The Anthology of American Folk Music by Peter Seeger
Contents
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.
Introduction
Introduced by renowned folklorist and musicologist Harry Smith, The Anthology of American Folk Music edited by musician, scholar, and activist Pete Seeger is a massive six-album compilation of traditional American music recorded between 1927 and 1932. Released in 1952 on Folkways Records, the influential anthology brought little-known sounds of country blues, gospel, Cajun, and old-time string bands to the public’s attention and proved to be a major inspiration for the American folk music revival of the 1950s and ’60s.
The Life and Career of Peter Seeger
Peter Seeger was an American folk singer and social activist. He was a member of the Weavers, a folk music group that became popular in the 1950s, and he wrote or co-wrote some of their most famous songs. In the 1960s, Seeger became involved in the American civil rights movement and anti-war protests. He was also an active supporter of the environmental movement. In addition to his work as a musician, Seeger was a prolific author and editor, and he compiled several influential folk music anthologies. He died in 2014 at the age of 94.
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 (catalogue FP 251, FP 252, and FP 253), comprising eighty-four tracks recorded between 1927 and 1932. Experimental filmmaker and musicologist Smith compiled the work from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The collection documents several important strands of early American rural vernacular music, including country music, blues, gospel music, Cajun music, and old-time music.
The Legacy of the Anthology of American Folk Music
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, folk music was enjoying a renaissance in America. The commercial success of artists like Woody Guthrie and The Weavers fueled an interest in the genre, and folk music became increasingly popular.
In 1952, musician and folk music enthusiast Peter Seeger released The Anthology of American Folk Music. The Anthology was a collection of 84 songs released on six double-sided discs. It was divided into three sections – “Ballads”, “Social Music”, and “Songs”.
The Anthology was groundbreaking in many ways. It was one of the first times that folk music had been collected and preserved in such a comprehensive way. It also introduced many people to folk music who may not have otherwise been exposed to it.
The Anthology of American Folk Music had a profound impact on the development of folk music in America. It is considered by many to be one of the most important documents of American folk music.
