Visits to St. Elizabeth's

Homemade American Music In visits with their friends and mentors Mike Seeger and Alice Gerrard trace the origins of rural American music from traditional folk cultures in the southern United States and then demonstrate how traditional music is learned played adapted and performed by younger musicians from urban backgrounds. In addition to Mike and Alice musicians include Tommy Jarrell Roscoe Holcomb Lily May Ledford Elizabeth Cotten Dewey Balfa Marc Savoy Tracy Schwarz Hank Bradley Jody Stecher Irene Herrmann Stefan Senders Will Spires Eric Thompson and Susie Rothfield. (1980 42 minutes) Sonny Terry Shoutin' the BluesIn a motel room inOakland California blind blues harmonica great Sonny Terry tells a story about his start in show business and then plays an original solo in his own amazing style created in over 50 years of playing. (1969 6 minutes) Les Blues de BalfaThrough their festival appearances concerts and recordings the Balfa Brothers became the most renowned Cajun musicians and the first group to take their traditional music outside of southwest Louisiana. Tragically just after this film was undertaken in 1979 brothers Rodney and Will were killed in a car crash. The surviving member of the group Dewey Balfa tells the history of his musical family and demonstrates the role of their musical tradition in his life as he continues to spread Cajun music and culture in schools music festivals and by playing with other musicians in local dance halls and clubs. In addition to the Balfa Brothers musicians include Allie Young Nathan Abshire Tony Balfa Rockin' Dopsie Raymond François and the Cajun Playboys and Tracy Schwarz. (1983 27 minutes) Cajun Visits Filmed at homes in rural southwest Louisiana this film presents six masters of traditional Cajun music: Denis McGee Wallace 'Cheese' Read Canray Fontenot Leopold François Robert Jardell and Dewey Balfa singing and playing traditional songs and tunes and talking about