Roots Music Program 318 Original Airdate: 3/7/1974 Subject Keywords Afro-American musicians Afro-American singers Afro-American women Blues (music) Blues musicians Music - Performance Subject Genre Public Affairs: Current Events Personal Names Jackson, John (musician) Johnson, Larry Spivey, Victoria Program Description Program focuses on three performers of "roots" (or blues) music, a community-based, Black art form originating in the United States. Host Topper Carew conducts a group interview with three blues musicians: Victoria Spivey (a New-York-City-based urban blues vocalist in the tradition of Bessie Smith), Larry Johnson (a New-York-City-based blues singer and acoustic guitarist), and John Jackson (a Virginia-based rural blues singer, who, like Leadbelly, accompanies himself on guitar). Program includes musical performances by each musician, including "Black Snake Blues" (Spivey), "Charlie Stone" (Johnson), "Key to the Highway" (Johnson), and "John Henry" (Jackson and Johnson). Interview segments revolve around the questions of how the musicians started playing, who their influences are, and African American musical traditions. Producer Topper Carew Associate Producer Barbara Barrow Director Conrad White Host Topper Carew Guests John Jackson Larry Johnson Victoria Spivey Performers John Jackson (musician) Larry Johnson (musician) Victoria Spivey (musician) Others June Cross (assistant to the producer) Tony Davis (assistant to the producer) Henry Johnson (filmmaker) Formats Master (WGBH program) 2" videotape A2-01339 Preservation master digital beta cassette AP-01557A Preservation master beta SP cassette AP-01557 Viewing copy VHS cassette (item number not yet assigned) Viewing copy 1/2" reel-to-reel videotape (item number not yet assigned) The Say Brother Collection Web site is a production of the WGBH Archives. ©2001 WGBH Educational Foundation.