Jack Dappa Blues Heritage Preservation Radio

This is part one of the Jack Dappa Blues Podcast Series in affiliation with Lonestar Blues & Heritage Festival about Henry Thomas, also known as Henry Ragtime Texas Thomas featuring our recurring guest The American Songster Dom Flemons . On this episode we delve into the unique and wide musical range of Henry Thomas whos songs represent the oldest of the African American Traditional music. He...

on this archive episode, I speak with Jorge Arèvalo Mateus about the Association For Cultural Equity, The Folklorist convention and the work of ethnomusicologists and folklorists!  Jorge Arevalo Mateus, Ph. D. Executive Director The Association for Cultural Equity (ACE) was founded by Alan Lomax to explore and preserve the world's expressive traditions with humanistic commitmen...

If you enjoyed and learned something from my recent article in Blues Festival Guide Magazine titled “ Beyond The Green Book ,” and Enjoyed the Robert Johnson Documentary on Netflix, then you’re in for a treat! Billy Jones Bluez , who I referenced in my article, in this rebroadcast of my WFDU Radio Program, gives his first hand account of blues people, traveling while black, his upbringing in a juk...

The Banjo is a very popular instrument, and it's popularity is currently growing rapidly. However, there's a convoluted and misconstrued history of this instrument. On today's episode of Jack Dappa Blues Podcast, I speak with Tony Thomas ,  African American Banjo Scholar, about the history, origins and commercial explosion of the Banjo. Along with Sule Greg Wilson and Cece Conway, Tony Thomas...

On this episode of Jack Dappa Blues I speak with the American Songster Dom Flemons about how Blackface, Minstrelsy and African American Traditional Music morphed into America's top entertainment industry. In our discussion the true context of what became a stain on the image of Black folk is unpacked.  Dom Flemons is known as “The American Songster” since his repertoire of music covers nearly...

The African American Folklorist Podcast Series - Charlotte Forten Grimke - The First series of the African American Folklorist will be covering the works, journals, and lineage of Charlotte Forten Grimke. Documented as the first person to record Black Spirituals on her excursion to Sea Island in 1864, Charlotte, a teacher, anti-slavery activist, and poet comes from four generations of successful,...

As Black History Month comes to an end, after the Grammy's are long gone and post his open letter about the miseducation and representation of the Blues category nomination process, I sit down in Time Square New York to speak with Chris Thomas King .  On this special 2 hour episode, CTK shares the misconception of the birthplace of the Blues, the proof of this misconception, history of Louisi...

on this episode of Jack Dappa Blues Heritage Podcast, I speak with Elizabeth Lynn Kilrain about her journey with Blues Dancing and her organization Blue Note SD who's mantra is: "Dancing the Blues in San Diego!" The mission of her organization is exploring, celebrating, and growing the blues dance community through musical immersion, classes, social dancing, and competition.  We discuss how t...

On this episode, Marquise Knox and I discuss the issues that prompted Chris Thomas King to write his open letter addressing the gentrification of the Blues based on him being removed from the Grammy nomination list for best Blues Album. As we address this issue, we refer and share quotes from other Black Blues Musicians, (Chick Willis and Corey Harris) that have addressed similar, if not the same...

On this episode of jack Dappa Blues Podcast I have the honor of speaking with one of the last remaining threads to original Blues....and owner of the longest running Juke Joint in America, Bentonia Bluesman Jimmy Duck Holmes, as he breaks down the real Blue. Jimmy is the last living link to the "Bentonia School" of blues. Other artists who played in this style include Skip James, Jack Owens, Henry...

On this powerful episode of Jack Dappa Blues, I speak with Dr. Steve Perry as we discuss the Blues of the educational system for Back and Brown children! Dr. Perry gives us many examples of why we should be serious when making the decision of where our children attends school, what we should be looking for in schools, and why His Charter school and those affiliated are the best choices to break th...

On this episode I will be talking with Blues Sensation Jontavious Willis. This young man is the rebirth of real Roots Blues, and we will be discussing the regional styles of Blues such as Piedmont, Delta and the like...along with hearing some great Original Blues records that will allow you to feel the music we're discussing.

On this part one episode of a two part series, I have the honor to speak to the great grand daughter of Mississippi John Hurt, Mary Hurt Wright, who shares with us her upbringing in Mississippi with her parents and grandfather which opened her eyes to the importance of not only her Grandfather's legacy, but the legacy she's building by preserving his.

on this episode I speak to the great nephew of the legendary Blues Pioneer Peetie Wheatstraw. They share how they are acquiring Peetie's long musical catalog. They also share how they found out they were related to Peetie, and the family history!

on this episode of Jack Dappa Blues Podcast I have the honor to speak with the living Legend Bobby Rush!! 50 years strong in the Blues Music business, and has a new album out!!

On this episode, I speak to Actor, Historian and Blues Dance NY Instructor/Dj Odysseus Bailer on the importance of Blues Dance to the tradition of the Blues People, and the great program and community of Blues Dance NY, which is dedicated to fostering community and encouraging life-long learning through a shared passion for blues dancing. Odysseus also shares his journey with Blues dancing and mus...

On this episode, I sit and speak with Piedmont Blūz Ben and Valerie Turner, Dena Ross Jennings, Jim Bunch, and Steve and Melissa Waggy, all musicians and attendees of Augusta Heritage Blues and Swing week in West Virginia. We engage in a deep conversation about Society, Stereo Types, Traditions and Traditional Musics, Perception and everything that makes the expression of cultures extremely releva...

On this episode of The Jack Dappa Blues Podcast, I speak with Joel Bailes, historian, musician, and husband of a Blues Harp Woman at Augusta’s Blues & Swing Week, which provides participants with the opportunity to work with some of the finest performers and educators in the Blues and Swing worlds. Joel shares with us his musical journey, family story and why African American Traditional Music is...

“We The Blues People” is a biweekly broadcast produced and hosted by Jack Dappa Blues Public Media, in partnership with Knox Entertainment located in St. Louis, which is a live feed broadcast that discusses events and laws from the past which results continue to leave a strains on African American politics, economy and family of today. The program is hosted by Lamont Jack Pearley and Marquis Knox....

On this episode, I speak with Reverend, Dr. Derrick McQueen, New Testament Scholar and Black Spirituals Historian about the history of the Black Spirituals, it's importance and it's truly the songs and expressions of revolution. http://www.derrickmcqueen.com/

On this episode, Dom goes into detail of how a visit with family some 10 years ago landed him at a gift shop around the Petrified Forest, where he came across a book called “The Negro Cowboys”. Probably no coincidence, Dom shares with us what transpired from this book purchase, and how the journey of producing The Black Cowboys album brings him full circle of his own family’s lineage.

NAMA Harlem, also known as The New Amsterdam Musical Association is a staple of the Harlem community as it is with the History of African American Music, Entertainment and Heritage. On this episode, Arthur Brown, Vice President of the legendary organization walks us through the story of NAMA Harlem’s Rich History, and gives insights of its significance in African American History, Traditional Musi...