speaking of Americana . . . here’s Rhiannon Giddens

 

Rhiannon Giddens explores the banjo

Rhiannon says:

"Banjo Aunti checking in - I noticed a few questions about the types of banjos that I’ve played. Let me break it down for you by playing the same song “Donna Got A Rambling Mind” on a couple different banjos so that you can hear the difference"

BBC RADIO 2 'The Blues Show'

Rhiannon Giddens was the guest host on BBC Radio 2's 'The Blues Show.' She shared an hour of favorite blues songs by women artists like Geeshie Wiley, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, Odetta, Aretha Franklin, Leyla McCalla, Amythyst Kiah, and others. Listen again at

BBC.CO.UK

BBC Radio 2 - The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews, Rhiannon Giddens sits in

The Grammy-winning musician shares an hour of her favourite blues.

 Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotton

Emily Barker and fine fine coffee . . . . . . 

The wonderful Emily Barker mentioned 'Libba' Cotton this morning on her Facebook page in relation to maybe having a daily post of things important to her and the album of Cotton gave me cause to remember the people who have covered her songs from The Grateful Dead to Bob Dylan and folk like Rhiannon Giddens. Emily also mentioned coffee and certain brands which of course we have both done on our respective facebook pages  . . . . . . . . . Cotton was a worker for the Seeger family a domestic and recalls doing the washing up and clearing dishes and also teaching Peggy and Michael some songs which she recounts on Pete Seeger's TV programme with no hint of irony or chagrin from Seeger (see below)

Here's a favourite 'Shake Sugaree' by someone we all know . . . . . . . . 



Rhiannon Giddons



Here's Libba with a song she wrote. . . . . .yup she wrote 'Freight Train'!

RHIANNON GIDDENS

Boston Symphony Hall May 2019

More extraordinary music for a Sunday and this again from Big O and the peerless Rhiannon Giddens and her curatorial debut as black music historian with a symphony orchestra. Bear with me this is quite a thesis!I am not entirely sure why David Bowie features yet but the discovery of Florence Price is a revelation  . . . . 

If you listen to one thing today make it this . . . . . . 

Track 202. Florence Price - Piano Concerto in D minor suite 8:12

Rhiannon Giddens - The Boston Pops 2019

Big O says:

RHIANNON GIDDENS
with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Keith Lockhart conducting
Boston 2019 

Live at the Symphony Hall, Boston, MA; May 25, 2019 (WCRB HD-FM broadcast June 31, 2019). Very good FM broadcast.

Rhiannon Giddens of the string band The Carolina Chocolate Drops curates this dynamic concert to rediscover the great Black composers who have been hiding in plain sight in every genre of music. Explore Samuel Coleridge-Taylor whose choral music once rivaled Handel’s Messiah to Billy Strayhorn, the genius behind Duke Ellington who wrote “Take the A-Train” and “Day Dream,” and Eubie Blake, composer of the groundbreaking Broadway musical Shuffle Along. We’ll also remember the ladies with Florence Price, the first black woman to have her symphony performed by a major orchestra, and Hazel Scott, the jazz and piano prodigy who became a Hollywood, Broadway and television star. Rhiannon will be joined by collaborators vocalist Darius de Haas (Broadway’s Shuffle Along) and pianist Lara Downes, whose playing has been described as “luscious, moody and dreamy” by the New York Times. - BSO

RHIANNON GIDDENS

I first came across Rhiannon Giddens as the most beautiful and striking part of the Carolina Chocolate Drops ( an all too knowing name that always sat uneasily with me, way to make the liberal white man uncomfortable Rhiannon nice one!) but she always struck me as super talented and I am overjoyed to hear she has been nominated for the Legacy of Americana and Artist of The Year (again after the nomination for Carolina Chocolate Drops in 2010)at the Americana Music Honors & Awards 2019




Elizabeth Cotton original 'Shake Shake Sugaree'

Rhiannon here . . .

I like Rhiannon Giddens . . . . . .