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American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America

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S1 E5 · Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old

About American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America is a documentary TV series that premiered on PBS on July 6, 1990. It has 1 season and 5 episodes so far and has ended. The latest episode, Season 1 Episode 5 "Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old", aired on August 3, 1990.

From 1978 to 1985 Alan Lomax traveled the American South and Southwest with a television crew to document regional folklore with deep historical roots. From the resulting 400 hours of footage came the five-program series American Patchwork, which aired on PBS in 1991.

  • Documentary

Last updated

Episodes

5 episodes · 1 season

Miniseries

1990 · 5 episodes · Last episode: 36 years ago

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America Miniseries release dates →
  1. E5

    5. Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old

    Examining the talents and wisdom of elderly musicians, singers, and story-tellers, who perform not for fame or fortune but to preserve and share their culture. Stories told by Janie Hunter (80) of Johns Island, SC; ballads sung by ex-coal miner and union organizer Nimrod Workman (91), of Chatteroy, WV; fiddle tunes and tales of moonshining and feuds from Tommy Jarrell (83) of Toast, NC; and footage from the Alabama Sacred Harp Convention in Fyffe, AL, in which people of all ages gather to sing old-time shape-note hymnody.

  2. E4

    4. Appalachian Journey

    Investigating the songs, dances, and religious rituals of the descendants of Scotch-Irish settlers of the Southern Appalachian mountains. Preachers, fiddlers, moonshiners, cloggers, and square dancers recount the good times and the hard times of rural life. Performances by Tommy Jarrell; Janette Carter; Ray and Stanley Hicks; Frank Proffitt, Jr.; Sheila Kay Adams; and Ray Fairchild, the man reputed to be the fastest banjo-picker in the world.

  3. E3

    3. The Land Where the Blues Began

    Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long explore the enduring African-American performance traditions of the Mississippi Delta. Featuring bluesmen R.L. Burnside and Jack Owens; tall-tale tellers, fife and drum bands, and diddley-bow players; and former prisoners, railroad workers, and roustabouts singing field hollers, work chants, and levee camp songs. (re-edited version of a 1979 film)

  4. E2

    2. Cajun Country: Don't Drop the Potato

    The bayous of Louisiana have combined French, German, West Indian, native American and hillbilly ingredients into a unique cultural gumbo. Cajun Country investigates the Cajuns’ roots in Western France, visits their cattle drives, horse races, and fais do-dos in rural Louisiana, and listens to the salty tales and raunchy songs of its black, white, and Indian music-makers.

  5. E1

    1. Jazz Parades: Feet Don't Fail Me Now

    A celebration of New Orleans’ musical culture — from its piano bars and barrelhouses to brass bands and street parades, with their colorful, riotous, and symbolic second lines, in which the community plays an essential part in the performance. Archival film footage, photographs, interviews with and performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians, and Danny Barker tell the story of the New Orleans tradition.

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America FAQ

Will there be new episodes of American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America?

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America has ended, so no new episodes are scheduled. The final episode aired on August 3, 1990.

When did the latest episode of American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America come out?

The most recent episode of American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America, Season 1 Episode 5 "Dreams and Songs of the Noble Old", aired on August 3, 1990.

How many seasons of American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America are there?

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America has 1 season with 5 episodes in total.

When did American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America first air?

American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America first aired on PBS on July 6, 1990.

How do I get notified when new episodes of American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America are released?

Download the Streambay app, follow American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America, and you'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is released.

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