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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I couldn't agree with you more, Jim. As
you know from our offline communication regarding this wonderful old song I have
personal experience with the liberal claptrap that has dogged Dixie. The below
comment from the NPR web site referencing their documentary on the tune is quite
informative.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>"Musician Mike Petee helped this year's crowd at Mount Vernon's Dan Emmett
festival imagine how Emmett might have been inspired to write the tune.
<BR><BR>"It's New York City... It's rainy, it's cold," Petee said. "And what
minstrels loved to do was tour the north during the summer and in the winter
they want to go down south. So he's in the north, it's cold, it's dreary, his
thoughts go to Dixie, where he wants to be." <BR><BR>Beyond the differing
theories of its origin and the quarrels over its symbolism, it's clear to
Vanderbilt University music historian Dale Cockrell why it became so popular and
enduring. <BR><BR>"The song's music is of undeniable infectious quality,"
Cockrell says. "It's anthem-like. It's in 4/4 so it's a kind of propulsive
march-like dance rhythm. One can hardly help but be affected just by the musical
quality of it." <BR><BR>A lot of people still wish they could hear "Dixie." But
it's rarely sung in public anymore. <BR><BR>One way latter-day performers try to
make it acceptable is to combine it with other tunes that acknowledge its
complex history. Jazz singer Rene Marie combined it with Billie Holliday's
"Strange Fruit" -- a vivid depiction of a lynching. Elvis Presley's American
trilogy mixes "Dixie" with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the spiritual
"All My Trials." <BR><BR>Howard Sacks believes "Dixie" retains a quintessential
American quality: <BR><BR>"What it tells us is that black, white, male female,
southern, northern, slave, free, urban rural -- these aren't separate realms,"
Sacks says. "The story of the American experience is the story of movement
between these realms. <BR><BR>"Understanding the creation and re-creation of
"Dixie" is that story encapsulated in the words and music of a single song."
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best Regards</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bill</FONT><BR><BR><BR></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> Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:28
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Dixielandjazz] Kash's
question about the song "Dixie"</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=3>In a message dated
1/25/03 5:31:20 AM Central Standard Time, <A
href="mailto:Bobolink7736@aol.com">Bobolink7736@aol.com</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">.<BR><BR> As regards the playing of
"Dixie," I think Elvis got it right and did <BR>it the only way<BR>a
White group can perform it without having their integrity questioned.
I <BR>love what he<BR>did. That medley sends me into deep, deep
emotion, longing for a day when we<BR>can all be free of all our trials,
especially those arising from racial <BR>prejudice. I weep<BR>every
time I hear this recording, just as I do each time I hear Dr. King's "I
<BR>Have a Dream" speech.
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
face=Arial color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR> You see,
Bob, what I was trying to say was that all of this racial crap was tacked on
to "Dixie." It was never there in the original intent of the song.
To say that "Elvis got it right and his is the only way a 'White' can perform
it without having integrity questioned" is ludicrous. It is just a
sentimental song. Anybody can sing it or play it. And should as it
is very deep Americana. <BR><BR> As fo King's "I Have a
Dream" speech, nobody can use it now without paying the KIng family.
They have every utterance of his copyrighted and are raking in big
fees.<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>