{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/3j3902105z/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Robert Silverspoon Dorsey, circa 1990"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["https://marmia.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/25692"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["circa 1990 (Creation)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content. (Content warning)","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program. (Funding note)","Robert \"Silver Spoon\" Dorsey discusses playing spoons, touring, and Pennsylvania Avenue. (Scope and Content Note)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["1 Betacam"]}},{"label":{"en":["Identifier"]},"value":{"en":["WJZ-FLDTP-005-006 (Identifier)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Series Title"]},"value":{"en":["Field Tapes"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content.","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program.","Robert \"Silver Spoon\" Dorsey discusses playing spoons, touring, and Pennsylvania Avenue."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/857/small/thumbnail_253857_1728337377.jpg?1728337379","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20250109-552-tlwfht.mp4"]},"duration":1178.712,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/857/small/thumbnail_253857_1728337377.jpg?1728337379","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-marmia.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/253/857/original/open-uri20250109-552-tlwfht.mp4?1736436472","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1178.712,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["AUTO_TRINT_WJZ-FLDTP-005-006_ffv1.mp4 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"It's. No. All right. All right. First off, give me tell me your name. Well, my name is Robert Dorsey, and spelled Dorsey for me just really. Do you see? Where do you have a nickname? Well, they call me Spoons. That's my nickname. Say what they call me Spoons. They call me silver spoon dorsi. That's what they call me. Silver spoons. Spoon, dorsi. That's what they call me. So let me ask you again now, your name is Robert Dorsi, but your friends call you spoons and then they say Robert Silver, Spoon Dorsi. That's you. And I say, Yeah, that's pretty good. How long you been playing spoons? I've been playing small for about years. I mean, about about 25 or 30 years. I'm playing since I was young. You started out when you were a kid. Well, I started out when I was pretty young. Yes, I did. On a parent Avenue Avenue bar right there on the corner. Matter of fact, it was a guy that was playing the spoons. An old guy playing a musician. This guy was good. And I asked him, I said, show me how to do that. And all his movies, I kept dropping them. He said, It takes time, son. You said I didn't learn overnight. So I thought maybe I say, man, I can't do that. And then I say, Well, I'm go home practice anyway. So I kept on doing it, kept on doing. And one morning I hear the music and I got up and put the spoons in my hand and the next thing I know, I was with the beat. I had the beat, you know? So I said, I won't keep on doing it. I'm gonna try something different. Hit it on my hand.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=8.54,112.64"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Hit it off behind me. Hit it on my fingers. Get a decent grip. And next thing I know, I put it all together. And then I went on over to the club and started playing. When I came out, my pocket was loaded with down the chorus. You got chips. And I've been playing them ever since. But I mean, the guys kept you. You. Yeah. The tip me just for playing, entertaining them. It was pretty good. You went on Ted Mack. Yeah. Well, I went on that because somebody said, Why don't you go put in an audition, try to audition somewhere so you can get on Ted Mack or something. I said, Well, maybe I will. So I went up to the place and talked to a friend of mine and he said, Come on, I'll go with you. So we went over there. So I got inside. I heard all these groups singing, you know, and I told my buddy, I said, Man, you had them guys down. And I got to Spalding to win, and, well, if I can win anything. He said, man, you got a chance. I know. I'm leaving. I got up and I walked down the hall. I was on my way out. And again, I said, Hey, Dorsey. Mr. Dorsey. I said, Is that a shoe? I said, Yeah. When you go on to say, I'm leaving. So you Naches. I said, Lord. So I was kind of, you know, I said, I'm going on 18. And I went on. And the guy you named Robert Dorsey? Yes, sir. He said, Are you just phone player, I said, Yes, sir. He said, What you want to play off of? I said, I want to play off of Sweet George Barber.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=113.0,184.25"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"He said, you got to record RCA. I gave him a record. And he said, Och, put it on. He said, okay, you're fine. And you start playing an all star jam. And I just did my thing, what I was supposed to do, right? So next thing I know, one guy looked at the other guy out of a guy, two guys with neat tuxedos all started looking at me, all cool, calm, you know? And I say, Lord, God must know something. I would all behind me and everything. Stop playing like an ordinary do. Next thing I know, he said, Mr. Dorsey. So that was pretty good. He said, I like that. He said, Tell you what, can you go out of town? Can you go to New York? I said, Yes, sir, I can go to New York. He said, Well, I'll tell you what. In a few days I'm going to send you a letter and let you know what to bring and what to wear. And we're going to send all expenses paid on us. So not quite letter. I think he will follow my lead. You know, to me, that's all I got going to do Nothing. So I went on down the hall. I met these guys, and then I I'll make out, he said. The man said, Well, he get in touch with us is how you make out. I said, Well, the man told me, You got to send me a letter in the mail and let me know what's what, you know, and what are you going to do is whatever. He said, Sure. To make a long story short, you went to New York? Yeah. Went on the ten Mac average. Yes, sir. How'd you make out? Well, I went up there and I did my thing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=185.69,255.23"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Ted Mack introduced me, and he said, We can have a young man here from Baltimore City. We'll get Mount Saint Joe's college custodians. And as to spoon player rob a silver spoon daughter and the curtains opened up. Man, I never seen so many people. People everywhere. And I'm standing there like a statue. That's all proud of them my first time, right? So I say, well, just go. I'll do my thing. They played the song and then they played the wrong song, right? So I said, Good thing I know that song. It was Sweet Georgia Brown, but there was a pool plate for two, right? And this play, Sweet George Brown. Good thing I know that you still play Sweet Georgia Brown. yeah. I can place we do it. Brown. Well, you play for me. Yeah, sure I will. You Nothing wrong with that. I'll be glad to play for you and for a couple hundred thousand other folks. Yeah? Yeah, I play for them, too. Yeah. You know, I'd like to play entertaining for a lot of people, you know, because years ago, that's all we used to do. We had a single group. One time we used to sing called Fat Tacos, and I did this on the side, you know. Well, let me ask you this. There's a picture of a you and George Foreman. Yeah, me and George Foreman. Yeah, we are. I wonder what this place he don't play Well, he tried, but he can't hold them to. All he could do is give you a hard punch. But he's a good guy. You know, I was over there. A neighbor cabinet did a thing over there. Me and a roving disc jockey. And while I was there, I met George Foreman.