At The Gate Of Horn

Performer: Odetta
Producer: Paul Klein (Reissue)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Also available in a 3-pack with Leadbelly's IN THE SHADOW OF THE GALLOWS POLE and Woody Guthrie's EARLY MASTERS. Recording information: 1957. Editor: Patrick Clancy. An exceptional 15-track compilation released on Rykodisc's Tradition imprint (also available as part of a box set with similar compilations by Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie), AT THE GATE OF HORN is a long-overdue reappraisal of the work of Odetta Gordon. The singer/guitarist is so closely identified with the late-'50s/early-'60s collegiate folk revival that her music has often been dismissed, or simply forgotten, in the decades since. Focusing on her striking versions of traditional folk tunes, sung in a clear, deep voice and most often backed only with her acoustic guitar and the occasional bass work of Bill Lee, AT THE GATE OF HORN offers one surprise after another. "Gallows Tree," a variant of a traditional British folk tune best known to modern audiences as Leadbelly's "Gallis Pole," is a stunning, doomy opener, and Odetta's version of the lullaby "All the Pretty Horses" is simply beautiful. In between these tracks are 13 other pure folk gems.

Taking inspiration from classic blues singers and folk troubadours of the 1930s and '40s and predating the folk boom of the '60s, Odetta remains one of the most important yet often overlooked artists of the American musical tradition. Her unique, politically charged fusion of blues, traditional Negro spirituals, and American folk songs was a profound influence on a generation of artists from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez to Tracy Chapman. Odetta continued to perform well after her heyday, remaining both fiercely political and artistically engaging.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25