VICKSBURG BRR29-30CD
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for the story about the recording of Vicksburg by Patrick Hazell
Vicksburg: by Nan Montgomery -Minneapolis Poet and Irish/Native
American Story Teller August, 2004.
Haunting and so filled with loss and grief, it's soul-shattering.
I ……… found ……..that….. it evokes
the fairy folk --or "glamoured" Of Ireland. The unseen
people; Whether one is a believer or not doesn't even matter.
The history of Ireland goes hand-in-glove with the superstitions
of the people that lived there because their superstitions shaped
their political perspective………… Oddly, the
Camptown Races and the Old Black Joe medley put my mind towards
the Belfast wall. On Volume 1, tracks 7,15 and 17 bring on the
"glamoured." …… The jew's harp, harmonica
and wind chimes combine perfectly to make a shimmer-veil for the
sid (pronounced "shee") to walk thru. The sid of the
Irish remind me of the Chindi of the Navaho. They're soul-stealers.
On Volume 2, there is more of lament -- the mourning Widows and
lonely children. That's what I hear this first time around.
PATRICK HAZELL'S VICKSBURG CD ALBUM
by Phil Kehoe, Sept. 25, 2000
Music tells stories. In a song the story is
most clearly understood in the
lyrics, in instrumental works the story is told through a string
of
emotional connections and responses to the various sections of
the piece and
the choices of instruments used.
In the music of war, a march or a grand overture
is designed to hearten the
population and soldiery with enduring reminders of the events
they
memorialize. With the exception of some types of jazz and the
freedom given
in some groups for the soloist to explore and expand on a form,
most of
these instrumental pieces are scored, charted, arranged and rehearsed.
Every once in a while an inspiration will
collide with history and
opportunity and this collision is captured and preserved for our
enjoyment
and enlightenment. When this happens we are handed the chance
to experience
a period or event in history as illuminated by the vision of an
artist that
is directly transferred to the emotions of the listener. Such
a work is
Patrick Hazell's "Vicksburg".
During the overnight of August 4th to 5th,
1981, Mr.Hazell was given special
permission by the park rangers at the Vicksburg Battleground Military
Park
to use the Illinois Monument, a beautiful rotunda hall built out
of Georgia
Marble and with a commanding view through its columned portal
of the field
of fire, long quiet, but never silent. Patrick set up his instruments
and
recording equipment and then began to listen to the sounds of
the night and
the history that he was coming to know, the history of the pain
and the
fierceness and the division of our country that came together
in that place
a hundred and eighteen years earlier.
What emerged was not only an entirely new
interpretation of the events of
that terror and valor filled era, it was a gift to the rest of
us in the
form of a new way to experience the emotions of our forebearers.
A work in
two parts, "The Battlefield At Night", and, "The
Battlefield At Dawn", opens
with an eerie anticipatory air, much as must have been experienced
by the
soldiers on both sides as Grant advanced on the Confederate breastworks
through virgin Delta to the heavily wooded bluffs overlooking
the
Mississippi River, one of the most critical strongholds of the
southern
cause. Then the fighting starts with the artillery bombardment
and carries
on with an evocation of all of the sounds that one would have
heard if they
had spent those six weeks of 1863 in the redoubts, behind the
ramparts or
even in the town of Vicksburg.
From the whiz of a Minié ball, to the
taunting of pickets, to the hushed
campfire conversations and the agony of the wounded, this is a
new way for
Civil War historians to absorb a moment of this most bloody part
of our
still short past as a nation, a nation that very nearly became
two.
Turn out the lights, close your eyes and give
"Vicksburg" a listen and see
if genetic memory doesn't flood from somewhere deep inside placing
you
beneath those ancient trees on the steep and uneven ground of
our past.
THE BATTLE
by April Franklin (1991)--Ames,
Iowa high school student writing in response to hearing the Vicksburg
tapes presented in their class by writing teacher, Batista Simpson
and subsequently published in the school newspaper in response
to Operation Desert Storm.
Men doing wash in morning
light
With no idea of what is to come
Who soon will die
Men doing their daily duties
Eating, sleeping, laughing, living
The day is done
Suddenly, a bird sounds
in the
darkness.