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=255.65,332.24"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Then I met Joe Louis, and I said, wow, these guys is out of sight. And I asked Mr. Louis, I say, can I have a show? Son. Why not? That guy was terrific. He's a beautiful person. You know, He took a picture of me, shook my hand, and we got along just fine. Well, he knew you were. You were you. Were Roberts over? Well, I don't know. I mean, he met me, and then he knew I was Robert Silver Spoon, Dorothy. But otherwise, he never would have known Maspero from that. So these birds of East Village have taken you around. But yes, they have. They have taken me around. I've been in a lot of places. You know, when that cause beach playing down there one time, a couple of years of maybe that was back in the 50s, you know, that was a black beach. Yeah, it was. It definitely was. Yeah. Yes, it was. Does the silver you emphasize the silver? Does the silver sound better than others? Phones? Well, it got a different sound because the bigger the smaller, the better the sound, you know? And they are real sober. There are silver spoons. Yes. They're real spoons. So and, you know, I hear when you're when you're doing silver spoons, you just feel better about it. Yeah. Regular dancing stars, Definitely. Yeah, definitely. So how does it sound? Better. Tell me about the silver Spoons. Well, the spoons itself. I can get a little tablespoon of. I get loose small spoons, you know, and I get a beat. And then it don't sound like it's blending in with my music. So I just say, well, I would get this and get a large spoon. So that's exactly what I did. And when I done that and it gave me the correct sound I want and that's what I stuck with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=332.96,418.06"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And I've been with it ever since. It blends in perfectly. So you started out down on the on a corner of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, and put the street right there on the corner of that Fifth Avenue bar, which they call it. They had a jazz band and a Flip Johnson and a jazz band. It was good. You're making more money than they were. I don't know. But I was making a pocketful of change. I was doing pretty good. I was doing pretty good. So you figured then you had something going for it and you never stop. And I kept. Right. Now you've been working down Dyckman Street for how long? About three years. And you've been working for the city? Yeah. Baltimore City. How long? Well, just three years, because I just recently got the job. I was working at the Coast Guard yard, Curtis Bay as a fall watchman. And did you retire from that, or. No, I didn't retire from now. I didn't retire at all. I was working at Compass Company for 20 years. Compass Company sold out. Well, I just sold out and got rid of all the people, so we naturally, we had to go. Then I left there and went to the Coast Guard yard as a fire watchman working for the Coast Guard. Right. Then the Coast Guard vanished. That they just vanished. That job. I just got rid of it and bought an outside contractor. So an outside contractor came in. Then they took an old guy to contact me and told me say, Well, I used to work for the Coast Guard, You know, the job. We would like to have you work for us. So I went back and worked for them, but I had a application for the city for about 3 or 4 years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=418.21,503.8"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And when they called me, I left there and went to the city. So you had several different jobs over the years, but you've always kept your bones. I always kept my most definitely. Are they the same bones you've been playing with? Well, at a festival I'm playing with for years. Keep. No. Is there a trick to it? No. And I think this is a trick to it. So maybe you've got something in your pocket. You got something in your pocket. Let me see your pocket. I know no trick to this. Is just this a natural thing? That's a God gave me this gift. You know it. He gave this gift. Keep it and keep it all playing with it. Do you play? Where do you play? I know you play it. That You play that you at your son's wedding? Yes, I did. Yes, I played at my son's wedding. And I mean, down on my job where they have like holidays or something like Christmas or something. I played there for them. And that's how this whole thing started. For like a few weeks ago or so. I was on live TV for that, you know, so people can hire you to play spoons if they wish. Yes, If they wish they can. Had me. Yeah, I'd be glad to. More than glad to. For a pocketful of change. Yeah, for a pocketful of change. And up to Dallas. I love it. I love it. Definitely. Back. You know that account, though, Toomey said of. Yeah, no problem. So. Looks like it's. Let me behind. But I don't think you call. Yeah. Okay. I see. And go to so. Can you really press a button here? Yeah. Tell you when. Can I let it go? No, it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=504.4,726.66"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"It can. Yeah. It's just not working at all. No, it is fine. All right. Now you're warm enough. Showmanship. You know. You know, just like this location at that. So you want to do. Please look at the camera. The one hand to the light and look at the camera. Go ahead. I go. Well, you radio. Originally it was going to be okay. I just know that's not. And maybe. No. That's a little song.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857#t=726.96,1139.45"}]},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["English [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136845/file/253857/transcript/71660/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"subtitling","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/660/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-005-006_ffv1_transcript.vtt?1728353213","format":"text/vtt","language":"en"},"target":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/660/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-005-006_ffv1_transcript.vtt?1728353213"}]}]}]}