ANNOUNCEMENT:
Question:
Harry Smith originally planned to issue three volumes of his Anthology
of American Folk Music.
True or False?
The correct
answer is False. In the original notes to Smith's AAFM's Smith
says "volumes four, five and six of this series will be devoted to
examples of rhythm changes between 1890 and 1950."
Revenant
Records received the rights to issue Vol 4 of the AAFM from Rani Singh,
Harry Smith's heir.
Rather
than list the contents of Vol 4 in its entirety we will occasionally
mention the pieces which are on Vol 4.
For example:
Memphis Jug Band: Memphis Shakedown, Okeh Record #(will be announced)
Smith
never got around to writing the notes for Vol 4 so guess who's going
to do it? Me. Too bad for you (I may use some assistance).
We are
not certain whether Harry actually made a list for Vols 5 and 6.
As soon as we know I will tell you.
Now...some
responses to the Visitor Forum:
I notice
that many of you in your letters and responses do not distinguish
between statements of fact and statements of metaphor on one hand,
and statements of prefiguration and statements of fulfillment on the
other hand, not to mention unmade distinctions between so-called prophesy
and reasonable speculation. Therefore I wish to request that
in the future each of you specifiy which type of statement you are
making if that type is not made clear in the context, because a great
deal of confusion has resulted from your laxity in these regards.
Everything
else is perfectly clear.
I should
I mention before we begin, that by mutual agreement, Sam Charters
and I do not talk about each other.
To proceed,
please allow me to make some comments on matters pertaining to your
various discussions.
In a
larger sense Knoxville Blues is Mark 1:15 just as Mark 1:15
is West Coast Blues is John Henry II is Sibelius'
4th Symphony. The question is when I say "is" in the preceding
question, am I using the "is" of identity, or am I using the "is"
of predication or the "is" of prefiguration, or "is" it possible that
my sentence simply does not make any sense? This is a teaser
for you for now which I will answer in the coming volumes of this
column.
I suggest
in the meantime that you study Language Truth and Logic by
A.J. Ayer and Appearance and Reality by F.H. Bradley pp Vol
37, 652-13,956.
If we
are to enter the realm of information rather than disinformation or
misinformation we soon will find that we do not even know who "we"
are anymore. This would indicate a certain amount of Bad Faith
and nihilism on the part of the correspondents.
Let me
therefore encourage discussion of APPARENT trivia.
Allow
me to explain why. First through a story which a friend named
Dan Lissy told me.
When
I first met Lissy, he pointed out to me that I was obviously a Lumarian
and not an Atlantian.
"What
the fuck are you taking about, Lissy, have you lost your mind?
No, no
he replied. Listen, John, originally there were two races.
Those who live on the Island of Lumeria and those who lived on the
island of Atlantis.
"What
the fuck's the matter with you, Lissy? We've all heard that
shit before. Furthermore, how can you tell that I am a reincarnation
of a Lumerian?"
"Oh,
that's easy. All Lumerians had five letters in their surnames
and all Atlantians had six letters in their surnames. Moreover,
the numbers five and six frequently occur in the numbers on their
license plates, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and so forth.
You see, he went on, the universal cosmic spirit who gave the fives
and sixes to the preborn spirits make certain that these two numbers
are continuously brought up to date in each incarnation."
"Oh,
I see", I said, not seeing.
Rani
Singh
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