that the 60 minutes is for the DVD and they're planning to add some other material.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: 'Ballads, Blues, and Bluegrass' 1961 film premiere
From: GUEST,Nathan
Date: 13 Jun 12 - 12:54 PM

Hi everyone - two things:

First, wanted to alert you to the world premiere on Tuesday, June 15, of the long-shelved "Ballads, Blues, and Bluegrass," at the L.A. Film Festival. Directed by Alan Lomax, shot by George Pickow, with sound by Jean Ritchie, and edited by Anna Lomax Wood, the film took place in Lomax's NYC apartment after a series of Friends of Old-Time Music concerts in early 1961, and features Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Jean Ritchie, Ernie Marrs, Peter LaFarge, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, the Greenbriar Boys, and the New Lost City Ramblers.

Screening details here:

http://mobile.lafilmfest.com/event-wap.php?EventNumber=4063

And a DVD will soon be released through Media-Generation. They're taking pre-orders now:

http://www.media-generation.com/DVD%20PAGES/BBB/BalladsBlueBluegrass.html

Secondly, we think that this is the first footage shot of Doc, but we'd be thankful for confirmation/denial of this. Any ideas?

Here's him backing up Clarence Ashley, with Fred Price and Clint Howard, on "Banks of the Ohio":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cld0f8ooXcg

Finally, here's the trailer for the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDIE3tX8d5Q&feature=share

Many thanks,
Nathan Salsburg
Alan Lomax Archive
nathan [at] culturalequity.org

Subject: RE: 'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 13 Jun 12 - 01:54 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: 'Ballads, Blues, Bluegrass' film (1961)
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Jun 12 - 08:10 PM

refresh