Workers' Liberty

Peter Doggett’s book recalls in detail (over 525 pages) the uneasy relationship between rock stars, political activists and the “counter–culture” between 1965 and 1972.

Continuing a series on the history of the blues

Review of The Gossip at the Shepherds Bush Empire

Continuing a series on the history of the blues

The American sheet music publishing industry produced a lot of ragtime music. By 1912, the sheet music industry had published three popular blues-like compositions, precipitating the Tin Pan Alley adoption of blues elements: Baby Seals’ Blues by “Baby” F. Seals (arranged by Artie Matthews), Dallas Blues by Hart Wand, and Memphis Blues by W. C. Handy.

Continuing a history of the Blues

Beginning around the First World War, millions of black US Southerners moved north to cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York. Known as the Great Migration, this population movement changed the course of American history. People left the South to escape the oppressive racist system, but also, and more importantly, because of the job opportunities and promise of economic security in Northern cities.

It was the fusion of blues with ragtime and Jazz in the early twenties by band leaders like Handy that popularised the blues. His signature work was the St Louis Blues. The other way blues reached white audiences was through the classic female blues performers, the music evolving from informal entertainment in bars to entertainment in theatres.

I must admit, I’m no Dylanologist, so I was not particularly upset by director Todd Haynes’ decision to merge Suze Rotolo and Sara Lownds into one character, nor the fact that I’m Not There is far from a biography of Dylan. However, while the film has an excellent score (unsurprisingly, it features lots of Bob Dylan tracks) and features some memorable performances from the six actors representing the singer-songwriter’s different personas, it feels like a simple homage rather than offering any particular insight.

The Blues? It’s the mother of American music. That’s what it is – the source. — BB King

Europeans involved in the slave trade stripped as much culture from their human cargo as possible but music was so deep rooted in the African men and women that it was impossible to tear it away from those who survived the horrific journey.

Jim Denham on Shiraz Socialist commemorates Henry "Red" Allen, born 100 years ago in January 1908.

Bruce Robinson asseses the life and work of Max Roach

A talk by Mike Short at the AWL London Forum

Amy Fisher reviews the centre for political song website, www.caledonian.ac.uk/politicalsong/song

The Centre for Political Song, a website hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University, makes reasonably interesting reading — none of the traditional political songs are here, like the Red Flag or the Internationale, but instead lots of lyrics written to familiar tunes, by activists.

Stop the War, punk and sexism (and Attila's reply)

On 27 May, a group of young AWL members went to a Stop the War benefit gig in Balham and caused a bit of a stir by objecting to some lyrics in one of Attila the Stockbroker’s songs. Here one of them shares her thoughts with him.

Tim Row reviews the Artic Monkeys’ second album

The Arctic Monkeys’ massive-selling first album Whatever People Say I Am, I’m Not established them as the biggest new thing since Oasis.

This is England; Arctic Monkeys; May Day

A few cheers to Paul Weller, who apparently turned down the offer of a CBE in the New Year's Honours list. It's also reported that he turned down a similar offer last summer.

Shocking news indeed - Sham 69 have split up. Whaddyamean, you had no idea they were still going and assumed they had done the decent thing and split up nearly thirty years ago?! Actually, it was those ageing Hersham Boys who recorded England's official World Cup song last year, which you might not have noticed got to number 10, their first hit since the 70s.

Gilad Atzmon, the jazz musician who is prone to anti-semitic conspiracy theory rants played — not for the first time — for the Socialist Workers’ Party in December. The group’s invitation to Atzmon prompted a few words of protest by SWP apologist and children’s author Michael Rosen, writing as Isokotsky in the letters of page of Socialist Worker (7 January). Jazz fan Jim Denham has written this open letter to Atzmon.

A review of 'Circular Breathing: The cultural politics of Jazz in Britain' by George McKay. Duke University Press.

As it has spread from its American roots, jazz has been assimilated by many national cultures round the world. 'Circular breathing' deals with two aspects of the way this happened in Britain. The first is the importance of British jazz's relationship to the Left and a range of political movements such as CND and the anti-racist and women's movements. So, for example, the adoption by CND of New Orleans style marching bands in the Aldermaston marches of the late 50s helped spark the 'trad boom', which fuelled a counter-culture with its own music festival at Beaulieu and eventually crossed over into the pop charts.

Lest anyone think that repeated invites to Marxism for anti-semitic saxophone-playing conspiracy theorist Gilad Atzmon was an aberration on the part of the SWP, National Secretary Martin Smith is appearing with him again tonight in Manchester.

Bruce Robinson reviews Circular Breathing: The cultural politics of Jazz in Britain by George McKay.

by Matt cooper

The 1950s saw a revival of interest in “folk” music in Britain and the USA. Folk revivalism in Europe has a long heritage going back to the early nineteenth century and was largely allied to nationalist movements.

Darren Bedford reviews The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, the latest album from Mike Skinner aka The Streets.

Darren Bedford takes a look at the increasingly audible working-class voice in British music.

Cathy Nugent reviews Walk the Line

Young American musician fulfils his goal and becomes a successful “country” recording artist. He turns to pills to cope. He is saved by the love of a good woman. Then he finds God again. Sounds pretty cheesy.

I’m rarely slow to knock the Guardian when it publishes nonsense, otherwise known as stuff I disagree with.

So let me now praise it for this fantastic article in yesterday’s paper about Paul Weller and the Jam. The bloke who wrote it really knows what he is on about. Crucially, it is not a factual review of Weller’s career, his music or even his clothes, it is an article about what it was to be a Jam fan. Rather like something I wrote a few years back. Hey, this band put me on the road to becoming a socialist.

There is power in a factory, power in the land
Power in the hands of a worker
But it all amounts to nothing if together we don't stand There is power in a Union

Now the lessons of the past were all learned with workers' blood

In August Gate Gourmet, a US-owned firm, sacked workers at Heathrow Airport, London, who provide airline food for British Airways and replaced them by scab labour.