And again.
Echoing-faster, higher, louder.
Frightened.
Warning.
Taking flight.
Screeching.
Suddenly,
The marching feet
Guns firing.
"The enemy is upon us," they cry.
Men screaming, yelling, shouting
Birds flying up, up, up.
Men dying
"Fight, fight!"
Finally,
Receding into the darkness.
Birds flying up
Coming again, march, clank, march,
clank.
More
Death, death
Frightening
Horrible in its reality
Nightmarish
Men with hope
Men without hope
Birds flying
Next day
Men doing wash, eating, sleeping,
crying
Dying.
Ordinary men
Unordinary men.
The hospital tent
Stench of death
Blood soaked ground
Red and wet
But it's over
Finally, it has ended, but
There are no more birds
An E-mail sent to Patrick Hazell from a friend
of his, Cindy Carper, after she listened to the Vicksburg Album
in the Autumn of 2003.
Wanted to tell ya that the last 2 evenings have been cool enough
for us to have a fire in our outdoor fireplace in our backyard;
(our
backyard is enclosed by 8' high privacy fence; we have 12 large
trees in the backyard, & we've landscaped it to look a small
part of a state park:
even the flower beds look "natural"..... It's great
to sit around the fire at night back there.)... And since we've
just got back from the 140th anniv. of the Battle
of Chickamauga, (took the train at Chattanooga; it was FABULOUS),
we've been thinking about the Civil War. So we sat around the
fire, & played the tapes of you at Vicksburg---one night we
listened to Pt.I--at Evening; the following night, we listened
to Pt.2---At Dawn----just watched the fire, & heard the tapes,
& thought about the Civil War---it was incredibly moving.
Bob was going to e-mail you about it, but he told me to go ahead
& tell you how moved he was by the music on these tapes---(he's
watching college football right now.) The first Civil War battlefield
I'd ever visited was Vicksburg; I was 9 or 10 years old; the place
made me cry---all those graves, etc. Civil War battlefields
always make me extremely sad....I distinctly recall the Illinois
monument at Vicksburg. My grandfather Carper, who was with us
when we visited when I was 9 or 10 years old, wanted to find the
names of Carpers, who were relatives & had died at Vicksburg,
& served in the Illinois regiments there, wanted us to find
their names on the walls....I recall looking at names & names
& names of men who'd died there...it was depressing. Bob &
I went to Vicksburg about 7 or 8 years ago; saw a re-enactment
there.
CINDY
..."As well as playing
live across America and Europe, Hazell has recorded across the
last few years, a range of albums that reflect his varied musical
tastes and influences --from the usual blues greats to jazz performers
Miles Davis and John Coltrane, to composers such as Debussey and
Ravel and avant-gardists like Stockhausen and John Cage. Some
of these albums are recorded "live" with his one-man-band
set-up, whilst others are built-up using multi-track techniques.
One of his most spectacular recordings is the two volume set VICKSBURG--THE
BATTLEFIED AT NIGHT and VICKSBURG--THE BATTLEFIELD AT DAWN.
Recorded at the site of the Civil War battlefield at Vicksburg,
Mississippi using period instruments (harp, cornet, whistles,
snare drum, etc.) it is a hauntingly evocative and quite unique
album....."
PAT MISSIN, HARMONICA
WORLD, HULL, ENGLAND 1993
(the following review is interesting especially
when one considers the music was recorded with no electronic effects
in a large, naturally reverberant dome with only acoustic instruments.
There was no keyboard used and the tracks embedded into the CD
are put there only as reference points and not necessarily for
dividing the sounds into separate "songs"---PH)
VICKSBURG
DOWNEAST REVIEW Sabattus, Maine 8-29-01
For the first disc, "The Battlefield at Night", of the
double disk compilation, "Vicksburg", Patrick Hazell
explores some unique musical territories. Some fall into a catergory
of chanting, with almost a spiritual feel to them. One of the
longer pieces is found on track thirteen, which contains some
impressive and captivating chanting by Hazell. If one is searching
for some great era style harmonica, then track seven on the first
disc comes highly recommended because of the excellent Dixie style
phrases. None of the tracks from the album are titled and some
appear to continue with hardly a break between them. The concept
of the album is to commemorate the seige at Vicksburg during the
Civil War. Hazell uses only instruments from the era,
harmonica which was becoming popular at the time, as well as instruments
like the bugle, marching drum and flute are used. He also weaves
in melodies with his original compositions which are from the
Civil War era.
