Give Me the Banjo Page #4

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IT'S JUST ONE STEP REMOVED

THEY WERE SELLING TO WHITES.

IT'S JUST ONE STEP REMOVED

FROM SAYING,

IT'S JUST ONE STEP REMOVED

FROM SAYING,

"THIS IS AN AFRICAN WAY

FROM SAYING,

"THIS IS AN AFRICAN WAY

AND THIS IS A EUROPEAN WAY."

"THIS IS AN AFRICAN WAY

AND THIS IS A EUROPEAN WAY."

OR THIS IS THE OLD WAY,

AND THIS IS A EUROPEAN WAY."

OR THIS IS THE OLD WAY,

THIS IS THE MODERN WAY.

OR THIS IS THE OLD WAY,

THIS IS THE MODERN WAY.

THIS IS THE SLAVE WAY, THIS IS

THIS IS THE MODERN WAY.

THIS IS THE SLAVE WAY, THIS IS

THE WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS WAY.

MEMPHIS IS A REALLY

AMAZING PLACE FOR THE BLUES

AND FOR BLACK MUSIC

IN GENERAL.

WHEN BOSS CRUMP WAS RUNNING

THE SHOW AROUND HERE,

THERE WAS A LOT OF MUSIC

AND THERE WAS A LOT OF

ENTERTAINMENT THAT WAS

AROUND THE CITY.

I'M GOIN' DOWN TO MEMPHIS

GOIN' DOWN FOR SOME BEER

I'M GOIN' TO MEMPHIS

GOIN' DOWN FOR THE BEER

IF I CAN'T FIND ROBERTA

I'M GONNA HAVE TO FIND

LUCILLE:

I'M GONNA HAVE TO FIND

LUCILLE:

SHE'LL SEE ME ANY TIME I WANT.

LUCILLE:

SHE'LL SEE ME ANY TIME I WANT.

YOU GET TO SEE LIKE RAGTIME

SHE'LL SEE ME ANY TIME I WANT.

YOU GET TO SEE LIKE RAGTIME

AND BRASS BAND MUSIC AND BLUES,

AND COUNTRY BLUES AND OLD-TIME

FIDDLING BANJO MUSIC

AND THE SONGSTER MUSIC

THAT WAS IN THERE.

ALL PUT TOGETHER IN A REALLY

AMAZING MELTING POT.

Martin:
GUS CANNON WAS

A BANJO-PLAYING SONGSTER WHO

EMBODIED THE CULTURAL CROSSROADS

A BANJO-PLAYING SONGSTER WHO

EMBODIED THE CULTURAL CROSSROADS

THAT WAS MEMPHIS.

EMBODIED THE CULTURAL CROSSROADS

THAT WAS MEMPHIS.

HIS LONG CAREER LINKS

THAT WAS MEMPHIS.

HIS LONG CAREER LINKS

BLACK FOLK STYLES AND MINSTRELSY

HIS LONG CAREER LINKS

BLACK FOLK STYLES AND MINSTRELSY

WITH THE POPULAR MUSIC

BLACK FOLK STYLES AND MINSTRELSY

WITH THE POPULAR MUSIC

OF THE 1920s.

WITH THE POPULAR MUSIC

OF THE 1920s.

THE SON OF A SHARECROPPER

OF THE 1920s.

THE SON OF A SHARECROPPER

AND FORMER SLAVE, GUS WAS BORN

THE SON OF A SHARECROPPER

AND FORMER SLAVE, GUS WAS BORN

IN 1883 ON THE NEWELL PLANTATION

AND FORMER SLAVE, GUS WAS BORN

IN 1883 ON THE NEWELL PLANTATION

IN THE NORTH MISSISSIPPI

IN 1883 ON THE NEWELL PLANTATION

IN THE NORTH MISSISSIPPI

HILL COUNTRY.

IN THE NORTH MISSISSIPPI

HILL COUNTRY.

HE WAS COMING FROM

HILL COUNTRY.

HE WAS COMING FROM

A PLACE IN WHICH YOU HAD

HE WAS COMING FROM

A PLACE IN WHICH YOU HAD

THIS HUGE BANJO CULTURE.

THERE WAS FIDDLING AND BANJO

PLAYING IN THE FAMILY.

HE LEARNED TO FIDDLE FIRST, WHEN

HE WAS STARTING, AROUND 8 YEARS

OLD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND HE STARTED PLAYING BANJO

WHEN HE WAS 12.

Martin:
EVERY SPRING, FROM

WHEN HE WAS 12.

Martin:
EVERY SPRING, FROM

THE TIME HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD,

Martin:
EVERY SPRING, FROM

THE TIME HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD,

HE JOINED THOUSANDS OF OTHER

THE TIME HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD,

HE JOINED THOUSANDS OF OTHER

BLACKS SEARCHING

HE JOINED THOUSANDS OF OTHER

BLACKS SEARCHING

FOR SEASONAL WORK.

BLACKS SEARCHING

FOR SEASONAL WORK.

BY THE TIME HE WAS 20, HE HAD

FOR SEASONAL WORK.

BY THE TIME HE WAS 20, HE HAD

SHARECROPPED, BUILT LEVEES,

BY THE TIME HE WAS 20, HE HAD

SHARECROPPED, BUILT LEVEES,

DUG DITCHES, AND LOADED

SHARECROPPED, BUILT LEVEES,

DUG DITCHES, AND LOADED

RIVERBOATS.

DUG DITCHES, AND LOADED

RIVERBOATS.

WHEREVER CANNON HAPPENED TO BE

RIVERBOATS.

