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Bandit Gang Demo 4:120:00/4:12
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Prison Melee Demo 3:320:00/3:32
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Legal Notices Demo 3:480:00/3:48
The Ballads of Bessie & Lou
When I moved back to Philadelphia a few years ago, I began to deepen connections to members of my family, particularly on my mother's side. At the same time, I was finding my way in the Philly music scene. Eventually, the two paths mingled together with other interests I have, and I began work on the multimedia project The Ballads of Bessie & Lou . Bessie and Lou were my maternal grandparents. I didn't know them. Bessie died before I was born and I only remember meeting Lou once. I'm trying to get to know them now.
The Songs
A main focus of the project is the writing of songs. The first three songs are a trilogy about events surrounding the time Lou spent incarcerated at both Eastern and Western State Penitentiaries from 1927 to 1931. All lyrics are taken directly from newspaper articles of the time.
Video Blog: Stories of Discovering Bessie & Lou
Episodes One - Three Currently in Post Production
Episodes Four - Six currently in preproduction.
Each episode includes a song!
Newspaper Articles & Prison Records
My Grandfather, Louis “Fats” Barrish (Philadelphia City Archives)