The Top 5 Folk Music Labels
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If you’re a fan of folk music, then you’ll want to check out these five labels that are putting out some of the best music in the genre today. From traditional sounds to modern takes on the style, there’s something for everyone on these labels.
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. They are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and environmental sustainability. Their mission is to preserve folk music and related vernacular music from all over the world. They have an impressive catalog of over 50,000 recordings.
History
In 1947, Moses Asch founded Folkways Records with the mission of “documenting” and “disseminating” the world’s music. Asch was a pioneer in the field of ethnomusicology, and his label became known for releasing music from a wide range of cultures and genres, including folk, blues, jazz, world music, and children’s music. Folkways was also one of the first labels to release music by then-unknown artists such as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan.
In 1987, the Smithsonian Institution acquired Folkways from Asch’s widow Stella; the label became part of the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings division of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The acquisition ensured that Folkways’ mission would continue and that its historic recordings would be preserved for future generations.
Today, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is one of the world’s leading folk music labels. It is home to more than 5,000 recordings by some of the most important names in folk music history, including Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Langston Hughes, Burl Ives, Cisco Houston, Josh White, Josh Gibson, Roberto Clemente, Dorothy Parkes Kerr “Baba Yaga” (Founded 1951), Elizabeth Cotten (Founded 1959), Mary Lou Williams (Founded 1966), Maybelle Carter (Founded 1969), Odetta (Founded 1971) . The label also released important field recordings made by Alan Lomax and other renowned field collectors.
Notable Releases
Since its founding in 1987, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has become one of the most respected names in the world of folk music. The label is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional music from around the globe, and their catalog includes everything from Appalachian ballads to Cajun two-steps.
Some of their most notable releases include:
-The White Album by Doc Watson: A collection of folk songs and ballads performed by one of America’s most celebrated guitarists.
-The Best of Ocora Radio France: A compilation of traditional music from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, highlighting the work of several important world music artists.
-Celtic Harp Music from Brittany: An album featuring some of Brittany’s most popular folk songs, performed on the Celtic harp by renowned harpist Alan Stivell.
– Smithsonian Folkways World Music Sampler: A sampler containing a wide variety of traditional music from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Rounder Records
Founded in 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Rounder Records has helped to define what folk music is. The label has been home to some of the most influential and important folk musicians of the last 50 years. If you’re looking for the best in folk music, you can’t go wrong with Rounder Records.
History
Folk music has been around for centuries, with its roots in the oral traditions of Europe. In the 20th century, folk music experienced a revival in the United States and Europe, led by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Today, there are many different labels that specialize in folk music, from traditional to contemporary. Here are five of the best.
Rounder Records was founded in 1970 by Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy. Based in Massachusetts, Rounder is one of the most respected independent record labels in the United States. The label has released albums by some of the biggest names in folk music, including Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, and Emmylou Harris. In addition to folk music, Rounder also specializes in bluegrass, country, and Americana.
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. Founded in 1987, Folkways was created to preserve and disseminate folk music from around the world. The label has released albums by leading folk artists such as Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie,Lead Belly , and Hazel Dickens. Smithsonian Folkways also offers a wide variety of world music releases, including traditional music from Africa , Asia , Latin America , and the Middle East .
Nomadic Wax is an independent record label based in Brooklyn , New York . Nomadic Wax specializes in world hip hop , reggae , dub , and dancehall . The label was founded in 2002 by DJ Marrow andrelease albums by artists such as groundbreaking hip hop group Hieroglyphics , featured on National Geographic ’s acclaimed television series Breakwater: A Surf Odyssey .
Putumayo World Music was founded in 1993 by Dan Storper with the mission of “introducing people to other cultures through music” Putumayo’s award-winning CD compilations mix traditional and contemporary genres from countries all over the world . The label’s roster includes well-known artists such as Senegal ’s Youssou N ’ Dour and Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté , as well as lesser known musicians from places like Nepal , Madagascar ,and Cuba .
Celtic Women International is a Canadian record label specializing celtic women’s voices & stories through captivating performances you can feel deep within your soul . Their work includes a wide array of album releases that have earned them both national & international acclaim such as ‘Best Album of 2019’ (Cara Magazine), ‘Best Celtic Album’ (The Times UK) & ‘Editors Choice’ (The Irish Echo NYC).
Notable Releases
rounder records is a record label specializing in folk music. The label was founded in 1990 by George Wein, the founder of the Newport Folk Festival. Rounder’s artists include Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Sarah Jarosz.
