The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live is a must-have for any fan of folk music. This live album features some of the best-known folk musicians performing some of the most iconic folk songs of all time.

Introduction

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live is a concert tour conceived, directed, and promoted by musician and record producer Hal Willner in association with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The tour features an ever-changing rotating cast of performers interpreting songs from the 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, compiled by musicologist Harry Smith.

The concept for the tour was born out of Willner’s love for the Anthology, which he has called “the most important single document in American music.” After obtaining permission from the Smithsonian Institution to use the Anthology as source material, Willner began reaching out to various musicians to see if they would be interested in participating. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the first performance took place at New York City’s Lincoln Center on October 19, 2001.

Willner has continued to curate and produce the tour over the past 15 years, with performances taking place all over the world. The rotating cast of performers has included many of Willner’s musical heroes, such as Lou Reed, Steve Earle, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull, Beck, Ani DiFranco, Sufjan Stevens, and many others.

Willner has said that his hope for the tour is that it will help keep alive the spirit of folk music as it existed in the early part of the 20th century – a time when music was created not for commercial gain but simply because it was a part of people’s everyday lives.

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. It is one of the most influential and popular anthologies of folk music ever released, and helped to spark the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. The set includes songs from a wide range of American folk traditions, including Appalachian ballads, Cajun music, blues, and more.

The Man behind the Music

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music is one of the most influential folk music collections of all time. Released in 1952, it changed the course of American music, influencing everyone from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead. But who was Harry Smith, and how did he come to compile this groundbreaking anthology?

Harry Smith was born in 1923 in Portland, Oregon. His father was a doctor and his mother was a musician. When Harry was four, his family moved to Spokane, Washington. It was there that he began to develop his passion for music and collecting.

As a teenager, Harry began buying 78 rpm records from local thrift stores and garage sales. He became particularly interested in blues and jazz records from the 1920s and 1930s. By the time he was in his twenties, Harry had amassed a collection of over 8,000 78s.

In 1950, Harry moved to New York City, where he worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). It was there that he met John Cohen, who would later introduce him to folk music icon Woody Guthrie. Cohen also introduced Harry to another important figure in the world of folk music: Moses Asch of Folkways Records.

Asch was impressed with Harry’s collection of 78s and asked him to compile an anthology of folk music for Folkways. The result was The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music, released in 1952. The Anthology included 84 songs on six double-sided LP records, ranging from gospel and blues to country and mountain music. It also included extensive liner notes written by Harry himself.

The Anthology quickly became one of the most influential folk music collections ever released. Its impact can still be felt today, more than sixty years after its initial release.

The Music Itself

In 1952, legendary musicologist Harry Smith released The Anthology of Folk Music, a collection of 84 songs on six vinyl discs. The anthology was influential in the development of both the folk music revival of the 1950s and ’60s and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Now, more than 60 years after it was first released, The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live brings the music of the anthology to life through performances by some of today’s most celebrated musicians.

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live was recorded over four nights in November 2017 at Brooklyn’s BRICartsmedia House. The performances were part of a larger event that included talks, films, and exhibits related to the life and work of Harry Smith. The live album features performances by Ani DiFranco, Beck, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, and many others.

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live is a must-have for fans of folk music and anyone interested in the history of American popular music.

Live Recordings

The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live is a live album by the American musician Harry Smith. It was released on October 31, 2000, by Revenant Records. The album consists of live recordings of traditional folk songs, which were performed by Smith and his band.

The Importance of Live Recordings

It is widely accepted that live recordings are an important part of the music industry, providing musicians with a platform to perform and share their music with a wider audience. Recorded live, music can take on a whole new energy, feeling and atmosphere, which is often captured and enjoyed by listeners.

There are many different ways to record live music, from small intimate gigs to large festivals and concerts. The technology used to record live music has also changed over the years, from analogue to digital recording methods.

One of the most famous and well-loved live recordings is The Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live. This release was compiled from a series of live recordings made by renowned folk musician Harry Smith in the 1940s and 1950s. The Anthology was released in 2010 and received critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising the energy and passion captured in these recordings.

Whether you’re a fan of live music or not, there’s no denying the importance of these recordings within the industry. They provide a snapshot of a particular moment in time, capturing the feeling and atmosphere of a live performance.

The Best of the Live Recordings

The Anthology of Folk Music, put together by Harry Smith and released by Folkways Records in 1952, is one of the most important documents of American folk music. It is also one of the most controversial, due to Smith’s decision to include only commercially recorded songs, and to exclude any field recordings made by folklorists such as Alan Lomax.

The Anthology was originally released as a set of six LPs, and later reissued on CD in 1997. The live recordings included on the CD set were chosen by Jeff Place, who was given access to the entire Folkways archive by Smithsonian Folkways.

The live recordings included on the Anthology are some of the best and most important documentation of American folk music. They offer a rare opportunity to hear how these songs were performed in their original context, and offer a snapshot of a time and place that is now gone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music: Live is an excellent album that captures the spirit of folk music. It is a must-have for any fan of the genre.