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A mentor to everyone from Bob Dylan to Suzanne Vega, "The Mayor of MacDougal Street" was a treasured figure in the Greenwich Village scene for four decades. His autobiography and its portrait of the... more

It's more than an instrument—it's a symbol of the American South. Here are 30 prime examples of banjo artistry from more than 300 LPs (44-page booklet, too): "Bright Sunny South" Dock Boggs; "Johnson... more

The songs Pete Seeger recorded on his American Favorite Ballads LPs in the '50s and '60s are not merely classic folk songs—they're definitive Americana. This first in a series of reissues of those... more

During the folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s, the old-time string band New Lost City Ramblers rekindled traditions of southern mountain music, introducing them to wider audiences. Here John... more

The New Faith tells an Afrofuturist story set in a far-future world devastated by climate change. Jake Blount and his collaborators embody a group of Black climate refugees as they perform a... more

Charlie Parr's 2021 album, Last of the Better Days Ahead, is a collection of powerful new songs about how one looks back on a life lived, as well as forward on what's still to come. It's spare... more

Songs of Our Native Daughters gathers together kindred musicians Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell in song and sisterhood to communicate with their forebears.... more

Dave Van Ronk - Ballads, Blues & a Spiritual - Dubbed "The Mayor of MacDougal Street," Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) was an iconoclastic folksinger and an influential figure in the American folk music... more

Barbara forged her own path, singing for peace and justice and refusing to recognize music-biz boundaries between folk, jazz and blues. The 40-page booklet and 150 minutes of music here take us... more

26 topical songs from (along with Woody Guthrie) probably the greatest topical singer-songwriter in American history, the only collection of its kind! The recordings date from 1944 right up to the... more

Vinyl LP pressing. Elizabeth Cotten's 1958 debut album on Folkways is best known for containing the earliest recording of her classic "Freight Train." The breadth of her repertoire and her endearing... more

Over 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release, this is still the best American roots music collection around! Musicologist Harry Smith assembled the anthology from 78 rpm discs issued between... more

Pieces of Home by Dan + Claudia Zanes is a fresh collection of songs for people of all ages: joyful songs to restore the spirit and uplift the soul. These are old and new tunes, performed by old and... more

American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams' Southern blues roots are unmistakable on her debut record Ramblin' on My Mind, showcasing the artistry that would make her an icon. Recorded in... more

Leyla McCalla's Vari-Colored Songs is a celebration of the complexity of Black culture and identity, and a tribute to the legacy of poet and thinker Langston Hughes. A songwriter and... more

Vinyl LP pressing. This recording, first released by Folkways founder Moses Asch in 1976 to coincide with the celebration of America's Bicentennial, was originally recorded by Asch in the 1940s. The... more

Woody recorded for a variety of labels, but the real meat of his repertoire rests in the 300 or so songs he recorded for Mo Asch's Folkways label. And now that classic material is finally coming out... more

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly commanding personality, and her... more

Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton is a new album of old-time music produced from archival recordings by two legendary musicians. These largely unheard tapes were recorded at Doc Watson's two earliest... more

The singer/activist teamed with up-and-coming quartet the Chambers Brothers in 1966 to record this soul-stirring blend of gospel, folk-rock and blues. The singing is sublime across the board, and the... more

Who could chronicle the history of this great American art form—the train song—better than Smithsonian Folkways? A 36-page booklet rides along with Jay Gould's Daughter Pete Seeger; Wabash Cannonball... more

Radio John: Songs of John Hartford is Sam Bush's heartfelt tribute to his hero and mentor, John Hartford. With dedication, admiration, and love, Bush takes on personal favorites from Hartford's vast... more