Mountains of Music: West Virginia Traditional Music from Goldenseal by John LillyReview by: Drew BeisswengerNotes, Second Series, Vol. 57, No. 4 (Jun., 2001), pp. 922-923Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/901011 .

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NOTES, June 2001 NOTES, June 2001

-the book is divided into five sections and each one stands on its own-are invigorat- ingly eclectic in their examination of the ef- forts of such diverse characters as Willie Dixon, Alan Lomax, and Cecil Sharp.

Filene does us all a great service by revis- iting the whole notion of "folk" and sug- gesting that "roots" would be a more appro- priate term for the music that most often falls under this rubric. He opines that "roots" refers to "musical genres that, whether themselves commercial or not, have been glorified as the 'pure' sources out of which the twentieth century's com- mercial popular music was created" (p. 4). The author argues that, as a retrospective term, it "shifts the focus of my study away from stylistic debates (which performers belonged to which musical traditions?) to questions of perceptions (who was thought of as exemplifying which traditions?)" (ibid.). He further suggests that the words "public memory" in the title of the book indicate that he is examining people's im- pressions of the past, which are often shaped by the culture brokers (folklorists and record company A & R men, for exam- ple) who serve as middlemen-very few of them have been female-in this complex process. At almost all points I find his argu- ments compelling, and even when I do not entirely agree with his assertions, they are well reasoned.

The book is clearly written, carefully no- tated, and mostly jargon-free. Except for a few minor lapses in assessments, such as characterizing Mike Bloomfield as a "Muddy Waters disciple" (p. 228), and some omissions-Filene fails to cite his own dissertation in the bibliography-I am hard-pressed to find serious faults with the authori's analysis and his sources. Along with Robert Cantwell's When We Were Good: The Folk Revival (Cambridge, Mass.: Har- vard University Press, 1996), Romancing the Folk is one of the most important and provocative books on American vernacular music published in the past five years. You can be sure that this insightful study will be on my students' required reading list the next time I teach a course on American folk music.

-the book is divided into five sections and each one stands on its own-are invigorat- ingly eclectic in their examination of the ef- forts of such diverse characters as Willie Dixon, Alan Lomax, and Cecil Sharp.

Filene does us all a great service by revis- iting the whole notion of "folk" and sug- gesting that "roots" would be a more appro- priate term for the music that most often falls under this rubric. He opines that "roots" refers to "musical genres that, whether themselves commercial or not, have been glorified as the 'pure' sources out of which the twentieth century's com- mercial popular music was created" (p. 4). The author argues that, as a retrospective term, it "shifts the focus of my study away from stylistic debates (which performers belonged to which musical traditions?) to questions of perceptions (who was thought of as exemplifying which traditions?)" (ibid.). He further suggests that the words "public memory" in the title of the book indicate that he is examining people's im- pressions of the past, which are often shaped by the culture brokers (folklorists and record company A & R men, for exam- ple) who serve as middlemen-very few of them have been female-in this complex process. At almost all points I find his argu- ments compelling, and even when I do not entirely agree with his assertions, they are well reasoned.

The book is clearly written, carefully no- tated, and mostly jargon-free. Except for a few minor lapses in assessments, such as characterizing Mike Bloomfield as a "Muddy Waters disciple" (p. 228), and some omissions-Filene fails to cite his own dissertation in the bibliography-I am hard-pressed to find serious faults with the authori's analysis and his sources. Along with Robert Cantwell's When We Were Good: The Folk Revival (Cambridge, Mass.: Har- vard University Press, 1996), Romancing the Folk is one of the most important and provocative books on American vernacular music published in the past five years. You can be sure that this insightful study will be on my students' required reading list the next time I teach a course on American folk music.

KIP LORNELL

George Washington University KIP LORNELL

George Washington University

Mountains of Music: West Virginia Traditional Music from Goldenseal. Edited by John Lilly. (Music in American Life.) Urbana, Ill.: Univer-

sity of Illinois Press, 1999. [231 p. 0- 252-02499-0 (cloth); 0-252-06815-7

(pbk.). $49.95 (cloth); $24.95 (pbk.).]

In this volume, Goldenseal editor John Lilly offers twenty-five of the magazine's ar- ticles profiling West Virginia traditional musicians. Issued quarterly since 1975 by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Goldenseal magazine is not well known outside the state and is held by few academic libraries. Since its inception, how- ever, it has been the preeminent source of information on West Virginia folklife. Filled with photographs and easily accessi- ble to general readers, it features articles by local freelance authors and, occasionally, by prominent folklorists and music scholars such as Charles Wolfe, Kip Lornell, and Ivan Tribe. Although the magazine covers a full range of historical and cultural topics, many of its articles are on musical tradi- tions, reflecting a special interest of Golden- seal readers.