WHEREVER CANNON HAPPENED TO BE

WORKING, HE AND A FEW OF HIS

WHEREVER CANNON HAPPENED TO BE

WORKING, HE AND A FEW OF HIS

BUDDIES PLAYED FOR COUNTRY

WORKING, HE AND A FEW OF HIS

BUDDIES PLAYED FOR COUNTRY

DANCES, SUPPERS AND SPECIAL

BUDDIES PLAYED FOR COUNTRY

DANCES, SUPPERS AND SPECIAL

EVENTS.

DANCES, SUPPERS AND SPECIAL

EVENTS.

CANNON PRIDED HIMSELF ON BEING

EVENTS.

CANNON PRIDED HIMSELF ON BEING

A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER,

CANNON PRIDED HIMSELF ON BEING

A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER,

A "SONGSTER," PUTTING HIS

A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER,

A "SONGSTER," PUTTING HIS

DISTINCTIVE MARK ON WHATEVER HIS

A "SONGSTER," PUTTING HIS

DISTINCTIVE MARK ON WHATEVER HIS

AUDIENCE WANTED TO HEAR.

DISTINCTIVE MARK ON WHATEVER HIS

AUDIENCE WANTED TO HEAR.

THE TEENAGE CANNON WAS ALSO

AUDIENCE WANTED TO HEAR.

THE TEENAGE CANNON WAS ALSO

PICKING UP ON A BLACK FOLK STYLE

THE TEENAGE CANNON WAS ALSO

PICKING UP ON A BLACK FOLK STYLE

THAT WOULD SOON BE KNOWN AS

PICKING UP ON A BLACK FOLK STYLE

THAT WOULD SOON BE KNOWN AS

THE BLUES.

IN CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI,

A LOCAL GUITARIST SHOWED HIM HOW

TO SLIDE A KNIFE ALONG

THE FRETS OF HIS INSTRUMENT TO

PRODUCE A METALLIC MOAN.

WHILE THE YOUNGER MUSICIANS

PREFERRED THE GUITAR FOR PLAYING

THIS NEW STYLE, CANNON PUT IT ON

THE BANJO.

GUS CANNON WAS AMAZING

BECAUSE HE COULD PLAY ALL

THESE DIFFERENT STYLES.

SO GUS CANNON'S THE ONLY ONE

THAT I KNOW OF THAT WAS RECORDED

PLAYING THAT FINGER STYLE

WITH BLUES.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY ELSE, IF

THEY'RE PLAYING,

THEY'RE PLECTRUM PLAYING.

THEY'RE PLAYING,

THEY'RE PLECTRUM PLAYING.

YOU KNOW, OR THEY'RE PLAYING

THEY'RE PLECTRUM PLAYING.

YOU KNOW, OR THEY'RE PLAYING

A FOUR-STRING DOING CHORDAL

YOU KNOW, OR THEY'RE PLAYING

A FOUR-STRING DOING CHORDAL

STUFF FOR JAZZ AND BLUES.

A FOUR-STRING DOING CHORDAL

STUFF FOR JAZZ AND BLUES.

BUT HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S

STUFF FOR JAZZ AND BLUES.

BUT HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S

DOING THIS OFF-TIME PICKING

AND FINGER PICKING STYLE

THAT WORKS FOR THE BLUES.

BUT I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO

CATCH A FRISCO OU IN THIS LAN'

CATCH A FRISCO OUT

Martin:
THE ASPIRING SONGSTER

ALSO HAD TO KEEP UP WITH

THE LATEST POPULAR TUNES.

"COON SONGS," AS THEY WERE

COMMONLY CALLED, SWEP TIN PAN ALLEY IN THE 1890s.

THESE SONGS TOOK THE MINSTREL

SHOW CARICATURES TO NEW

EXTREMES.

ALONG WITH RAGTIME MUSIC AND

THE CAKEWALK DANCE CRAZE,

COON SONGS WERE FAVORITE

DIVERSIONS FOR A COUNTRY

INCREASINGLY DOMINATED BY

THE BRUTAL RACISM OF JIM CROW.

IRONICALLY, THEY PROVIDED

A GATEWAY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS

INTO MAINSTREAM SHOW BIZ.

Flemons:
HIS PERFORMANCE

STYLE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES

I WAS REALLY HEARING A BLACK

STYLE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES

I WAS REALLY HEARING A BLACK

PERSON, NOT SO MUCH DOING

I WAS REALLY HEARING A BLACK

PERSON, NOT SO MUCH DOING

THE STEREOTYPES OF THE MINSTREL

PERSON, NOT SO MUCH DOING

THE STEREOTYPES OF THE MINSTREL

BUT HE WAS PLAYING UP TO THOSE

THE STEREOTYPES OF THE MINSTREL

BUT HE WAS PLAYING UP TO THOSE

PERFORMANCE TYPES AND HE WAS

BUT HE WAS PLAYING UP TO THOSE

PERFORMANCE TYPES AND HE WAS

MAKING IT A REALISTIC STATEMENT,

PERFORMANCE TYPES AND HE WAS

MAKING IT A REALISTIC STATEMENT,

A PERSONAL STATEMENT.

MAKING IT A REALISTIC STATEMENT,

A PERSONAL STATEMENT.

HE ADAPTED HIS COUNTRY STYLE OF

A PERSONAL STATEMENT.

HE ADAPTED HIS COUNTRY STYLE OF

BANJO PLAYING INTO

HE ADAPTED HIS COUNTRY STYLE OF

BANJO PLAYING INTO

THE POPULAR SONGS OF THE DAY.

Martin:
FROM 1914 UNTIL

THE EARLY 1930s, GUS CANNON

TOURED WITH MEDICINE SHOWS

THE EARLY 1930s, GUS CANNON

TOURED WITH MEDICINE SHOWS

THROUGHOUT THE COTTON SOUTH.

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