Finding Aids to Collections Organized by Topic in the Archive of Folk Culture

MISSISSIPPI FOLK MUSIC AND FOLKLORE
IN THE RECORDED COLLECTIONS OF THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK CULTURE

Compiled by: Joel D. Frederickson
Series Editor: Joseph C. Hickerson

Publication Date: August 1982

Cyl 3501-3522: Twenty-two cylinders of Choctaw Indian songs, including twenty-six sung by Sidney Wesley. Recorded by Frances Densmore, near Philadelphia, Mississippi, January 1933. Part of the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of Indian Affairs Collection (cat. nos. 2192-2216, 2263-2273).

Cyl 3781-3816: Thirty-six cylinders including thirty-two of Choctaw Indian songs sung by Lysander Tubby, Olman Comby, and Robert Henry. Recorded by Frances Densmore, in and around Philadelphia, Mississppi, January 1933. Part of the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of Indian Affairs Collection (cat. nos. 2353-2382).

Cyl 4501-4679: One hundred seventy-nine cylinders including spirituals and blues from Wheeler, Mississippi (recorded in 1929), and ballads and fiddle tunes from northeast Mississippi (date unknown), interspersed with material from North Carolina, Scotland, and England. Recorded by James Madison Carpenter. [Two hundred twenty-three disc copies of cylinders: AFS 14,830-15,052; twenty-two 10-inch preservation tape copies of discs copied from cylinders: AFS 19,900-19,921.]

AFS 536-743: Two hundred and eight discs made by John A. and Alan Lomax in various southern states during 1935 and 1936.

AFS 559; 598-600; 602-603; 605A; 606; 608; 610-611; 613; 615-616; 618-619; 621-622; 623B; 649A&B2; 664; 733A; 734-737; 739; 741A; 743: Blues, hollers, and spirituals performed by black male and female convicts, most often in groups. Recorded at the state penitentiary, Parchman, Mississippi, April 1936.

AFS 617A1&2, B3: Three songs sung by Tom McKinney of Vicksburg, Mississippi, April 1936.

AFS 878-944: Sixty-seven discs made by John A. and Alan Lomax in various southern states during the spring of 1937.

AFS 884B1-4; 886; 940; 943A1: Black school children singing play-party and other children's songs in Brandon, Mississippi, March 1937.

AFS 880; 882: Eleven songs, mostly for children, sung by women from Jackson, Mississippi, (including Georgia S. Barrymore and Mary Leffridge), March 1937.

AFS 883-884A2; 885A3-B3; 892; 935; 941; 942: Songs of various types including two played on harmonica by Herman Jackson and several with guitar accompaniment. Recorded at the state penitentiary, Parchman, Mississippi, March 1937.

AFS 879A2-B; 881: Twelve songs from Piney Woods School. Recorded in Piney Woods, Mississippi, March 1937.

AFS 1851-1870: Twenty discs recorded by John A. and Alan Lomax, mostly in the South, 1933, 1934, and 1937.

AFS 1866A: "Casey Jones" sung by a friend of Wash Sanders, the man who is said to have composed the ballad. Recorded in Canton, Mississippi, August 1933.

AFS 1855; 1867: Seven songs performed by black convicts. Recorded at the state penitentiary, Oakley, Mississippi, August 1933.

AFS 1856-1857A; 1858-1859A1&B; 1860A; 1861A; 1862-1865A; 1868-1869: Songs from prison life, sung mostly by black convicts (including several sung by "Bowlegs"). Recorded at the state penitentiary, Parchman, Mississippi, July and August 1933.

AFS 2589-2728; 3551-3557: One hundred forty-seven discs recorded by John A. and Ruby T. Lomax in various southern states between April and June 1939.

AFS 2675B2; 2676-2678A&B1; 2679A&B1; 2680A1; 2681; 3557: Blues, work songs, and love songs, some with guitar accompaniment, sung by black convicts at the state penitentiary, Parchman, Mississippi, May 1939.

AFS 2735-3153: Four hundred nineteen discs made by Herbert Halpert in the South between March 15 and June 15, 1939, under the joint sponsorship of the Library of Congress and the Folk Arts Committee of the WPA.

AFS 2950-3118: One hundred sixty-nine discs including fiddle tunes, Sacred Harp singing, play-party songs, and spirituals. Recorded in various locations in Mississippi, May 8 - June 10, 1939.

AFS 3942-4087: One hundred forty-six discs by John A. and Ruby T. Lomax in various southern states, 1940.

AFS 4008B3; 4012B1-6; 4013B-4017B2; 4018A1-2: Various songs, including songs sung by a group of black school children, a group of blacks from Roger Williams' plantation, and John A. Lomax. Recorded in Drew, Mississippi, October 1940.

AFS 4001-4007; 4008A2-B2; 4012A1-3; 4013A1-2: Various songs, including spirituals sung by Alice (Judge) Richardson and blues by Lucious Curtis and Willie Ford. Recorded in Natchez, Mississippi, October 1940.

AFS 4009-4011: Songs and monologs of plantation life by Irene Williams, John Grant, and Jean Grant. Recorded in Rome, Mississippi, October 1940.