The musicians featured in Mountains of Music: Wlaest Virginia Traditional Music from "Goldenseal" are divided into five categories: fiddlers, banjo players, dulcimer players, guitarists, and family bands. Lilly's goal was to present a balanced rather than a com- prehensive sampling, and he has omitted some prominent West Virginia musicians (such as Frank George and Jenes Cottrell) but included others who are less well known. For that reason, the work is less a who's who than a montage, with represen- tatives of various traditions and regions. Readers familiar with the folk music of West Virginia will have heard of Clark Kessinger, Melvin Wine, and Nat Reese, but many of the most engaging stories are about relatively unknown musicians, such as ninety-two-year-old African American banjo player Clarence Tross, who incorpo- rated unusual rhythms into his music, and singer-guitarist Blackie Cool, whose profile reads like a history of rural West Virginia life and music in the twentieth century. The articles vary in approach and empha- sis, though interviews with the musicians themselves represent the principal source

Mountains of Music: West Virginia Traditional Music from Goldenseal. Edited by John Lilly. (Music in American Life.) Urbana, Ill.: Univer-

sity of Illinois Press, 1999. [231 p. 0- 252-02499-0 (cloth); 0-252-06815-7

(pbk.). $49.95 (cloth); $24.95 (pbk.).]

In this volume, Goldenseal editor John Lilly offers twenty-five of the magazine's ar- ticles profiling West Virginia traditional musicians. Issued quarterly since 1975 by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Goldenseal magazine is not well known outside the state and is held by few academic libraries. Since its inception, how- ever, it has been the preeminent source of information on West Virginia folklife. Filled with photographs and easily accessi- ble to general readers, it features articles by local freelance authors and, occasionally, by prominent folklorists and music scholars such as Charles Wolfe, Kip Lornell, and Ivan Tribe. Although the magazine covers a full range of historical and cultural topics, many of its articles are on musical tradi- tions, reflecting a special interest of Golden- seal readers.

The musicians featured in Mountains of Music: Wlaest Virginia Traditional Music from "Goldenseal" are divided into five categories: fiddlers, banjo players, dulcimer players, guitarists, and family bands. Lilly's goal was to present a balanced rather than a com- prehensive sampling, and he has omitted some prominent West Virginia musicians (such as Frank George and Jenes Cottrell) but included others who are less well known. For that reason, the work is less a who's who than a montage, with represen- tatives of various traditions and regions. Readers familiar with the folk music of West Virginia will have heard of Clark Kessinger, Melvin Wine, and Nat Reese, but many of the most engaging stories are about relatively unknown musicians, such as ninety-two-year-old African American banjo player Clarence Tross, who incorpo- rated unusual rhythms into his music, and singer-guitarist Blackie Cool, whose profile reads like a history of rural West Virginia life and music in the twentieth century. The articles vary in approach and empha- sis, though interviews with the musicians themselves represent the principal source

922 922

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Book Reviews Book Reviews

of information and provide much recount- ing of life experiences. (Notable exceptions are Tribe's and Wolfe's articles.) The infor- mal, reminiscing quality in most of the articles is due in part to the influence of former Goldenseal editor Ken Sullivan, who encouraged writers to tell the broader cul- tural story. Some articles lack adequate or- ganization and focus; in the profile of the Currence brothers, for example, the sub- jects speak mostly about health matters. But often the unstructured approach is enlight- ening and entertaining. The lives of musi- cians like John Johnson and Carl Ruther- ford have been filled with extraordinary and meaningful experiences that are best communicated by an informal writing style.

Researchers of regional music traditions will be pleased that a university press has published a work on traditional musicians who, for the most part, did not enjoy com- mercial success, but who deserve attention because of the roles they played within their communities. A few of the musicians, such as Doc Williams, Everett and Bea Lilly, and Molly O'Day, traveled widely and en- joyed modest recognition, but most chose to stay closer to home and perform, with notable results, within the complex fabric of their local economies, entertainment tra- ditions, and belief systems.

Since Mountains of Music is a collection of self-contained articles rather than a survey of traditional music in West Virginia, read- ers seeking the latter may wish to consult Gerald Milnes's Play of a Fiddle: Traditional Music, Dance, and Folklore in West Virginia (Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Ken- tucky, 1999). The two books complement each other, and Milnes provides additional information on the musicians profiled in Mountains of Music.

The value of this collection to music scholars is clear, but limited. The interview transcripts will serve as primary-source ma- terial useful to researchers exploring the broad range of influences in the lives of tra- ditional musicians. But those interested in the music itself will be disappointed that musical description and analysis is almost entirely absent; furthermore, none of the articles cite other research or include foot- notes. Some of the writers advocate or ro- manticize, and some neglect to include important data on, for example, birthplace and career highlights. It would have been

of information and provide much recount- ing of life experiences. (Notable exceptions are Tribe's and Wolfe's articles.) The infor- mal, reminiscing quality in most of the articles is due in part to the influence of former Goldenseal editor Ken Sullivan, who encouraged writers to tell the broader cul- tural story. Some articles lack adequate or- ganization and focus; in the profile of the Currence brothers, for example, the sub- jects speak mostly about health matters. But often the unstructured approach is enlight- ening and entertaining. The lives of musi- cians like John Johnson and Carl Ruther- ford have been filled with extraordinary and meaningful experiences that are best communicated by an informal writing style.

