Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Roland Hayes At Noon


Weepin' Mary was called one of the greatest examples of musical drama ever recorded by the eminent critic Richard Dyer.   Roland Hayes was a legend in Boston and New England during my youth, performing frequently at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and other venues well into his advanced age.  While his voice wasn't at its peak his musicianship just kept getting deeper and deeper.

From 1922, a miraculous thing, one of the most vivid recordings of a voice from the acoustic era of recordings.  

Go Down Moses

If I'm not mistaken this is a recording that Roland Hayes more or less produced by himself since he had trouble getting his records made and distributed early in his recording career.  Just as he had to be his own manager and promoter and impresario.   For anyone whining about the lack of major label contracts, they should look at how Roland Hayes was a pioneer for all of us, not just the black singers such as Marion Anderson and Leyontine Price who came after him.  Any singer could learn an enormous amount from just listening to him and reading what he had to say about the art of singing and music.

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