Review: On the River (Art Thieme)

Subject: "On the
From:
Date: 29 Dec 98 - 12:06 AM

Subject: RE: On The River
From: harpgirl
Date: 29 Dec 98 - 12:10 AM

Sorry, computer is acting up...Art I have been listening to this tape all day and I absolutely think it is totally awsome!!! Many of the songs made me cry; thank goodness you had a jews harp song in their or I would have cried through the whole thing. I adored Lake of Ponchartrain, Bayous Sara , John Whalen and The Shanty Boy. Thank you so much. If you don't mind I'll commence to learn a bunch of these songs....harpgirl

Subject: RE: "On The River"
From: Art Thieme
Date: 29 Dec 98 - 11:26 AM

Thanks Ms. Harp,

A funny story 'bout that tape. I recorded it in two hours--mostly first takes--'cause I needed something to sell on riverboat gigs on the Mississippi I was doing then. Always thought there was too much blank tape at the end of side 2. (Knew I should've put more thought into the production of that one.) One day I put the song "Diamond Joe" on there just to see if it'd fit. It did & I set out to do that on the 200 cassettes I had on hand at the time. (This on my cassette boom-box at home.) I'd finished TWO tapes ONLY & never got back to doing it to any more of the them. They disappeared back into my stock---and I figured I'd never know where those 2 wound up. Recently, I sent out MANY copies of my new CD to friends as gifts. One went to Phyllis Barney, the esteemed leader of the Folk Alliance. Then I got this note from Phyllis: "Art, thanks so much! But I was hoping you'd put "Diamond Joe" on the CD---I love that song from your old _ON THE RIVER_ tape. Also, so the folk DJs who only play CDs might play tracks from that cassette..."

SOOOOOO, I DID find out where one of those 2 tapes I'd doctored actually went. Couldn't've gone to a better person! But now you know the rest of the story!

Harp, I'm honored you liked it!

Art

Subject: RE:
From:
Date: 30 Dec 98 - 11:03 AM

What did "Diamond Joe" have to do with the Mississippi River? Funny you should ask.

While playing music on the river I developed the theory that "Diamond Joe" was actually "Diamond Jo" and had been transcribed wrong after Charlie Butler sang the song for a Libr. of Congress folksong collector in 1937 (at Parchman Prison). DIAMOND JO REYNOLDS built stemboats on the river for many years. One was actually named the Diamond Jo. ALL of his boats had the letters "JO" prominently displayed inside a DIAMOND shape <> on the side of this steamboats!

I always felt the song was being sung to a steamboat---not to a person!!

Diamond Jo, come and get-a me,
Diamond Jo, come and get-a me...

It was a mournful plea to be transported away from the prison.

No way to prove this---just a theory that I think has, at least, some proof behind it.

Art

Subject: RE: On the River
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 02:58 AM

I've enjoyed both the tape and the CD, Art. So, you have enough material left for another CD? You have a gift, and it's great if you can share it with the rest of us. If you can make a buck or two in the process, that's even better.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: "On the River"
From:
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 07:10 AM

Wait- did I miss something? Where can I get one and how?

Subject: RE: On The River
From: Art Thieme
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 06:42 PM

only from me (but Elderly might have some). Far be it from me to turn this into a commercial. Max, realizing that it is easier to get forgiveness than permission sometimes, here is where one can send $11.00 (postage included in that price)for A.T.--ON THE RIVER

Art Thieme Box 117 Peru, IL 61354

tracks are:

"Mike Fink's Bet (A short tall tale)
Stackerlee
The Bayou Sara
THE JULIA BELLE SWAIN BLUS (one of mine)
Lost Jimmy Whalen (am proud to say that Anne Hills & Cindy Mangsen learned this from me--is on one o' their CDs -but it's packed away now)
Goin' To Cairo (banjo)
What Does The Deep Sea Say (banjo
The Lake of Ponchartrain (banjo--tune: "Tramps & Hawkers")
Waterbound (jew's harp)
Down By The Embarrass (an IL/WIS version of "Down By The Brazos" by Win Stracke
The Big Catfish (a tall tale)
The Shanty Boy On The Big Eau Claire by W.N. Allen of Wausau, Wis about 1872)
The Rock River Valley (one o' my songs---I just got a tape of tunes from Craig Johnson and he blew me away with his sensitive & laid-back rendering of this.---made me hear it with all new ears.

Art

Subject: RE:
From: Bill D
Date: 31 Dec 98 - 06:53 PM

is this tape from Craig commercial, or just something between friends? I would go out in a blizzard to get almost anything Craig cares to sing/play...(had the great pleasure of having him do a house concert in my basement once...

Subject: RE: On T.River
From: Art Thieme
Date: 01 Jan 99 - 02:21 PM

Bill,

Craig just sent this tape to show me how he's doing that song. He did fill up 1/2 of a 90 min. tape with fiddle tunes & singing--one brand new fine song that was just created by him. I'd known since '95 at Augusta that he'd worked out "Rock River Valley" and have been after him to lemme hear it. But he's going after a doctorate right now. More important, he and Brenda just had a brand new baby---Sally--and along with their son, Alec, not as much time for music as has been the case. My boombox just quit and I've no way to copy it for you---He did say it was OK for me to do that. There are other grand tapes of Craig I've made (VERY UNPROFESSIONALLY) sittin' around in DC and sippin' something. Also some VERY PROFESSIONAL tapes are around that Cathy Fink produced of C.J. in a pro studio a few years back. He was thinking of making a solo recording then---but not for long. The best made plans of mice an wo-men... Looks like it'll be quite a while before I'll be moved and unpacked & set up again. But if you can send me a message with your address I'll get some o' that to you probably by 2000.

I wanted to send you a personal message telling you this but for some reason can't locate the "send personal message" button here any more. Where'd it go?

Happy New Years Day!

Art

Subject: Note to Art
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jan 99 - 03:20 PM

Hey, Art - I noticed you'd posted a few messages that didn't have your name, so I'm guessing you lost your cookies. Toward the top of the main forum page, go to "reset cookie" and re-up. I'll make it easy for you - just click here.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ON THE RIVER
From: ART THIEME
Date: 03 Jan 99 - 11:35 PM

Joe, Thank you. You're right--I've known something was wrong but I didn't even realize I'd lost my... Oh, never mind! But still, thanks!

IMPORTANT:

Charlie Butler's original Library of Congress recording, made at Parchman Prison in '37, is on the great and very important CD of L. of C. releases/excerpts (I hate to say "best of" but it is close to being just that). Stephen Wade did a fine job picking the tracks for this.

Rounder CD 1500