Original Folkways Recordings (1999)

About this title: 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 ... read more

Tracks:

1. Brown Eyes [Guthrie]
2. Jackhammer Blues [Guthrie]
3. John Henry [Traditional]
4. House of the Rising Sun [Holmes/White/Ray]
5. Little Black Train [Guthrie]
6. Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet? [Guthrie]
7. Bed on the Floor [Guthrie]
8. Danville Girl, No. 2 [Guthrie]
9. I Ride an Old Paint [Guthrie]
10. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore [Gilbert/Hays/Heller]
11. Big Rock Candy Mountain [Traditional]
12. I've Been Working on the Railroad [Traditional]
13. Down in the Valley [Traditional]
14. Blue Tail Fly
15. Black Is the Color [Traditional]
16. Boll Weevil [Traditional]
17. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
18. The Fox [Traditional]
19. Casey Jones [Traditional]
20. How Long [Carr]
21. I've Got a Pretty Flower [Ledbetter]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.