Jack Dappa Blues Heritage Preservation Radio

Latest Episodes:

Spirit Work, Hoodoo & Black Southern Cosmologies: Conjure, Pentecost, and the Blues Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Jack Dappa Blues Radio Live – Sunday Night EditionEpisode: Spirit Work, Hoodoo & Black Southern Cosmologies: Conjure, Pentecost, and the BluesIn this deeply spiritual and culturally rich episode, Jack Dappa Blues Radio Live explores the sacred intersections of Blues music, Hoodoo, Black Southern Pentecostalism, and Afro-Indigenous folk beliefs. Host and folklorist Lamont Jack Pearley guides listeners through a journey of ancestral memory, ritual practice, and the spiritual systems encoded in the Blues.We honor the life and work of the late Freeman Vines and his haunting “hanging tree guitars,” examine texts like Black Magic by Yvonne P. Chireau, Mojo Workin’ by Katrina Hazzard-Donald, and Stories of Rootworkers & Hoodoo in the Mid-South by Tony Kail, and spotlight the special Hoodoo Heritage digital issue of The African American Folklorist, curated by Hess Love.This episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a revival of memory, a ritual of sound, and a space for cultural reclamation.🔗 Sign up for upcoming We The Blues People events and master classes:https://www.eventbrite.com/o/jack-dappa-blues-heritage-preservation-foundation-68723761273

The African American Folklorist of The Month - Dr. Constance Bailey Apr 02, 2025

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In this month’s episode of The African American Folklorist, we shine a spotlight on Dr. Constance Bailey—Assistant Professor of African American Literature and Folklore at Georgia State University, and an innovative scholar whose research explores Black women’s comedy, speculative fiction, and African American oral traditions.A native of Natchez, Mississippi, Dr. Bailey’s work is grounded in the richness of Southern Black culture, Black humor, and the possibilities of Afrofuturism. In this engaging conversation, we discuss her academic journey, her role as a digital media editor for the American Folklore Society, and her forthcoming book The Black Folktastic: Black Speculation and the Sankofa Aesthetic. We also explore how folklore, humor, and speculative storytelling are powerful tools of resistance, cultural memory, and imagination in Black communities.Join us as we celebrate Dr. Bailey’s contributions to the field and highlight the significance of preserving and teaching Black folklore in contemporary spaces.https://constancebailey.com/

🎶 *Kelle Jolly – The "Affrilachian-Georgia-lina-Peach" & the Story of Lady Fay Ukulele 🎶 Mar 22, 2025

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In this special episode, we sit down with Kelle Jolly, the self-described "Affrilachian-Georgia-lina-Peach", whose music and storytelling embody the rich cultural tapestry of the Appalachian South. A celebrated folk artist, community builder, and ukulele virtuoso, Kelle shares the inspiration behind her latest book, Lady Fay Ukulele, and the deep significance of its story.We’ll explore how her roots, influences, and passion for tradition shape her work, weaving together themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the magic of music. Join us for an intimate and lively conversation filled with melody, heritage, and the enduring power of storytelling. 🎶📖✨

Here are some links to the book sales online:
Amazon.com: Lady Fay Ukulele: Jolly, Kelle

Lady Fay Ukulele by Kelle Jolly, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Lady Fay Ukulele, (Hardcover) - Walmart.com

Writing the Blues: Black Stories in Literature and Film Mar 17, 2025

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The blues is more than just music—it’s history, it’s storytelling, and it’s the soul of Black American life. In this compelling live broadcast, we explore Writing the Blues—the ways Black authors, poets, and filmmakers have infused their works with the rhythm, pain, resilience, and triumph of the blues.From Langston Hughes’ poetic blues verses to Alice Walker’s deeply emotional narratives, from August Wilson’s stage masterpieces to period-piece films that use the blues as a backdrop, this discussion uncovers how Black storytelling in literature and cinema keeps the essence of the blues alive.Join us as we break down the themes of struggle, survival, love, and liberation found in both historical and contemporary works. We’ll examine films like The Color Purple, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ray, and Down in the Delta, alongside the written works of W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, and more.How does the blues shape Black narratives? How do these stories continue to evolve while honoring the legacy of the blues? Let’s dive into these questions together in an insightful, thought-provoking, and culturally rich discussion.🎙 Tune in live and join the conversation. Let’s keep writing the blues.

