Archives
Collection
"BLUES FROM
RECORDS
Physical description:
.75 l.f.
including 4 video cassette tapes (VCT-0164A/C. VCH-0164), 1 audio cassette tape
(TCA-0164) and 48 photographs.
Dates:
2 September 1992. 3 February 1993.
[1928-1993]
RESTRICTIONS:
The seven photographs donated by
Shelley Mays must be credited to the photographer as well as the Center for
Popular Music.
Provenance:
The audio tape (TCA-0164) and three
of the video tapes (VCT-0164A/B) were produced by Center audio specialist Bruce
Nemerov and Television Services of Middle Tennessee
State University (MTSU). The fourth video tape (VCT-0164C) was produced by
Elizabeth Pearson. The photographs were taken by Center director Paul Wells and
by Sidelines staffer Shelley Mays. The flyers, programs, etc. were
produced by the Center.
Agency history:
"Blues from Murfreesboro",
an honors lyceum cosponsored by the MTSU Honors Program, the Center for Popular
Music and the Tennessee Folklore Society, was first presented on the MTSU
campus 2 September 1992 and was repeated 3 February 1993 as part of the
university's observance of African-American History Month.
The presentation consisted of four
components: a video "Before the Blues" documenting both aurally and
graphically older styles of African-American music from which the blues evolved
and performances of early blues by William Howse, Ed
Dye and Bruce Nemerov; of piano blues by William
Richardson; and of delta blues by William Howse and
Jack Pearson.
Scope and content:
This group consists primarily of
audio visual materials including raw video footage (VCT-0164A) and the sound
track (TCA-0164) used by Center audio specialist Bruce Nemerov
to prepare the video tape (VCH-0164) "Before the Blues"; selected
scenes from the performance portion of the program shot by Ken Byers of MTSU
Television Services (VCT-1064B); and a video tape (copy) of the complete
performance shot by Elizabeth (Mrs. Jack) Pearson (VCT-0164C). Logs of each of
these tapes, including a list of songs and their performers, prepared by Center
audio specialist Bruce Nemerov follow.
Among the photographs are
thirty-three black and white contact prints and negatives shot by Center
director Paul Wells and eight 3x5 black and white prints made from his
negatives and four 5x7 and three 8x10 black and white prints shot by Sidelines
staffer Shelley Mays.
Printed documentation includes flyers, newspapers announcements and programs
with an essay describing the evolution of the blues and annotations of the
songs performed written by Charles Wolfe of MTSU from each presentation and an
article and photographs which were published in Sidelines following the
first lyceum.
Location:
Audio and video tapes are filed
first by format, then by tape number in the audio visual archives. Photographs
are filed under "Blues from
Related material:
There is additional information on
the Center's participation in this event filed with other project files in the
Center's administrative records.