AFS 4757-4786: Thirty discs made by Alan Lomax, Elizabeth Lomax, and Lewis Jones in Mississippi and Virginia, 1941 and 1942. The Mississippi records were made in connection with a survey undertaken by the Library of Congress and Fisk University.

AFS 4757-4761; 4766-4767; 4772; 4774-4779: Sermons, religious songs, and an interview with a man about Jefferson Davis. Probably recorded in Coahoma County, Mississippi, 1941.

AFS 4769-4770: Interview and blues by McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters). Recorded in Stovall, Mississippi, 1941.

AFS 4780-4782A: Blues featuring Son House and Willie Brown with Leroy Williams and Fiddlin' Joe Martin. Recorded in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, 1941.

AFS 6604-6673: Seventy discs made by Alan Lomax in Mississippi and Tennessee between July 15 and August 12, 1942. Recorded in collaboration with Fisk University. Portions of this collection have been published by the Library of Congress on LP no. AFS L67, Afro American Folk Music from Tate and Panola Counties, Mississippi.

AFS 6604A8, B; 6612A-B3; 6621A5-6628A3; 6630A1; 6631A-6642A; 6645B2; 6647B1-6654; 6657-6666: Songs and tales from Hobson Plantation, Nelson's Funeral Home, the County Agricultural High School, and Silent Grove Baptist Church. Recorded in Clarksdale, Mississippi, July and August 1942.

AFS 6608B-6611; 6614-6615; 6616-6620; 6655-6656: Interview, prayer service, play-party songs, blues, toasts, and tales by David (Honeyboy) Edwards. Recorded in Coahoma, Mississippi, and at the Delta Tourist Camp, July and August 1942.

AFS 6669-6673: Songs sung by Etherene Harris, Mary Lee Johnson, Anne Williams. Includes music played by Sid Hemphill and his band. Recorded in Dundee, Mississippi, July and August 1942.

AFS 6612B4-6613A5; 6642B3-6645B1: Children's songs from Anne William's house and religious songs sung by the Friendly Five Harmony Singers. Recorded in Friars Point, Mississippi, July 20 and 26, 1942.

AFS 6668-6669A2: Music from the Moorehead Plantation sung by Mrs. Roxie Threadgill and Mrs. Johnson. Recorded in Lula, Mississippi, August 12, 1942.

AFS 6606B2-6608A4: Blues sung and played by Son house. Recorded in Robinsonville, Mississippi, July 17, 1942.

AFS 6646A2-6647A3: Field hollers and toasts. Recorded in Shemod, Mississippi, August 4, 1942.

AFS 6628A6-6629B: Blues by the Son Simms Four: McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), Percy Thomas, Son Simms and Louis Ford. Recorded in Stovall, Mississippi, July 24, 1942.

AFS 6684: One disc of songs sung and played on the harmonica by Jesse James Jefferson (Preacher Thomas). Recorded by John Work in Clarksdale, Mississippi, February 1942.

AFS 6734-6740: Seven discs made by Lewis Jones in Coahoma County, Mississippi, during the spring of 1941.

AFS 6736-6737A2: Four songs performed by the Mississippi Gospel Singers and by Maryland Davis Upchurch. Recorded in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

AFS 6734-6735B2; 6738B1-3: Songs by Asa Ware, Jaybird Jones, and Charlie Palms. Recorded in Coahoma County, Mississippi.

AFS 6739-6740A2: Two speeches and several songs from Jonestown School. Recorded in Jonestown, Mississippi.

AFS 9844B1-3; 9849B1-4: Two discs containing seven songs performed by the Piney Woods School Choir (Piney Woods, Mississippi) with soloist, Bruce McFarland. Recorded at the National Folk Festival, Washington, DC, May 1938.

AFS 12,027-12,029: Three 10-inch tapes containing eighty-one songs performed with guitar by Mississippi John Hurt of Teoc, Mississippi. Recorded at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, July 23, 1963.

AFS 12,575-12,596: Twenty-two 7-inch tapes recorded in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Iowa by Harry Oster, 1957-1966.

AFS 12,584: Richard Jolla, born 1878, speaks and sings unaccompanied. Recorded near Woodville, Mississippi, June 24, 1963.

AFS 12,585-12,286: Black tales told by Son House of Lyon, Mississippi. Recorded in Iowa City, Iowa, April 24, 1965.

AFS 13,051: One 7-inch tape of blues by Mississippi singer and guitarist Scott Dunbar. Recorded by Frederic J. Ramsey, Jr., and used in the program, "Anatomy of Pop: The Music Explosion," February 15, 1996. Gift of the American Broadcasting Company.

AFS 14,172-14,175: Four 10-inch tapes featuring Big Bill Broonzy (Scott, Mississippi), Sonny Terry, and Pete Seeger. Recorded at Circle Pines Camp, near Cloverdale, Michigan, (December 13, 1956) and at a Roosevelt University concert, Chicago, Illinois (July 6, 1957. Received as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Cal Herman.