The Blues—A Living Oral History Mar 11, 2025

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Join us for a real, Blues People conversation about the blues on Jack Dappa Blues Radio! In this live broadcast, I—Lamont Jack Pearley, a traditional blues artist and folklorist—will take you deep into the blues as an oral tradition in the American South.The blues ain’t just music; it’s a living, breathing record of our history. It carries the voices, struggles, and triumphs of Black American life, passed down through song, rhythm, and storytelling. The blues tells us where we’ve been, who we are, and how we make sense of the world around us.Throughout the show, we’ll dig into the roots of blues as oral history. We’ll break down songs like Son House’s Am I Right or Wrong and American Defense, Howlin’ Wolf’s Smokestack Lightnin’, Muddy Waters’ Louisiana Blues, and more, getting into the messages woven into their lyrics and performances. We’ll also talk about floating verses—how blues artists built on each other’s words and passed them along like folklore—and the dialect and storytelling style that make the blues one-of-a-kind.This live broadcast is more than just a lecture—it’s a conversation. We’ll be playing classic blues recordings, talking through their meaning, and opening up the lines for you to join in. Share your thoughts, ask questions, and become part of the ongoing tradition of keeping the blues alive.So tune in, turn it up, and let’s get into it—one story, one song, one truth at a time.

There's Not One Way to Be Black – A Conversation with Honeychild Coleman Mar 06, 2025

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In this electrifying episode of Jack Dappa Blues, we sit down with the powerhouse that is Honeychild Coleman—a pioneering force in the world of punk, blues, and avant-garde music. A Louisville native and Brooklyn-based artist, Honeychild’s journey has taken her from busking in the New York subway to collaborating with legends like The Slits, Mad Professor, and Greg Tate’s Burnt Sugar Arkestra.As the frontwoman of blues-punk outfit The 1865, Coleman fuses raw energy with historical narratives, crafting sonic landscapes that echo the struggles and triumphs of Black American culture. Her music has graced films, documentaries, and television screens, all while staying true to her ethos of artistic resistance and community empowerment.In this candid conversation, Honeychild delves into the intersection of punk, blues, and Black identity, sharing how her lived experiences and sociocultural activism inform her art. From her early days in the underground NYC music scene to shaping spaces like Sistagrrl Riots, she continues to be a trailblazer for alternative Black voices in music.Join us as we explore the roots of rebellion, the power of storytelling through sound, and the unapologetic spirit of punk blues. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Honeychild Coleman (The 1865 / Bachslider / The Phensic)

Brooklyn, NY

Louisville, Kentucky native recording/visual artist, and Sistagrrl Riots founding member Honeychild Coleman has worked with The Slits, Mad Professor, afro-futurist shoegazers Apollo Heights (The Veldt), Badawi (Raz Mesinai), Death Comet Crew (with Rammellzee), and the late Greg Tate’s Burnt Sugar Arkestra.

Honeychild started her musical career during the hot summer of 1993 in the real underground – the New York City Subway system. Busking there, and eventually performing freestyle and improv weekly sets with DJs Olive (we™ /Liminal), Sasha Crnobrnja (Organic Grooves), Lloop (we™), Delmar (Jungle Sky), Fred Ones (Mike Ladd/Sonic Sum) and Badawi (Raz Mesinai) contributed to the unique niche that Coleman created within the New York City electronic scene of the mid-90's.

She is featured in documentaries “Afropunk,” (James Spooner, USA), “Tina Turner:My Life. My Songs“ (Dir. Schyda Vasseghi, GERMANY), the MAKERS storytelling platform for trailblazing women (USA), "Fireflies" and "Getting My Name Up There" (Katarina Cibulka, AUSTRIA), Rock Chicks:I Am Not Female To You (Marita Stocker, GERMANY), and upcoming “Rude Girls” (Brigid Maher, USA). Coleman also made a cameo in Brooklyn film “Crooked” (Wordsound, USA) and has composed music in the Sundance awarded film "Pariah" (Dee Rees, Focus Features, USA) and indie short “P.R.” (Maria Paraskevopoulou, U.K./Greece).

Coleman fronts Blues-Punk outfit The 1865 (Mass Appeal Records) on lead vocals and baritone guitar. The 1865’s music is in the Hulu series “Woke!” (USA, 2021) and composed an original song for Showtime’s “Everything’s Gonna Be All White” (USA, 2022). Coleman’s writing appears in RAZORCAKE ‘zine issue 138 and BLACK PUNK NOW! (Softskull Press,2023).

Affiliations: Black Rock Coalition,Sistagrrl Riots, Underground Producers Alliance, Out Loud Louisville, Willie Mae Rock Camp, Human Impacts Institute

https://www.instagram.com/hccoleman/

https://www.instagram.com/the1865band/

www.honeychildcoleman.com

https://honeychildcoleman.bandcamp.com/

https://shutitdowncomp.bandcamp.com/releases

https://the1865.bandcamp.com/album/dont-tread-on-we

African American Folklorist of The Month - Dr. Raymond Summerville Mar 02, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Raymond Summerville joins me, as he is the African American Folklorist of February, to discuss the importance of having more Black Folklore scholars in the field to lead the discourse of our narrative, traditions, literature, and the dissemination of found research that represents the Black American experience. He also dives into his beginnings and what inspired him to write his book, In Proverb Masters: Shaping the Civil Rights Movement.Dr. Raymond Summerville is an alumnus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (BA, BS, and MA in English and African-American Literature) and the University of Missouri-Columbia (PhD in English with a concentration in Folklore, Oral Tradition, and Culture).

