I'd been listening to 'old-timey' music for about seven years when I came across a song called "Run Old Jeremiah", credited to 'Austin Coleman with Joe Washington Brown and Group'. My first exposure to this 'Ring Shout' recorded by John and Alan Lomax was on the 'American Primitive Vol. 1 Raw Pre-War Gospel (1926-36) 'compilation, one of the first releases on John Fahey's Revenant label back in 1997. And yeah, most of the selections on that compilation are, as advertised, 'Raw'. But 'Raw' doesn't begin to describe this Austin Coleman track of frenzied shouting and propulsive drumming that sounds like a guy clacking a pair of wooden branches on the portable recording equipment and the Lomax brothers' heads while a congregation of like-minded screamers howl in the background. While I'm not one for hyperbole (immediately preceding sentence aside), this song is fucking amazing: makes you wish--among other things--the Lomaxes had lugged around film equipment, too.
'Ring shouts' were religious songs based on West-African drumming patterns; while sung, performers would shuffle around in single-file clapping out complex counter rhythms. It was common during slavery, and the Lomax Brother's 1934 recording of Coleman and Brown's "Run, Old Jeremiah" during a stop in Jennings, Louisiana is possibly the oldest and most authentic recorded example.
(Unfortunately, there are only two other known tracks recorded by Austin Coleman/JoeWashington Brown & Group. Their entire output is included on Document Records' excellent
"Negro Religious Field Recordings 1934-1942")
great track!
Posted by: Brian Turner | February 22, 2010 at 11:36 AM
'Run Old Jeremiah' is very great track and I like it most because it is just like divine feels in music.You just touch my heart from this subject today!
Posted by: acekard ds | February 23, 2010 at 07:41 AM
Powerhouse! Nice way to get things rolling, Jason. Great to have you on the blogsled team.
Posted by: Doug Schulkind | February 23, 2010 at 12:18 PM
much uv this whole 'document' is just staggeringly benevolent. dig turner junior johnson's minimal gospel solos for harmonica & gravely voice, silent grove baptists w/ bozie, acapella duet by em rev martin w/ ladyfriend & the church uv god in christ killin 'i gots a hidin place' in unbridled pentecostal ecstacy, holy moley! plus allah dem austin coleman joints to boot. defintely ranks waaay up there w/ streetcorner gospel, gospel classics vol 2 & country gospel as the finest in document holiness comps. utterly essential in every way & about thyme somebuddy recognized. the good word is bond.
Posted by: ben jove | February 23, 2010 at 04:11 PM
Thanks for the post...
Staggeringly precious stuff! These artists really needed song- much like the well known
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsiYfk5RV_Q
I think you can tell these are amongst the most potent and important documents that have ever existed.
Posted by: Jrld | February 23, 2010 at 06:49 PM
Talk about proto-punk...
Posted by: Nat | February 25, 2010 at 09:37 AM
Lomax also found this in Louisiana. Listen to 'Feel like dying in his army' and 'Rockaway' on 'Cajun and Creole Music, Vol. 2: 1934/1937.' Francophone Louisiana Creoles called this 'jure.' Lynn August is a modern musician who's recorded jure's on 'Sauce Piquante.'
Posted by: Jim | February 25, 2010 at 12:54 PM