<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2722.900" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You are correct Jim. "Dixie" was written by
Dan Emmett and introduced by him in Bryant's Minstrels on April 4, 1859.
If memory serves it was performed in Pittsburgh. The minstrel show was a popular
form of entertainment until the turn of the century but its heyday ended with
the civil war.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And boy do I agree with the racial dross
comment. I used it in all innocence as a finale for one of my shows at the
Heritage Square Opera House in Denver. The Denver Post critic was there
with her date who happened to be black. The song sent him into a tirade in
the lobby after the show. She had penned a very critical review but
the managing editor of the paper (who fortunately was a fan of the Opera
House) put a hold on it until he could further investigate. A
committee from the NAACP came out and saw the show and found nothing offensive
about the number. She rewrote the review and it all ended happily.
But the point is, the number was originally just a stirring piece of nostalgia
which was how I was using it. All the baggage that people bring to the
song is unfortunate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bill</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=JimDBB@aol.com href="mailto:JimDBB@aol.com">JimDBB@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
href="mailto:dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com">dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 23, 2003 11:25
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Dixielandjazz]
"Dixie"</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=3>In a message dated
1/23/03 7:04:36 AM Central Standard Time, <A
href="mailto:kash@ran.es">kash@ran.es</A> writes:<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">Can anyone give me some help on researching the song
"Dixie"? I've got<BR>it written by Daniel D. Emmett in 1860.
Recorded the likes of the<BR>Dukes, Ellington, Louie Armstrong, Kenny Ball,
Red Allen. I'm missing<BR>info on the history of the song
itself. Why was it written, etc.<BR><BR>My grandson has a paper to
turn in on the song. Dunno why, but any help<BR>will be
appreciated.</FONT><FONT lang=0 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=Arial
color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>
</FONT><FONT lang=0 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">I'm not sure how right I am on this but I think that
I'm close. The song "Dixie" came along I think just before the Civil
War. It is a sentimental song about the South.<BR><BR> Music
played an important part in the Civil War with a number of Amercian classics
coming out of that period. Most of them were very sentimental songs,
evoking home and hearth. Dixie was one that was adapted by the South but
was popular everywhere. <BR><BR>Racial connotations were added on to
this song as time went along but they were never in the original intent of
this song. Dixie is a powerful, a clever and poigant song<BR>and still calls
up sentiments of days gone by. I'll never forget an old march, "Gate City"
that we often played on parade in the Marine Corps. In the first strain
the lower brass plays, "Swanee River." The next time though this is
repeated with the trumpet/cornets coming in with 'Dixie." This always
brought roars from the crowd. I hope that one day the racial dross that
has been stuck on 'Dixie" will drop away and this great song can take it's
rightful place in American musicana.<BR><BR>Jim Beebe</FONT>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>Dixielandjazz
mailing
list<BR>Dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com<BR>http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>