The Mississippi: River of Song
Boy, this "Mississippi: River of Song" series on PBS is "Don't Miss TV" for the VCR. This week's episode kicked off with John Hartford, who wrote "Gentle On My Mind" and drives a riverboat two weeks out of the year (I never knew that); bluegrass in Hillsboro, Ill. (especially some hot picking by the Bob Lewis Family); a high school marching band in St. Charles, Mo.; Fontella Bass, who wrote "Rescue Me," singing gospel in St. Louis (didn't know that, either); a look and tribute to RB giant Oliver Sain, with Ike Turner making a brief appearance in concert footage; a percussion artist in East St. Louis; some sort of caroling group in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and lastly, Festus, Mo.'s favorite sons, the Bottle Rockets. Can't fault the film's producers for a lack of variety. Can't wait for the final two episodes as they head down to Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, Cajun country and New Orleans. Ron Warnick NP in my head: "Get down, river, river get down ..."
Re: The Mississippi: River of Song
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 01/15 1:22 AM some sort of caroling group in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., This is probably more than you want to know, but here goes - This "caroling" is actually a centuries-old New Years Eve French folksong/dance tradition and begging ritual similar in some ways to one practiced in Louisiana around Mardi Gras. It's called La Guillonee (sp). And it's still done in other French communities in the area, particulary Old Mines, MO and Prairie Du Rocher, IL. About 4 years ago, I was asked to help out some folklore types videotape and photograph the St. Genevieve bunch while another group led by Harry Oster (producer of many great blues and Cajun albums in the early 1960s and all around character) went to Prairie Du Rocher. In the old days, a group of men led by a fiddler used to go from house to house on foot or in the back of a wagon and sing to the farmer a song in which they begged for a drink (and perhaps his daughter). The farmer would then give them a drink. Then on to the next place. And so on. Well, traditions change. Now these guys go from bar to bar (and one nursing home and a church) in a school bus and do their song. The night I was with them we made, I think, 18 stops. It got a little crazy after about the 6th ot 7th drink. Yeah buddy. The funniest stop was when these guys marched into a bar where some glittery rock band was playing. The guys waited a few minutes, then did their song and dance during the band's break. Talk about a gap in the space/time continuum... They got a huge round of applause. Any idea if this series will be available on video? Jim Nelson
