Finding Mance

Finding Mance

By Iden ProductionsMusicMusic CommentaryMusic Interviews
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Finding Mance episodes

  • A phone call with Chris Strachwitz

    Strachwitz was the founder of Arhoolie Records and in 1960 first recorded Texas songster Mance Lipscomb playing on his guitar a repertoire of lyrics and roots music that Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Taj Mahal later emulated as counterculture.

    In July of 2021 I interviewed Strachwitz (from El Cerrito, CA) over the phone about his experiences recording vernacular rural music, such as Mance Lipscomb's guitar repertoire of downhome blues and Big Mama Thornton’s powerful original rendition of Hound Dog. In our two-hour conversation he talked about his experiences starting Arhoolie Records, which was acquired in 2016 by The Smithsonian Institution.

    In this 18-minute episode, Chris Strachwtiz talks about how he drove from California to Houston and was looking for Lightnin' Hopkins, but found Lipscomb instead. Strachwitz said, "And Mack (McCormick) said, this is probably the most important person you will ever meet."

    19 min
  • Chris Strachwitz remembers recording Texas Songster Mance Lipscomb for his first Arhoolie record

    Host and producer Kate Irwin.

    Direction and encouragement by Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz for accurate historical record.
    Photo courtesy of Chris Strachwitz (1961) and © The Arhoolie Foundation.

    This is the story of Finding Mance Lipscomb as told by Chris Strachwitz, who first recorded Mance back in 1960 in Navasota, Texas for his first Arhoolie album.

    The first song is Sugar Babe, chosen by Mr. Strachwitz to play in the introduction and he said in an email: "SUGAR BABE – is the first song he (Mance) ever learned from Robert Timm, a fine songster in the 1920s and it is a Blues! Also Taj Mahal loves that song!"
    The last song is Freddie. Strachwitz added, "FREDDIE is a little known local Texas true narrative ballad which Mance learned from a passing stranger in 1928. This you have to play the full version – this ballad is a true and real story!"

    This interview took place over the phone a couple of weeks before Mr. Strachwitz' 90th birthday.

    About two and a half hours of content was recorded and more episodes with Mr. Strachwitz are to come.

    "He (Mance) was quite a success, especially with guitar players. He was such a charming man." According to the Arhoolie website Mance Lipscomb's inspired many musicians, such as Taj Mahal, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and other modern recording artists of today.

    Mr. Strachwitz' story is incredible how he recorded, produced, collected and documented numerous regional roots music, including blues, Cajun, zydeco, gospel, jazz, Tejano/Norteño and other down-home msuic indigenous to the United States. For more information visit The Arhoolie Foundation.

    In 2011, the city of Navasota, Texas dedicated a life-size bronze statue in memory of the incredibly talented Mance Lipscomb, and every August they hold a Navasota Blues Festival in his honor.

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    25 min

About Finding Mance

From the publisher's feed

This is "Finding Mance," an audio documentary about Mance Lipscomb as described by Chris Strachwitz. Lipscomb was the American songster who influenced many blues musicians of today, such as Taj Mahal.