boneswords
Arkansas Traveler (1992)
Michelle Shocked

Michelle's roots album. Most of the songs were recorded "on the road", in places like the Commissary Antique Store, the Spirit of St. Charles Riverboat or the Driftwood Barn. Features an impressive row of guest musicians, including Doc Watson, Taj Mahal, Uncle Tupelo, Norman Blake, Pops Staples and The Hothouse Flowers. The entire album is an exploration of the ongoing legacy of blackface minstrelsy and is intended as a kind of cultural-political statement. There's also an insightful and provocative little booklet on "European High Culture's sordid little love affair with blackface minstrelsy" called Does This Road Go to Little Rock?, written by Michelle's husband, Bart Bull, and available by mail order or at one of her concerts.

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