Preface by R. Nathaniel Dett: "In the Bottoms" is a Suite of five numbers giving pictures of moods or scenes peculiar to Negro life in the river bottoms of the Southern sections of North America. It is similar in its expression, and in a way a continuation of the sentiments already set forth in the "Magnolia" Suite, but suggests ideas incidental to life in a more particulat geographic territory. Neither Suite, like Dvorak's famous "New World Symphony" is dependent for its effect upon the introduction of folk-songs, either in their natural, or in a highly developed form. As it is quite possible to describe the traits, habits and customs of a people without using the vernacular, so is it similarly possible to musically portray racial peculiarities without the use of national tunes or folk-songs. "In the Bottoms", then, belongs to that class of music known as "Program music" or "music with a poetic basis". The source of the "program" or "poetic basis" has already been referred to, and the following notes are appended to show that its relation to the music is intimate. No.1 Prelude - is nightfall; the heavy chords represent the heavy shadows, and the open fifths, the peculiar hollow effect of the stillness: the syncopated melody which occurs, is the "tumming" of a banjo, which music is, however, only incidental to the gloom.