The Lomax Legacy, Pt. 2

Ed Lewis, leader; with prisoners - Dollar Mamie
'22' with Little Red, Tangle Eye, & Hard Hair - Early In The Mornins
'22' & group - It Makes A Long Time Man Feel Bad
Jesse Bradley & group - Hammer Ring

Today's post includes some more Lomax recordings, this time featuring multiple voices accompanied by the percussion of their work tools, hammers or axes, as they rhythmically chop trees or break rocks. The Lomax's were fascinated by secular music but regular folks weren't interested in recording non-religious material, so they visited the prisons where inmates were more familiar with the devil and his tunes. Prisoners would sing to have a sense of identity in a place that stripped them of all individuality. While working, singing also served another purpose. If four prisoners were chopping down a large tree, for safety, their axe swings would have to be precisely timed which could be ensured by the rhythm of the song.

The prison work songs are perhaps my favorite of the Lomax recordings as they not only capture truly amazing voices singing over rock solid rhythms, but also pure human spirit.

Alan Lomax NPR interview