Hazell recommends that the listener not listen to these recordings
through headphones, as there are a number of cannon blasts which
are not pleasing when presented through headphones. After one
experiences one of these blasts they will certainly agree.
The second disc, "The Battlefield at
Dawn", from the album has similar characteristics as the
first disc but with far less chanting. The first song on the disc
has the most melodic charisma displayed by Hazell's harmonica
skills. The rest of the songs have more of a soundtrack essence
along with some which have a strong mystical flavor. As with all
of Patrick Hazell's compilations one should be ready to experience
something unique when listening to "Vicksburg". The
question may arise of whether Hazell's music is genius or merely
eccentric, either way Hazell's music is an exhilarating and original
adventure.
Volume 1- The Battlefield at Night
Track 1
This tune has a great blend of harmonica and organ riffs. The
melody has a haunting quality with a strong presence in a Blues
vein. The melody is complex as is the entire structure of the
song, but the improvisational quality makes the piece an excellent
aural adventure. ( ! ! ! ! )
Track 2
Hazell's harmonica again is the featured instrument in the melody.
This time it stands alone with a powerful presence and charisma.
The piece is short and the actual recording quality leaves much
to be desired. ( ! ! ! )
Track 3
The keyboard used here has a unique sound, it has a deep bass
quality which has similarities found in an orchestrated piece.
The tempo is slow and much attention is focused on emphasizing
each note. ( ! ! ! )
Track 4
This song is a continuation of the previous track and as one moves
from three to four there is only a slight break. The quality of
the melody has a haunting feel while also having a sitar-esque
hypnotic drone, this comes from the audio effect used on the organ.
( ! ! ! )
Track 5
When one moves into this track it is hard not to imagine a video
being shown with the music as the soundtrack. Very similar to
classical music passages lending a complex quality to the structure.
The cannon blast could certainly have been left out as they tend
to stun the listener with the intensity and loudness. ( ! ! !
)
Track 6
Those darn cannons show up again in this piece, jumping the listener
again. It's evident that they are part of the theme linked to
Vicksburg, but they sure can spook a person. The melody by the
keyboard is not easily followed and has a strong improvisational
essence. ( ! ! ! )
Track 7
This is a piece which has some familiar Dixie interpretations
presented by Hazell on the harmonica. This has to be the best
piece on the album to this point, because it has a familiarity
to it and also has a well defined direction. ( ! ! ! ! ! )
Track 8
This tune is basically just harmonica riffs colored with wind
chime clanging. There is no apparent direction to the piece, it
simply wanders around in the dark. Maybe that is to signify Vicksburg
at night the theme of the first disc, but it has very little charisma.
( ! ! )
Track 9
The wind chimes are present joined by a chanting of sorts, a repetitive
female chant of a singular word which is
uncomprehensible. Short and made up of these elements leaving
the listener wondering why this was included. ( !)
Track 10
This tune, if one can call a thirty two second
interlude that, actually has a melody which one can follow played
on the harmonica by Hazell. It is just too short to be given much
attention or praise. ( ! ! ! )
Track 11
This tune begins with a melodic presence brought by Hazell's harmonica
and ends with sleigh bells and chimes. Again the presentation
is of such a short period that one just begins to groove to the
melody and it has ended at just over one minute. ( ! ! ! )
Track 12
This tune begins with chimes and bells followed by some keyboard
action of a mellow haunting nature. The phrasings are so unstructured
that there is very little melodic appeal to the piece, it is very
near to a psychedelic essence with a touch of Middle East world
music flavoring. This a longer piece but with a complex melodic
direction for the listener to grasp. ( ! ! ! )
Track 13
This seems to be a continuation of track twelve but chanting from
Hazell is tossed into the blend this time. One has to wonder if
the lyrics are of another language because it is extremely difficult
to understand with the intense reverb used on the vocals. ( !
