Parchman Farm: Photographs and Field Recordings, 1947–1959

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

First released 1957 (partially) as Negro Prison Songs, Tradition Records TLP-1020.

Recorded at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, Lambert, MS. (Camp 7), November/December 1947 and Parchman, MS. (Camps 7, 11 and dairy), October 1959.

124-page hardcover book with 2 CDs, includes slipcase and foil stamping
44 audio recordings, 12 previously unreleased, all newly remastered;
77 photographs, many published here for the first time;
Essays by Alan Lomax, Anna Lomax Wood, and Bruce Jackson.
Produced by Steven Lance Ledbetter, founder of Dust-to-Digital, and Nathan Salsburg, curator of the Alan Lomax Archive.

Annotation last modified on 2017-07-15 09:02 UTC.

Tracklist

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▼ CD 1: 1947‐’48 Work Songs & Hollers
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Murderer’s Home
producer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist)
background vocals:
5 unidentified men (field recordings of unnamed prisoners at Mississippi State Penitentiary)
lead vocals:
Henry Jimpson Wallace (prison blues singer)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (on 1948-02-01)
recorded at:
Unidentified camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (on 1948-02-01)
Jimpson0:53
2Rosie
percussion [axes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
C.B. Cook ("88") (Blues singer, former Parchman inmate "88")
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (on 1948-02-01)
recorded at:
Unidentified camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (on 1948-02-01)
C.B. Cook4:31
3It Makes a Long Time Man Feel Bad
percussion [hoes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
Benny Will Richardson (“22”) (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Benny Will Richardson2:40
4Whoa Buck
vocals:
C.B. Cook ("88") (Blues singer, former Parchman inmate "88")
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (on 1948-02-01)
recorded at:
Unidentified camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (on 1948-02-01)
C.B. Cook4:02
5When I Went to Leland
percussion [hoe]:
Benny Will Richardson ("22") (1940s Mississippi prison blues), Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson (1940’s blues), Little Red (1940s prison blues recorded by Alan Lomax) and Willie Lacey ("Hard Hat")
vocals:
Benny Will Richardson ("22") (1940s Mississippi prison blues), Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson (1940’s blues), Little Red (1940s prison blues recorded by Alan Lomax) and Willy Lacey ("Hard Hat")
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Benny Will Richardson, Willie Lacey, Little Red & Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson3:06
6I’m Going to Memphis
Percy Wilson1:45
7The Prettiest Train I Ever Saw
percussion [hoes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
Benny Will Richardson (“22”) (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Benny Will Richardson3:47
8John Henry
percussion [hoes]:
unidentfied men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
Benny Will Richardson ("22") (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
edit of:
John Henry (introduction) / John Henry by W.D. “Bama” Stewart (1940s prison blues) / “22” (Benny Will Richardson) & group with hoes (field recordings of unnamed prisoners at Mississippi State Penitentiary)
Benny Will Richardson3:15
9John Old Alabama
Dan Barnes3:06
10Hollers
Milton “Foots” Smith1:33
11Stewball
percussion [hoe]:
Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor (1940's Prison Blues) and unidentfied men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
vocals:
Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor (1940's Prison Blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor3:08
12Levee Camp Hollers
W.D. “Bama” Stewart2:54
13Early in the Morning
lead vocals:
"22" (Benny Will Richardson) (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
vocals:
"Hart Hat" (Willie Lacey), "Little Red" (1940s prison blues recorded by Alan Lomax) and "Tangle Eye" Walter Jackson (American soul ballad singer)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (from 1947-11 until 1947-12)
recorded at:
Camp B, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (from 1947-11 until 1947-12)
Benny Will Richardson, Willie Lacey, Little Red & Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson4:48
14I Got a Bulldog (Well I Wonder)
percussion [hoes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor (1940's Prison Blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor3:22
15Dollar Mamie
percussion [hoes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (field recordings of unnamed prisoners at Mississippi State Penitentiary)
lead vocals:
Benny Will Richardson (“22”) (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Benny Will Richardson3:30
16Stackalee
W.D. “Bama” Stewart4:09
17I Don’t Want No Jet Black Woman
Dan Barnes3:04
18Did You Hear About Louella Wallace?
percussion [hoe]:
Hollie "Bull" Dew (Blues singer, former Parchman inmate), Milton “Foots” Smith (prison blues singer) and Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor (1940's Prison Blues)
vocals:
Hollie "Bull" Dew (Blues singer, former Parchman inmate), Milton “Foots” Smith (prison blues singer) and Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor (1940's Prison Blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Hollie "Bull" Dew & Tim "Dobie Red" Taylor2:39
19Tangle Eye’s Blues
recorded in:
Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
vocals:
Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson (1940’s blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Mississippi State Penitentiary in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States and Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Walter “Tangle Eye” Jackson3:08
20Rosie
percussion [hoes] and background vocals:
unidentified men (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
Benny Will Richardson ("22") (1940s Mississippi prison blues)
field recordings:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) (in 1947)
recorded at:
Lambert Camp, Parchman Farm (Mississippi State Penitentiary) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States (in 1947)
Benny Will Richardson3:45
21I’m Going Home
W.D. “Bama” Stewart4:06
22No More My Lord
Jimpson2:54
23The Weather Get Warm
[unknown]0:12
▼ CD 2: 1947‐’48 Blues / 1959 Work Songs & Hollers
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Lucky Song
Floyd Batts3:25
2Disability Boogie Woogie
Alex2:13
3Berta
John Edwards4:04
4Poor Lazarus
Clyde Jones2:33
5Cool Drink of Water Blues
John Dudley2:46
6Levee Camp Holler ~ Interview
Ed Lewis3:46
7Black Gal
Ed Lewis & Prisoners3:35
8I Don’t Want You Baby
W.D. “Bama” Stewart & Robert Sanders4:55
9Rosie
Grover Wells4:57
10Hollers
Bridges Lee Cole3:17
11You Got a Mean Disposition
John Dudley2:27
12Big Road Blues
John Dudley1:27
13I’m Going Home
Ervin Webb & Prisoners3:28
14Berta
George Golden4:05
15Up the River
Grover Wells2:05
16Prison Blues
Alex2:28
17Tom Devil
Ed Lewis & Prisoners5:21
18My Jack Don’t Drink No Water
Willy Washington1:42
19Sometimes I Wonder
Leroy Campbell & Robert Sanders4:03
20Look for Me in Louisiana
Henry Ratcliff1:46
21Ain’t Been Able to Get Home No More
Heuston Earms3:44