“Charlie Parker used to hang out in Charlie’s Tavern, a musicians’ bar in midtown New York. To the dismay of his acolytes, he liked to play country music on the jukebox. There was reluctance to question the taste of the mighty Bird, but finally a brave jazzman asked him, ‘How can you stand that stuff?’ Bird looked at him and said, ‘The stories man, listen to the stories!'” – Nate Hentoff
Last month, we reported on the expanded reissue of box set ‘From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music’. On 31st May 2024, the related Online Experience went live on the website of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Accessible 24/7 from anywhere on the planet (and beyond as far as we know), ‘From Where I Stand: The Online Experience’ is an amazing free resource of immense value to scholars and fans but also a musical treasure trove for anyone willing to spend a little time and make a few clicks.
So, what’s on offer?
The Music
All the music on the box is accessible via the Online Experience. Spread over four discs, each with its own theme:
Disc 1 – The Stringband Era
Disc 2 – Soul Country
Disc 3 – Forward With Pride
Disc 4 – Reclaiming The Heritage
The fourth disc is an addition to the package on reissue and celebrates a fresh wave of Black artists in country and americana who emerged in the 21st century.
The Essays
The original box set included essays from the likes of Bill Ivey, Claudia Perry, Ron Wynn and Bill C Malone. These have been supplemented by new essays from Rhiannon Giddens, who needs no introduction here, and Rissi Palmer, host of the Color Me Country radio show and leading promoter of black artists in country music and americana.
The Acts
There are brief histories of each of the acts featured in ‘From Where I Stand’. Country music is justly renowned for its stories and the stories of the artists who create it are often worthy of songs in their own right.
The Performances
The exhibition features a lot of fascinating performance video and being the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, their archive is pretty extensive. In addition to video, there are a large number of photographs which is a major boon framing the earlier acts.
The Concert
Amazon and Riverview Foundation will present ‘From Where I Stand: The Concert Celebration’ in the museum’s CMA Theater on 18th June 2024. Coinciding with Black Music Month, the concert will feature a variety of artists represented in the project. Co-producers Rissi Palmer and Shannon Sanders will lead the concert. Artists performing include Blanco Brown, Cowboy Troy, Tony Jackson, Hubby Jenkins, Miko Marks, Wendy Moten, Rissi Palmer, Darius Rucker, The War And Treaty and Barrence Whitfield. The concert will be filmed and released on the museum’s website on 12th September 2024.
