Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 04:07 PM

Thanks Peter...that's a start. Or maybe the end!

Rick

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Peter T.
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 01:26 PM

A survey of all the search engines only turns up the fact that he was the co-author of "The Gandy Dancer's Ball" ( a version, I assume) and "Shrimp Boats" (with Paul Weston).

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 12:42 PM

I'd never heard of a Dolceola - but here are some pictures I found.

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 12:29 PM

The last "Leadbelly mystery" left for me, is REAL information on Paul Mason Howard (who played Dolceola with him in Los Angeles). Who was he? How did he get a Dolceola? What (seemingly) strange method was he using to play it? When did he die? Any relatives willing to talk about his carreer?

The recording of "Ella Speed" (with Paul) from Los Angeles, is one of my all time favourite listening experiences.

Rick

P.S. Thanks for reminding me of that thread Murray.

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From:
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 03:49 AM

Thanks for the info about the "new" Leadbelly album, Rick.

There is a great deal of discussion of his and other versions of "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" on the thread Derivation of Kisses Sweeter Than Wine.

Murray

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Susan of DT
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 04:56 PM

Camsco carries the entire Document catalog

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 03:50 PM

Nothin' pertaining to "Same boat.." but a great surprise in that Leadbelly plays the song that became "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine". Marvelous the way he's constructed the guitar part. Another unusual one he performs is "Listen Mr. Bilbo". That one was originally printed in "People's Songs".

The sound quality is better than you'd think from a school recording machine in 1948.

Rick

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 01:39 PM

One for the must-get list.

In the meantime, does it provide any more clues to a song we had a thread about some time backWe're in the same boat brother, either as to the exact words (in the last verse) or the provenance of the song?

Subject: RE: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 01:27 PM

Thanks, Rick! It's great to hear of new releases that you won't hear that much about in mainstream music announcements. God, I love Leadbelly's music. How is the sound quality? Was it recorded on a home tape recorder, or professionally?

-chanteyranger

Subject: Wonderful 'NEW' Leadbelly 'live' CD
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 11:43 AM

I'm not sure if there's anyone here as fanatical about the music of Huddie Ledbetter as yours truly, but even a casual folk fan should love this one. It's quite amazing on a number of levels. Appears to have been recorded from a house concert in Minneapolis in 1948, and unlike the Charters (Last Sessions) or Lomax (Library of Congress) Huddie seems infinitely more relaxed without the academic folklorists sitting in front of him pushing the buttons. (who wouldn't?)

He chats and discusses the songs at some length, and perhaps most surprising (considering his health had started failing) plays with great clarity, inventiveness, and speed.

Several times he changes some of his signature bass runs and it blows my mind that at this late stage of his life, he still keeps 'inventing' wonderful scales. He never seems to settle for the predictable.

I know that his contemporaries (Pete Seeger mostly) say he played ALL his bass runs with just a thumb (rather than alternating with the index finger), but it's hard to believe he could generate that kind of speed without help from another finger!

Oops I'm getting 'guitarnurd-like' here....well I SAID the album is great on many levels....... Thanks Peter T. for a WONDERFUL Christmas present!

"Leadbelly", Private Party. Document records. DOCD-5664.

You can check with Dick or Susan to see if Camsco has it.

Rick