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Malvina Reynolds, the well-known songwriter and activist for social justice and the environment, performs some of her most famous songs in the compilation of studio and live recordings fro mthe 1960s... more

The Youngbloods and Holy Modal Rounders covered songs from this 1964 Folkways LP, the debut by this Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter (whose unconventional singing and songs made him a hero in '60s... more

You don't need to be a card-carrying member to get swept up by the message and music here. This 1955 Folkways LP collects generations of working-man's anthems: We Shall Not Be Moved; Casey Jones (The... more

Banjo player and singer Ola Belle Reed created this album and it's accompanying notes as an autobiography, a document that describes her childhood in the mountains, her experiences, and her opinions... more

Singer, activist, and founder of Paredon Records (now also under the stewardship of Smithsonian Folkways), Barbara Dane was born in 1929 and was still going strong last time we spoke with her. This... more

Joined on this recording by fiddler Tracy Schwarz, this album explores new musical territory "at least ten years in either direction," including unaccompanied ballad singing and bluegrass. Of... more

Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Dave Van Ronk was Bob Dylan's "first New York guru," writes Dylan's biographer Robert Shelton. "Dave Van Ronk was the musical mayor of MacDougal Street," Shelton continues,... more

Von Schmidt and Cahn's musical friendship grew out of ill-fated road trips, rebelliousness, and of course, a shared love for the blues. As Cahn writes, "What we had in common was a feeling about... more

This volume is half of a two-recording set that includes recordings not issued on the Vanguard or Elektra Newport compilations. Intended to represent music from the American South and then-current... more

Songs of the frontier, of work, love, and despair are presented here by Rosalie Sorrels, a dedicated folklorist and true Idaho icon. Some of the regional repertoire was passed on by locals from Boise... more

Legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg explores the fusion of poetry and music in this rare 1970s recording. Called a "venerated bard of resistance" Ginsberg sought "how the raw mind actually works"... more

Recorded in 1940, and later reissued by Folkways Recordings in 1950, Guthrie's first album chronicles the American Dust Bowl through his prosaic style of talking blues. Using only guitar and vocals,... more

Sung by labor educator Joe Glazer, this album features songs by union organizer Joe Hill. Although these songs are rooted in their time, their messages are still relevant today, and this collection... more

On this collection, Adelaide Van Wey juxtaposes the Anglo-American ballads of the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina with songs from French Creole Louisiana. As the title track enjoins, "Bring along... more

Sam Eskin, according to the album's original notes in 1951, "has been traveling across the United States for thirty-five years, learning songs from all sorts of people in all sorts of places." This... more

Born in Jefferson County, Kentucky in 1892, John Jacob Niles was one of the most prolific private collectors of Anglo-American folk songs. His work predates Cecil Sharp's by nearly a decade, and this... more

This 1975 LP was taped in Holcomb's home in east Kentucky by John Cohen, the man who coined the term "high and lonesome" to describe Holcomb's voice. He backs his earthy vocals with some mighty fine... more

Cisco Houston's smooth, spirited voice croons songs from the railways, mines, and the open range on this collection of his favorite ballads. In the tradition of composing songs to tell stories,... more

Banjo player Dock Boggs once said, "Lonesome songs always appealed to me." This collection features classic dark and lonely songs like "Pretty Polly" and "Oh Death." Meant as a companion album to... more

Greatly influenced by the music of the Carter Family, the Monroe Brothers, Uncle Dave Macon, and others of that era, Harry and Jeanie West are folk musicians who are always ready to incorporate new... more

After researching, learning, and polishing songs found on early recordings of country music, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger laid down these rousing tracks in 1962 at his home in New Jersey. His... more

Singer Bob Ross served in the Naval Air Service during World War II, and he used his repertoire of ballads to entertain injured servicemen in hospitals. This collection of simple, sentimental songs... more

George and Gerry Armstrong present ballads from England, Scotland, and America and accompany themselves on guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. In keeping with the tradition of naming one's sources, the... more

See also: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings reissued series of American Favorite Ballads.

Like Joan O'Bryant's previous Folkways recording, Folksongs and Ballads of Kansas, this album presents folk songs geographically close to O'Bryant's heart. Most of the ballads included here are... more