Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette, by Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette (CD on Tompkins Square)

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These are some of the earliest sound recordings of african americans and whites making music together. polk miller was born james a. miller near burkeville in prince edward county, virginia on august 2, 1844. he picked up the banjo early on and grew up learning the music of the slave quarters on a large virginia plantation. in 1892, he created a traveling show, “the old virginia plantation negro,” including banjo tunes, nostalgic dialect stories and a lecture, without resorting to farce or black-face. The show glorified the plantation music and important African american spirituals that our young country was hungry for in the ‘gay ‘90s.’ mark twain, upon hearing miller and his quartette exclaimed, “i think that polk miller, and his wonderful four, is about the only thing this country can furnish that is originally and utterly american.” it is in this historical context that tompkins square reissues a cd of seven 1909 edison cylinder records
and seven 1928 qrs/broadway disc recordings. The booklet includes photos and memorabilia with notes by african-american music scholar doug seroff. The cd package is designed by multiple grammy award nominee, susan archie. tompkins square recently released ‘people take warning! murder ballads & disaster songs, 1913-1938’ (tsq1875) which received a grammy nomination for best historical album.