The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert

The immediate (and significant) feeling I got when I first started listening to this 1965 concert was one of privilege; the intimacy and quality of the recording brings the music in close and the result is something quite special that needs to be experienced. The album presents to us the incredible songs of the Gullah Geechee people of Georgia, performed by the Georgia Sea Island Singers, with bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell and cane fife player Ed Young guesting on several tracks. The Gullah Geechee people have deep connections to West Africa and their focus has often been on resistance to slavery and oppression, a detail that, when combined with Alan Lomax’s (maybe slightly overly optimistic) introduction, permeates the recording. Indeed, ‘Buzzard Lope – in that Old Field’ is listed under Dances and Children’s Play Songs, a category signifying a more lighthearted approach to music, but (as the essay on the concert states) ‘the dance portrays buzzards picking the bones of the bodies of enslaved Black people cast into the field to rot’, an upsetting subject. With Bessie Jones directly descended from enslaved people, the bright music, with gorgeous harmony singing and hand claps, is given context, gravitas and heart-wrenching emotion. Just as affecting is the Work Songs chapter, with opener ‘Goodbye My Riley O’ a piece of a capella magic with a shrouded history that reaches Tobago, Bristol and beyond, but is assumed to originate from the Georgia Sea Islands. ‘Sink ’Em Low’ is the last in the chapter and is haunting in its world weariness, evoking the exhaustion of the chain gang prisoners up in the hills of Georgia. Bessie Jones’ singing is delicate and has a hint of resignation in the timbre, while maintaining sturdiness and pride. Wonderful. Further on, the music shifts into more traditional country blues, with Mississippi Fred McDowell taking the lead on a few songs, the first being ‘Going Down to the River’, with his signature repetitive, rhythmic slide-guitar style at the fore. While this one keeps the beat steady, following tune ‘Shake ’Em on Down’ sees Mable Hillery gee everybody up, resulting in a far faster and more intense piece of steel guitar playing. A generous chunk of the album is given over to the Bible-Inspired Songs chapter, a section full of beautiful gospel singing and joyous rhythms. Just listen to how the tempo shifts on ‘Adam in the Garden’ to a frenetic level before it finishes with a laugh from one of the singers. The innocence and purity that comes across in this section contrasts with the depth of some previous songs, dramatically giving an indication of how broad the range of styles is here, with each as important as the other. This recording is pure magic; haunting, emotional, beautiful and wonderfully mastered, it is a singular article and an absolute must-have.