The Anthology of American Folk Music by Harry Smith

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalogue FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), edited by Harry Smith.

The Anthology of American Folk Music by Harry Smith

Harry Smith’s The Anthology of American Folk Music is one of the most important and influential releases in the history of recorded music. First issued in 1952 by Folkways Records, the Anthology brought together eighty-four songs representing a wide range of American folk music traditions. The Anthology’s influentialassemblage of songs, drawn from commercial recordings made in the 1920s and 1930s, helped to define what we now think of as American folk music.

What is the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, of ninety-eight American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued between 1927 and 1932.

Compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records, the Anthology was released in 1952 as a triple LP box set, with each record containing four songs. The original six albums were reissued as a box set in 1997.

The Anthology has been influential in the development of several musical genres, including bluegrass, country music and rock and roll. It is considered one of the most important collections of American folk music ever assembled.

Who was Harry Smith?

Harry Smith was a folklorist, musicologist, and artist. He is best known for his influential 1952 anthology album The Anthology of American Folk Music. The album was released on August 1952 by Folkways Records. The Anthology featured eighty-four songs on six double-sided LP discs, totaling six hours and nineteen minutes of music. The music was compiled from Harry Smith’s personal collection of 78rpm records, which he had amassed over the years.

What is the significance of the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a compilation album released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The 84 songs included on the album were originally recorded between 1927 and 1932 by various artists, and were compiled and edited by Harry Smith.

The Anthology is significant both for its influence on the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, and for its status as one of the most important documentations of American folk music. Many of the artists featured on the album, such as The Carter Family and Blind Lemon Jefferson, were already well-known at the time of its release, but others, such as Dock Boggs and Clarence Ashley, were relative obscurities. The Anthology brought them all together in one place for the first time, and helped to popularize traditional folk music.

The Music of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The music in the anthology represents a wide variety of American folk music, including bluegrass, blues, country, gospel, and old-time music.

What kind of music is on the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records (catalogue FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), edited by Harry Smith. It is one of the most influential recordings ever made in the American folk music revival. The Anthology popularized songs like “House of the Rising Sun” and “Cindy,” and has been credited with sparking the 1960s folk music boom.

Who are some of the artists on the Anthology of American Folk Music?

Some of the artists on the Anthology of American Folk Music include: Buell Kazee, Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, Dock Boggs, The Carter Family, Furry Lewis and many more.

What are some of the songs on the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation release of American folk music by Harry Smith, originally issued in 1952 by Folkways Records. The collection is widely regarded as one of the most influential documentations of twentieth-century American folk music. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

Some of the songs on the Anthology of American Folk Music are:

“Arkansas Traveler” – Sidney Robertson Cowell
“House Carpenter” – Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson
“In The Pines” – Blind Lemon Jefferson
“JOHN Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man” – Frank Hutchison
“Keep On The Sunny Side” – The Carter Family
“LONESOME ROAD BLUES” – Buell Kazee

The Legacy of the Anthology of American Folk Music

Published in 1952 by Folkways Records, The Anthology of American Folk Music compiled ninety-six songs across three discs that were originally recorded between 1927 and 1932. The brainchild of musicologist and record collector Harry Smith, the Anthology was an attempt to document the sounds of traditional American music and was hugely influential in the American folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Let’s take a closer look at the Anthology and its legacy.

How has the Anthology of American Folk Music influenced music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith and originally released in 1952, is one of the most influential releases in the history of recorded music. The set, which compiled ninety-three recordings of traditional folk and blues songs from the 1920s and 1930s, was inductive in shaping the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1997, the Library of Congress honored the Anthology with a National Recording Registry award, deeming it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The Anthology has been credited with introducing several important artists to a wider audience, including Blind Lemon Jefferson, Neal Morris,Charley Patton, and Dock Boggs. In addition, several songs included on the set—”Baltimore Roundhouse Blues,” “In My Time of Dying,” and “Keep On Truckin'”, to name a few—have become blues standards. The Anthology has also played an important role in bridging the gap between traditional folk music and more contemporary forms such as rock and roll; Bob Dylan has cited the set as a major influence on his own work.

Over sixty years after its release, the Anthology continues to exert a profound influence on American music. It is widely revered by artists across genres—from folksingers like Joan Baez to indie rockers like Sonic Youth—and its impact can still be heard in recordings being made today.

What are some of the ways the Anthology of American Folk Music has been used?

The Anthology of American Folk Music has been used in a variety of ways since its release in 1952. Originally released as a 6-LP set, it was reissued in 1997 as a 3-CD set and again in 2011 as a 9-LP set. The anthology has also been used as the basis for films, radio programs, and books.

In 1963, director Robert Frank used the anthology as the soundtrack for his film Pull My Daisy. The film featured members of the Beat Generation, including Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

In 1982, filmmaker Carl Franklin used the anthology as the basis for his film classic Come Back, Charleston Blue. The film tells the story of a young African American man who is trying to find his place in the world.

In 1998, NPR’s All Things Considered aired a series of radio programs called “American folklife.” The series featured interviews with people who had been influenced by the Anthology of American Folk Music.

In 2006, filmmaker Wim Wenders used the anthology as the basis for his film Pekar & Russell’s American Splendor. The film is about underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar and his collaborator Robert Crumb.

What is the future of the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The future of the Anthology of American Folk Music is unknown. While the Anthology has had a significant impact on American music, it is unclear if it will continue to have the same influence. The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and released in 1952. It consists of 84 songs that were recorded between 1927 and 1932. The Anthology has been influential in the development of several genres of music, including country, blues, and rock. While the Anthology is still widely available, it is unclear if it will continue to have the same impact on American music.