Mack McCormick: Playing for the Man at the Door

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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