On 2002-07-19 19:18, Walden wrote:
I have read, in scholarly books, that whistles were used in American rural folk music in earlier times, but that they died out. It seems like it may have been > Grove’s > that referred to these as “tootin’ canes.” Perhaps the advent of the harmonica (being an easily obtainable wind instrument) led to their decline–though whistles are making a comeback.
Anyone have any thoughts?
I think the whistles being referred to are actually 5 hole cane fifes. They were played by African-Americans in the rural south before guitars and harmonicas were widely available. The music pre-dates the blues, and is certainly one of the roots of the blues. When drumming was banned by slave owners, slaves resorted to foot stomping to provide rhythmic accompaniment to the cane fifes.
This music is not for everyone, but if you love the real early acoustic blues recordings like Son House, Charly Patton and Robert Johnson, then check it out. There is only one living practitioner, Otha Turner, who is about 95 years old and still blowin’ cane:
There’s also a library of congress tape, which I have lent out to someone and don’t have handy. It was music collected in the 1940’s by the great folklorist and musicologist Alan Lomax. If you’re really interested, e-mail me and I’ll find out for you.
You’re quite right about the fifing tradition among Blacks, but the article I’m thinking of referred to an Appalachian tradition, and claimed the cane pipes were descended from the tabor pipe. I don’t recall what book it was in (I read several about that time, it may not have been in Grove’s) but it discussed fifing separately.
Walden
Walden is blue at one time and green at another, even from the same point of view. Lying between the earth and the heavens, it partakes of the color of both. —Thoreau
[ This Message was edited by: walden on 2002-07-21 23:14 ]
I just looked up the liner notes to the album Fresh Oldtime String Band Music (Rounder LP0262). Hillfolk and I were discussing the tune Boatman on the Old Joe Clarke thread. The tune is played on fretless gut strung banjo, whistle and percussion on a wooden box. The notes say that this combination of instruments was “one of the most common amongst afro american/minstrel musicians of the 1800s.”
If so, you won’t find much about it in discussions on minstrel music. The role of the banjo, bones, tamborine and fiddle are well known. The whistle has never been mentioned in any of my reading. This is fascinating and something to pursue further. Can you give some further clues where to look Walden?
SteveK wrote:
This is fascinating and something to pursue further. Can you give some further clues where to look Walden?
I was reading this from the books on American music history in the library of the college now called Rogers State University ( http://www.rsu.edu ). I’m unable to log on to their catalogue presently, but when I can, I can probably find the titles of the books.