Original Folkways Recordings

Performer: Various Artists/Woody Guthrie
Artist: Cisco Houston; Sonny Terry; Josh White
Distributor: Bayside Record Dist.

Notes: Full performer name: Woody Guthrie/Pete Seeger/Leadbelly. Personnel includes: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry, Josh White. Few independent labels have had the long and enduring impact that Folkways Records has had. Founded in 1948 by Moses Asch and Marian Distler, the label issued an astounding 2,168 titles (which ranged across genres from American folk to spoken word, world music and all points in-between) before Asch's death in 1948, at which time maintenance of the catalog fell to the Smithsonian. Under the umbrella of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, each of those titles has remained continually in print and available. Asch also licensed tracks to other independents, including the material found in this brief collection, which combines nine tracks by Woody Guthrie (several of them with Cisco Houston and one with Sonny Terry helping out), ten by Pete Seeger and two by Leadbelly (one with Terry and another with Josh White on board) into what amounts to a sampler of three of the most important influences (actually six, if you count Terry, Houston and White, which one should) on the folk revival of the late '50s and early '60s. ~ Steve Leggett Even before Moses Asch started the legendary Folkways label, he recorded many classic blues and folk performers, many of whom would be unknown otherwise. The 21 tracks on THE ORIGINAL FOLKWAYS RECORDINGS are vintage early recordings by three of Asch's best-known folk discoveries. Mixing the three often radically different singer/songwriters brings out their similarities as well as their differences. Guthrie's rowdy good humor, especially notable on duets with Cisco Houston like "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Feet," meshes well with Seeger's passionate traditionalism and Leadbelly's more personal, somewhat idiosyncratic style. Josh White and Sonny Terry also appear, as Terry shines in a trio with Houston and Guthrie on a rousing "Jack Hammer Blues." Obviously, given the somewhat primitive early recording conditions, these songs are not particularly hi-fi, but they're clear and have surprising depth. This is a fine introduction to all three performers.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25