Greetings From Cairo, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Greetings From Cairo, Illinois is a 2005 concept album
and historical album
by Stace England
with songs referencing the history of Cairo, Illinois
from 1858 to 2005. The project encompassed five years of research and two years of writing and recording the music.
The songs concern people, places and things throughout Cairo's history including Ulysses S. Grant
, the American Civil War
, blues
music, lynching
, the Great Migration (African American)
, Civil Rights
struggles, vigilante
groups, Jesse Jackson
, political corruption
, economic decline and hope
for renewal.
The album was the subject of a radio documentary
on VPRO
Dutch National Broadcasting produced by noted musicologist and author Jan Donkers, and features a vocal performance by alternative country
pioneer Jason Ringenberg
of Jason & the Scorchers
. The album's title and cover art are inspired by Bruce Springsteen's debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
and historical album
Historical album
A historical album is a collection of songs around a unified theme with a basis in the documented history of a person or place. This differs from a concept album, which may have a unified theme, but is usually composed of fictional stories not linked with actual historical facts even though the...
by Stace England
Stace England
Stace England is a musician from Cobden, Illinois, United States. He has released several solo recordings including Salt Sex Slaves documenting the Old Slave House near Equality, Illinois, and Greetings From Cairo, Illinois documenting the history of that city...
with songs referencing the history of Cairo, Illinois
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
from 1858 to 2005. The project encompassed five years of research and two years of writing and recording the music.
The songs concern people, places and things throughout Cairo's history including Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
music, lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
, the Great Migration (African American)
Great Migration (African American)
The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million blacks out of the Southern United States to the Northeast, Midwest, and West from 1910 to 1970. Some historians differentiate between a Great Migration , numbering about 1.6 million migrants, and a Second Great Migration , in which 5 million or more...
, Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
struggles, vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
groups, Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
, political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, economic decline and hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
for renewal.
The album was the subject of a radio documentary
Radio documentary
A radio documentary or feature is a purely acoustic performance devoted to covering a particular topic in some depth, usually with a mixture of commentary and sound pictures. It is broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD...
on VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
Dutch National Broadcasting produced by noted musicologist and author Jan Donkers, and features a vocal performance by alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
pioneer Jason Ringenberg
Jason Ringenberg
Jason Ringenberg is an American musician, and lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers. He is also a songwriter and guitarist....
of Jason & the Scorchers
Jason & the Scorchers
Jason & the Scorchers, originally Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, are a Cowpunk / Country rock band formed in 1981 and led by singer/songwriter Jason Ringenberg....
. The album's title and cover art are inspired by Bruce Springsteen's debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is the first studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1973. It only sold about 25,000 copies in the first year of its release, but had significant critical impact...
Track listing
- "Goin' Down to Cairo" – 1:54
- "Cairo Blues" – 3:52
- "Grant Slept Here" – 3:25
- "Equal Opportunity Lynch Mob" – 3:56
- "The North Starts In Cairo" – 3:29
- "Far From The Tree" – 4:04
- "White Hats" – 4:54
- "Jesse's Comin' to Town" – 4:58
- "Buy My Votes" – 3:34
- "Prosperity Train" – 3:02
- "Can't We All Get Along" – 3:46