Researchers of regional music traditions will be pleased that a university press has published a work on traditional musicians who, for the most part, did not enjoy com- mercial success, but who deserve attention because of the roles they played within their communities. A few of the musicians, such as Doc Williams, Everett and Bea Lilly, and Molly O'Day, traveled widely and en- joyed modest recognition, but most chose to stay closer to home and perform, with notable results, within the complex fabric of their local economies, entertainment tra- ditions, and belief systems.

Since Mountains of Music is a collection of self-contained articles rather than a survey of traditional music in West Virginia, read- ers seeking the latter may wish to consult Gerald Milnes's Play of a Fiddle: Traditional Music, Dance, and Folklore in West Virginia (Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Ken- tucky, 1999). The two books complement each other, and Milnes provides additional information on the musicians profiled in Mountains of Music.

The value of this collection to music scholars is clear, but limited. The interview transcripts will serve as primary-source ma- terial useful to researchers exploring the broad range of influences in the lives of tra- ditional musicians. But those interested in the music itself will be disappointed that musical description and analysis is almost entirely absent; furthermore, none of the articles cite other research or include foot- notes. Some of the writers advocate or ro- manticize, and some neglect to include important data on, for example, birthplace and career highlights. It would have been

useful if Lilly had included brief historical introductions, factual summaries, and bibli-

ographies. Similar compilations from other periodi-

cals (e.g., The Old-Time Herald, The Devil's Box) would benefit libraries and re- searchers. Libraries with collections that emphasize Appalachian music traditions will want to purchase this volume.

DREW BEISSWENGER Southwest Missouri State University

Shaping Society through Dance: Mestizo Ritual Performance in the Peruvian Andes. By Zoila S. Mendoza.

(Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology.) Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [xv, 285 p. + 1 CD. ISBN 0-226- 52008-0 (cloth); 0-226-52009-9 (pbk.). $54 (cloth); $29 (pbk.).]

This volume comprises seven chapters, notes, representative photographs, refer- ences, and a list of the contents of the ac- companying compact disc; also listed are the contents of a supplemental VHS-format videotape, available from the University of

Chicago Press (ISBN 0-226-52010-2, $50). In chapter 1, "An Introduction to the

Study of Ritual Dance Performance in the Andes," Zoila S. Mendoza presents the main subject of her book: the comparsas, or ritual dance associations, of the region of Cusco, Peru. The major focus of her analy- sis in this book is the town of San Jer6nimo and the Majenos and Qollas comparsas, which perform on the town's patron-saint day. The Qollas troupe "represents the llama drivers from higher altitudes," while members of the Majenos "impersonate wealthy merchants and landowners" (p. 4). In this first chapter, Mendoza situates the San Jer6nimo district within the depart- ment of Cusco; discusses pertinent issues of ethnicity, race, and class in this region; ex- plores the history of Cusco, formerly the capital of the Inca empire; examines the Andean cult of the saints and the cult's supporting, colonial-era cofradias (religious lay brotherhoods), the precursors of to- day's Andean ritual associations; and notes the importance of costumed and masked dances in preconquest Peru.

Chapter 2, "Folklore, Authenticity, and Traditions in Cusco Regional Identity,"

useful if Lilly had included brief historical introductions, factual summaries, and bibli-

ographies. Similar compilations from other periodi-

cals (e.g., The Old-Time Herald, The Devil's Box) would benefit libraries and re- searchers. Libraries with collections that emphasize Appalachian music traditions will want to purchase this volume.

DREW BEISSWENGER Southwest Missouri State University

Shaping Society through Dance: Mestizo Ritual Performance in the Peruvian Andes. By Zoila S. Mendoza.

(Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology.) Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [xv, 285 p. + 1 CD. ISBN 0-226- 52008-0 (cloth); 0-226-52009-9 (pbk.). $54 (cloth); $29 (pbk.).]

This volume comprises seven chapters, notes, representative photographs, refer- ences, and a list of the contents of the ac- companying compact disc; also listed are the contents of a supplemental VHS-format videotape, available from the University of

Chicago Press (ISBN 0-226-52010-2, $50). In chapter 1, "An Introduction to the

Study of Ritual Dance Performance in the Andes," Zoila S. Mendoza presents the main subject of her book: the comparsas, or ritual dance associations, of the region of Cusco, Peru. The major focus of her analy- sis in this book is the town of San Jer6nimo and the Majenos and Qollas comparsas, which perform on the town's patron-saint day. The Qollas troupe "represents the llama drivers from higher altitudes," while members of the Majenos "impersonate wealthy merchants and landowners" (p. 4). In this first chapter, Mendoza situates the San Jer6nimo district within the depart- ment of Cusco; discusses pertinent issues of ethnicity, race, and class in this region; ex- plores the history of Cusco, formerly the capital of the Inca empire; examines the Andean cult of the saints and the cult's supporting, colonial-era cofradias (religious lay brotherhoods), the precursors of to- day's Andean ritual associations; and notes the importance of costumed and masked dances in preconquest Peru.

Chapter 2, "Folklore, Authenticity, and Traditions in Cusco Regional Identity,"

923 923

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