Can't do this blog without mentioning Stephen Foster (1826-64). Considered the father of American music and responsible for a large number of tunes still frequently performed and popular around the world. "Oh! Susannah", "Camptown Races", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Swanee River" to mention a few. Active in the "parlor music" period of the 19th century, long before radios and grammophones when selling note/lyric sheets was the main income source for a composer. He was one of many at the time writing songs with inspiration from opera, chamber music and traditional folk, boiling it down to a whole new genre suitable for home entertainment and theatres. That melding, together with the black slave music that eventually emanated as blues and jazz, is the source of all modern popular music. Not many of those originators works have survived to our days. Another exemple is Swedish Carl Michael Bellman (1740-95) who's songs still are sung and recorded, but then only in Scandinavia. The fact Foster's compositions are more widely spread could be explained by US pop-cultural hegemony over a large part of the world, but to me it's more about the songs' timeless quality. They blend in so well with modern repertoires their origins could have been the 1940ies instead of hundred years earlier. Shown is the first vinyl compilation of Foster songs. Originally a 4 X 78 rpm shellac album from 1946, here transformed to a 10 inch LP. The performance is mushy and romantic as it should with Bing Crosby's baryton to heavy strings and angelic back ground quires. Audio warm and clear, like listening to '78:s on best possible equipment. Yummy! UK issue on Decca (BML 8571). Early US had black/gold label and thick unflexible vinyl. (NYFÖ*) (YZÄ*)(BCJ*)
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