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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

22 songs favored by leaders of antiwar, civil rights, industrial labor, farm worker, and other struggles throughout American history. "Jesus Christ" Woody Guthrie, "Blowin' In The Wind," New World... more

Simply 25 of the finest '40s-to-'60s performances from the Folkways vaults: "Pastures of Plenty" Woody Guthrie; "Changes" Phil Ochs; "Betty and Dupree" Brownie McGhee; "We Shall Overcome" Pete... more

"Broadside" magazine was sort of the literary equivalent of the proverbial '60s coffeehouse, where folk and protest singers would come together and share their latest songs coming out of the peace,... more

This is the 4th volume in the collection of Woody Guthrie's recordings of the 1940's. Featuring original compositions and traditional songs about Cowboys, Outlaws and other Western themes this is an... more

"Broadside" was an early-'60s magazine devoted to publishing topical songs, and who else but Phil Ochs would be its #1 contributor? These tapes were recorded privately for "Broadside" to transcribe... 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

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

Two dozen cuts tap the traditions of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. These banjo/fiddle workouts, bluegrass gems and ballads include Sugar Baby Dock Boggs; Southbound Doc & Merle Watson;... more

Easy Rider - Leadbelly songs - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is proud to present 'Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection' - the first in-depth, career-spanning box set of songs, photos,... 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

The events they recount made history, and so did the songs themselves. These are 25 treasured Civil War songs, explained in the liners and sung wonderfully by Tom: The Cumberland Gap; The Yellow Rose... 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

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

Simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful, this new collection of songs is rooted in the history of slavery in America, and speaks out with passion and determination against the ongoing cycle of... 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

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

Charlie Parr's newest 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

Are there still previously unknown Woody Guthrie treasures to be found? As it turns out, Smithsonian Folkways had some real pastures of plenty in store for us in the year of Guthrie's centenary. For,... more

This award-winning compilation (2011's Independent Music Awards prize for best reissue) collects eleven tracks culled from Ola Belle's two Folkways albums along with eight previously unreleased live... 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

24 more of the historic recordings Woody made for Mo Asch's Folkways label, including such classics as Hard Travelin'; So Long It's Been Good to Know You; Mean Talking Blues; Talking Columbia, and I... more