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 HIS VOICE is haunting – evocative, commanding and
pure, most often an eerie falsetto. He sings of hangmen, gamblers,
murderers, witches – and their Saviour.
John Jacob Niles is a
legend of American folk music – and so, of course, his albums were
not available for decades. In the past few years, however, three of his
classics have finally been released.
Two of them – I Wonder
as I Wander and An
Evening with John Jacob Niles – showcase
both his mastery of English and American ballads, and his strong faith in
Christ. A third, My Precarious Life in the
Public Domain – contains no sacred
material, but is every bit as skillful and powerful as the others.
The recordings have been remastered; aside from a few
minor flaws in the originals, they are immaculate. Now, if only someone
would release Niles’ fabled collaboration with Thomas Merton.
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 For another slice of Americana at its best, check out The Plow that Broke the Plains
and The River, both available from Naxos on one DVD. The documentaries
were commissioned in the mid-30s as morale boosters, and to promote
Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
But the films transcend the level of government
propaganda. River is
a straightforward tribute to the Mighty Mississippi. Plow is more complex, celebrating
the pioneer spirit, progress, patriotism and the contribution of the humble
farmer to victory in World War One.
It’s a romanticized portrait of American history;
First Nations are barely mentioned in passing. But the hokeyness and skewed
perspective is more than redeemed by the film’s treatment of the
Depression.
Pare Lorentz’
extraordinary imagery is enhanced by his imaginative editing. And Virgil Thomson’s sweeping,
lush and inventive music – newly recorded for this release – is
a marvel, incorporating hymns and spirituals.
– DFD
March 2008
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