AFS 14,468-14,474: Seven 10-inch tapes including a black Sacred Harp convention recorded by William R. Ferris, Jr., in Bellefontaine, Mississippi, and prose narratives and beliefs recorded by James Washington and Willie Ernest Wooten in Jackson, Mississippi. Recorded September 12-13, 1970, and November 1970, respectively.

AFS 14,488-14,512: Twenty-five 10-inch tapes of black blues, spirituals, and fife and drum music. Recorded by David Evans in Senatobia, Crystal Springs, and Bentonia, Mississippi (as well as in Louisiana and Georgia), August and September 1970. Portions of this collection have been published by the Library of Congress on LP no. AFS L67, Afro-American Folk Music From Tate and Panola Counties, Mississippi.

AFS 14,514-14,515: Two 5-inch tapes of music from Saudi Arabia, Lapland, Gypsy music from Europe, and black blues. Received from Bengt Olsson, 1971.

AFS 14,514B: Four songs sung by Rosa Lee Hill, the daughter of Sid Hemphill. Recorded in Mississippi by George Mitchell, ca. 1968.

AFS 14,515: Blues tunes by Abe McNeil and John Callicott of Nesbitt, Mississippi. Recorded by George Mitchell and Robert Brown in Memphis, Tennessee, 1962 and 1963.

AFS 14,734-14,736: Three 10-inch tapes of black folk music recorded at concerts, including blues by James Thomas and a Festival of Mississippi Black Music. Recorded by William R. Ferris, Jr., at Jackson State College, Jackson, Mississippi, 1971.

AFS 14,762-14,765: Four 7-inch tapes containing an interview with James Madison Carpenter about his life and collecting experiences in England and Scotland. Recorded by Alan Jabbour, in Booneville, Mississippi, May 27, 1972.

AFS 15,102-15,109: Eight 10-inch tapes of black folk music and lore. Recorded by William R. Ferris, Jr., in the vicinity of Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the 1960's.

AFS 15,425-15,454: Thirty 10-inch tapes of black folk music and lore including blues, gospel, church services, interviews, and other material. Recorded by William R. Ferris, Jr., in Mississippi, mostly during 1967 and 1968.

AFS 15,659-15,660: Two 10-inch tapes of interviews with Skip James of Bentonia, Mississippi, done by Bob Fass, Rob and Jane Hunter, and Bill Barth, on WBAI-FM, New York, ca. 1966.

AFS 17,594-17-598: Five 10-inch tapes of prayers and sacred music by James Shorter with friends and family, recorded at the Shorter's home in Senatobia, MS April 16, 1962; blues and sacred music by Fred McDowell accompanied by his friends and family, recorded at the McDowells' home in Como, MS, April 17 and 18, 1962. Recorded by Richard K. Spottswood.

AFS 18,879: One 7-inch tape of J. B. Lenoir, originally from Monticello, MS, playing and singing "Mississippi Road" with guitar. Dubbed from a CBS Germany master tape recorded in Chicago, Illinois, May 5, 1965.

AFS 19,085-19,099: Fifteen 10-inch tapes of the folk religious observances and beliefs of one black family, the Chapmans. Includes children's songs, prayers, housemeetings, healing services, spiritual singing, Bible readings, and so forth. Recorded by William R. Ferris, Jr., and Judy Peiser of the Center for Southern Folklore in Centerville, Mississippi, 1972-1974.

AFS 19,100-19,121: Twenty-two 10-inch tapes of music from North Carolina, Georgia Alabama, and Mississippi. The music from Mississippi includes H. C. Davis and John Collins (banjo and fiddle) from Calhoun, "all day singing" from Stewarts Chapel, Houston, and Sacred Harp at the home of Elmer Conwill, Fulton. Original tapes recorded by John Garth, Studio WCPC, and R. H. Stewart, 1966, 1961, and 1962, respectively.

AFS 19,155: One 10-inch tape of Son House of Lyon, Mississippi, speaking of his life and music in an interview with Jeff Todd Titon. Recorded by Jeff Todd Titon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 8, 1971.

AFS 19,339: One 10-inch tape of an interview with Ed Young, a fife maker from Como, Mississippi. Recorded by Scott Odell (of the Smithsonian Institution, Division of Musical Instruments) during the Festival of American Folklife in Washington, DC, July 7, 1968.

AFS 19,334; 19,347-19,348; 19,350: Four 10-inch tapes of blues and interviews with Skip James of Bentonia, Mississippi. Recorded by Ed Morris and Charles L. Perdue Jr., ca. 1964-1965.

AFS 19,618-19,620: Three 10-inch tapes containing three songs by the Mississippi Sheiks, duplicated from dubs of unreleased commercial Columbia 78 rpm pressings. Accessioned September 1979.

AFS 20,060A4-20,061A2; 20,064A3-20,065A3; 20,066A4-20,067A3; 20,077A3-20,078A2; 20,085A5-20,086A3: Ten 10-inch tapes of David (Honeyboy) Edwards and James Davis of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Recorded by Peter Lowry in connection with the LP publications of Trix Records of Rosedale, New York, May 25, 1974-March 11, 1979.

AFS 20,103-20,104: Two 10-inch tapes of David (Honeyboy) Edwards at the Archive of Folk Song 50th Anniversary Concert. Recorded at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, November 16, 1978.