! ! )
Track 14
This tune is comprised of harmonica riffs blended with the noises
linked with the battlefield. The concept is original and fresh,
but the melodic direction is hard to follow and appreciate. At
just under eight minutes this tune comes across on the lengthy
side. ( ! ! ! )
Track 15
With a sound similar to fog-horns from boats in the harbor, one
has to wonder what is the concept here. The harmonica comes into
the picture after a long minute and brings with it more of a much
appreciated melodic presence. ( ! ! ! )
Track 16
This tune is similar to track seven as it has well defined melodies
which are familiar to those who have heard melodies from the Civil
War era. The presentation displays what an accomplished musician
Hazell is on the harmonica. The down side is that this presentation
comes in at around two minutes. ( ! ! ! ! )
Track 17
The last track on the first disc begins with an excellent droning
presence from what sounds like a Jews Harp. If this had been joined
with some harmonica riffs it would have been an exeptional composition,
but alone for two minutes it leaves much to be desired. ( ! !
! )
Volume 2- The Battlefield at Dawn
Track 1
This tune which kicks off the second disc has more of an energetic
quality. This comes from the excellent harmonica playing which
Hazell delivers. His choice of color filled phrases lends beautifully
to the flighty melodic feel of the composition. This has to be
the best original piece from the compilation to this point. (
! ! ! ! )
Track 2
For this tune Hazell reverts back to a sound effect presentation.
With a presence which is void of a melody, with insertions of
mere bells and whistles this tune has very little charisma. (
! ! ! )
Track 3
The Jews Harp sound makes another appearance, this time it joined
with slight presentations from chimes and bells. They are so low
that one has to strain to hear them above the Jews Harp making
them of very little significance. ( ! ! ! )
Track 4
The beginning of this track is as impressive as one running their
hand across an organ's keys with no apparent direction. As the
song progresses it does take on a more melodic presence but lacks
in direction and is so loosely structured that it fails to have
magnetism. ( ! ! ! )
Track 5
For this tune there is way too much of the explosive sound, almost
as noisy as a fireworks display on the fourth of July. The harmonica
playing in the background is lost in the mania, though what is
heard has a quality melodic feel. ( ! ! ! )
Track 6
Cannon blasts kick off this piece giving the speakers a shake
and rattle. There are a half dozen blasts before the wind chimes
join the presentation followed by some high pitched harmonica
riffs. This would serve the purpose if there were a video presentation
along with the music, but there is not a video so what is the
purpose? ( ! ! )
Track 7
Another haunting melody is in store for the listener of this piece.
Using a keyboard to create sounds which give the impression of
depth in the still of a dawning day, Hazell induces a trance-like
effect on the listener. ( ! ! ! )
Track 8
The sound of songbirds starts off this unique piece. This is followed
by some chanting by Hazell colored with different percussion elements.
Lacking again in conventional melodic structure, this piece will
appeal to those who are into unique and bizarre presentations.
( ! ! ! )
Track 9
Made up primarily of sound effects this tune has no relevant melodic
qualities. These slow tempo presentations of mood inducing music
can grow tiring if one needs an energetic groove. This piece drags
for a short time period which seems to be a long time period.
( ! ! )
Track 10
The first minute of this piece is merely sound effects which one
might hear in a cave or cellar. The redemption comes via Hazell's
harmonica with a melodic presence, but combined with the other
nuances it comes across as only a slight savior in the composition.
Unique? Yes. Eccentric? Yes. For everyone? Certainly not. ( !
! ! )
Track 11
The eccentric quality found in the previous track continues as
if there was no respite. The bizarre nature of the melody continues
on an unstructured melodic path. The melody has so many turns
and bends that one gets lost on the voyage and wonders where they
lost track of the direction. Genius or eccentric? ( ! ! ! )
Track 12
One would expect the last piece from this double album to be an
extremely memorable composition. There is content but the piece
moves at a snail's pace and has very little melodic magnetism.
The close to a unique sonic experience which at times appeared
to be without end. ( ! ! ! )