Sugar Hill Records
Sugar Hill Records is one of the top folk music labels around. They have been around since 1978 and have released some of the most well-known folk albums of all time. Their roster includes artists such as The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. If you’re a fan of folk music, then Sugar Hill Records is definitely a label worth checking out.
History
Sugar Hill Records was an American record label specializing in folk music, with a particular focus on bluegrass. sugar Hill was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and Nina Ziff Poss. The label changed ownership several times over the next two decades, but the Posses remained involved throughout. In 2007, Sugar Hill was sold to the Concord Music Group.
Notable Releases
Sugar Hill Records is an American folk music record label. It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman. Sugar Hill released its first record in February 1979, when it issued Doc Watson’s Old Timey Songs for Children. The label moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1988. In 2000, Poss and Freeman sold Sugar Hill to the Welk Music Group, which was then purchased by Plenty Of Fish Media in 2015.
Sugar Hill has released a number of acclaimed and award-winning albums, including:
The Top 5 Folk Music Labels:
1. Sugar Hill Records
2. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
3. Rounder Records
4. Vanguard Records
5. Appleseed Recordings
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records was founded in 1950 by Maynard Solomon in New York City. He named the label after the 1851 ship sailed by Swedish immigrants to the United States. Vanguard released many landmark recordings throughout its history. In the early days, Vanguard specialized in classical and folk music. It has since become a major force in the jazz world.
History
Vanguard Records is a record label founded in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. The label’s name derives from the seagoing vanguard, the leading units of a fleet.
The Solomons’ original mission was to record traditional jazz and support struggling artists. Using portable recording equipment, they received permission to record live shows by artists such as Pete Seeger, Odetta, Woody Guthrie, and The Weavers at cafes and other sites around New York City. Initially, Vanguard released jazz recordings on 78 rpm format only; in 1953 it switched to LP records and began releasing material by many leading jazz musicians.
In 1955 the company began producing folk music recordings, including works by Burl Ives, Odetta, Josh White, The Weavers (on their last session before disbanding), Hedy West, Leadbelly’s granddaughter Barbara Martin, Jean Ritchie, Doc Watson (on his first album), Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary, Larry Norris of The Highwaymen (singing with his wife Barbarafood Cooley), and many others.
Notable Releases
Vanguard Records is one of the top five folk music labels in the country. The label was founded in 1952 by two Parkway neighbors, Maynard and Seymour Solomon. Vanguard’s first release was the album Folkways 1: Folk Songs of the United States, which included works by Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Pete Seeger. In 1957, Vanguard released The Weavers at Carnegie Hall, which became one of the label’s best-selling albums. In addition to folk music, Vanguard also released jazz, blues, and world music albums. Some of Vanguard’s notable releases include John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme (1965), Nina Simone’s Here Comes the Sun (1971), and Ravi Shankar’s Chants of India (1968).
Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records was founded in 1976 by William Ackerman and his then-wife Ann. The company’s first release was Ackerman’s album The Search for the Unicorns. It was followed by George Winston’s Piano Solo, which became a huge success. The label’s roster soon included some of the biggest names in new age and folk music, including Michael Hedges, Liz Story, and Shadowfax. Windham Hill was one of the most successful independent record labels of the 1980s, with a string of Grammy nominations and wins. The label was sold to BMG in 1992, and was subsequently absorbed into the conglomerate.
History
Founded in 1976 by Will Ackerman, Windham Hill Records was the leading force in the new age and contemporary instrumental music genres. classes under one heading. The label’s roster included such artists as Michael Hedges, Yanni, Philip Aaberg, and George Winston. Wu Han, a classically trained Chinese-American pianist, joined the company in 1985 and went on to found ArtistLed, an artist-owned and -operated classical music label, with her husband David Geffen in 1997.
In the 1980s and ’90s, Windham Hill was one of the most successful independents in the music business with over 50 titles that sold more than 10 million copies each. The company was purchased by BMG Entertainment in 1992 for $100 million and was fully absorbed into the conglomerate in 1998.
Notable Releases
Windham Hill Records was an American record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. Founded in 1976 by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Laboratory, the label became notable for signing musicians who improvised in a still-rare style of playing classical, jazz, and folk music on guitars, sometimes with percussion but usually without vocals.
Ackerman is credited with producing some of the most well-respected and popular volumes of new American instrumental music, and his work had a considerable impact on the careers of many of the artists he signed to the label. Notable releases on Windham Hill include:
-Jim Brickman’s “Picture This”
-George Winston’s “Autumn”
– Liz Story’s “Solid Colors”
-Will Ackerman’s “Confero”
-John Gorka’s “I Know”
