Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African American Fiddlers, 1926-1949 (review)

als, parades, and any time congregations want to "shout." Blending jazz riffs with gospel quartet harmonies, the bands feature horns, sousaphones, drums, but most especially trombones in both lively and meditative works designed to praise God. The liner notes provide an excellent overview of the denomination's history , dozens ofphotographs, and detailed notes on die featured bands. Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African American Fiddlers, 1926-1949 Old Hat, 1999 cd 1002, $16.98 The very first cut of Violin, SingtheBluesforMe featuring LonnieJohnson—not on guitar but on fiddle—reopens a forgotten world of fiddle-driven blues. The fiddle 's ability to closely mimic the human voice and its long history in African American hands made it a logical choice for an emerging blues repertoire in the early twentieth century. Yet for a number of reasons outlined in die superb liner notes, the guitar squeezed the fiddle out and left it to languish. The twenty-four tracks included here resurrect the tradition in a startling way. The selections are admirably made, reflecting a wide array of styles from jug bands to Mississippi Delta blues, and the remastering is truly remarkable. Anyone who loves the blues and anyone interested in exploring the South's overlooked musical heritage will find this important cd richly rewarding. [Ed. note: To contact OldHat, write to Old HatEnterprises, P. 0. Box io)o9, Raleigh NC2760j or call (9i9) 8j8-9ooj.J Music Recordings 93 ...