His research interests include African American history, African American literature, postcolonial studies, paremiology, phraseology, hip-hop, blues, and other folklore genres. He currently teaches at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

The African American Folklorist of the Month - Dr. Anika Wilson Mar 02, 2025

Show notes

On this episode, speak with Dr. Anika Wilson, The African American Folklorist of the Month for March! Wilson discusses her book, methodology, scholarship, and positionality as a Black Academic in the field.

Anika Wilson (she/her) is Associate Professor and former chair of the Department African and African Diaspora Studies at UW-Milwaukee. She earned her doctorate in Folklore and Folklife Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in informal narratives (gossip, rumor, etc.).

Her book Folklore, Gender, and AIDS in Malawi: No Secret Under the Sun (2013) was awarded the Elli Kongas Maranda Award for feminist scholarship in folklore in 2014.

She teaches course topics related to African and African diasporic societies, expressive cultures, spirituality, and gender relations. Her current research project focuses on spirituality, sacredness, and the environment in southern Africa. ( American Folklore Society )

🎙️ From Slave Seculars to The Blues Pt. 2 – The Legacy of Black Spirituals and Hymnals 🎶 Feb 17, 2025

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🎙️ From Slave Seculars to The Blues: Preserving & Conserving Black American Folklore Pt. 2 – The Legacy of Black Spirituals and Hymnals 🎶Join us for Part 2 of our deep dive into the evolution of Black American music, as we explore how Black Spirituals, hymnals, and Slave Seculars informed the Blues. In this episode, we uncover the sacred and secular traditions that shaped the foundation of the blues, from the sorrowful expressions of spirituals to the raw storytelling of early blues songs.We’ll break down the two distinct styles of Black hymnals—one rooted in oral tradition and the other shaped by formal musical training—and discuss how class and education influenced Black religious music. We’ll also examine how field hollers, lined-out hymns, and call-and-response structures carried over into the blues, creating a continuous thread of Black cultural expression.Expect a mix of history, storytelling, and audience participation as we connect the past to the present.🔥 Tune in and join the conversation as we honor, preserve, and celebrate Black musical heritage! 🔥Songs Played Title• The Old Ship of ZionNames• Johnson, Warren G. (Performer)• Gregory, Richard (Performer)• Richardson, Zema (Performer)• Winrow, Anthony (Performer)• Work, John W. (John Wesley), 1901-1967 (Collector)• Holloway High School Quartet (Performer)Created / Published• Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 1941Headings• - African Americans--Southern States--MusicSource Collection• John Work Collection of Negro Folk Music from the Southeast (AFC 1941/035)Repository• American Folklife CenterTitle• John the RevelatorNames• Work, John W. (John Wesley), 1901-1967 (Collector)• Heavenly Gate Quartet (Performer)Created / Published• Nashville, Tennessee, 1941Headings• - African Americans--Southern States--Music• - The performers of this song are identified by Bruce Nemerov as the Heavenly Gate Quartet. "In the spring of 1941 John Work recorded the Heavenly Gate Quartet at his house...(AFS #5163-64)" -- article by Bruce Nemerov.• - Heavenly Gate Quartet, unaccompanied vocals.Medium• Sound disc : analog ; 12 in.Call Number/Physical Location• AFC 1941/035: AFS 05163a01Source Collection• John Work Collection of Negro Folk Music from the Southeast (AFC 1941/035)Title• Po' Boy Long Way From HomeNames• Work, John W. (John Wesley), 1901-1967 (Collector)• Chestain, Sonny (Performer)Created / Published• Georgia, 1941Headings• - African Americans--Southern States--MusicSource Collection• John Work Collection of Negro Folk Music from the Southeast (AFC 1941/035)Repository• American Folklife CenterTitle• Rock My Soul in the Bosom of AbrahamNames• Work, John W. (John Wesley), 1901-1967 (Collector)• Unidentified vocal quartet (Performer)Created / Published• Fort Valley, Georgia, 1941Headings• - African Americans--Southern States--MusicSource Collection• John Work Collection of Negro Folk Music from the Southeast (AFC 1941/035)Repository• American Folklife CenterDigital Id

From Slave Seculars to The Blues: Preserving & Conserving Black American Folklore Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we explore the rich cultural legacy of Black American music, focusing on the evolution from slave seculars—non-religious songs of survival, work, and resistance—to the development of the blues. Through stories, historical insights, and music, we uncover how enslaved African Americans used music to communicate, preserve their identity, and confront hardship. They also used their traditional expression to resist and revolt against ideologies and beliefs not part of their traditions. We also highlight the contributions of early folklorists, musicians, and modern artists who continue to keep these traditions alive. Join us as we celebrate the resilience and creativity that shaped American music and culture.

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