The Harry Smith Project: Revisiting the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Harry Smith Project: Revisiting the Anthology of American Folk Music is an album of new recordings by various artists of songs originally compiled by Harry Smith.

Introduction

In the early 1950s, folklorist Harry Smith compiled a now-legendary three-album collection of songs, drawings, and ephemera representing what he considered to be the broadest scope of American vernacular music up to that time. The Anthology of American Folk Music was released on Folkways Records in 1952 and quickly became one of the most influential musical documentations ever assembled, helping to kick off the American folk music revival of the 1950s and ’60s. In 1997, the Smithsonian Institution’s Folkways label (now Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) released a six-CD box set containing the entirety of the original Anthology plus more than two hours of previously unreleased material.

The History of the Anthology of American Folk Music

In 1952, Harry Smith compiled the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-album set of commercial recordings of folk, country, blues, and gospel music from the 1920s and 1930s. The Anthology was released by Folkways Records in 1952 and quickly became popular among folk music fans. However, the Anthology was not released again until 1997, when the Smithsonian Institution reissued it on CD.

Harry Smith and the Anthology

In 1947, Harry Smith compiled a record set of 84 songs by 52 different artists from 1927-1932, titled the Anthology of American Folk Music. It was released on Folkways Records in 1952, and included liner notes with extensive information on each song, artist, and performance. The Anthology was revolutionary in several ways. First, it helped to define and popularize the concept of American folk music. Second, it brought many forgotten artists and songs back into the public consciousness. And third, it demonstrated that commercial recordings could be used for scholarly purposes.

The Anthology has been hugely influential in the folk music Revival of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in the development of the Americana genre. It was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2007, and was selected as one of the 100 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.

The Reissue of the Anthology

In 1997, the Smithsonian Folkways label (under the aegis of producer Elijah Wald) issued a beautifully packaged, seven-disc box set called The Harry Smith Project: Revisiting the Anthology of American Folk Music. The idea behind the project was to bring together artists from across the musical spectrum to reinterpret songs from Smith’s original collection. The results were sometimes revelatory, as when animist punk rockers Pussy Galore unearth the skeletons lurking beneath “Stagger Lee” or when folkie Gathering Field give new life to the ancient ballad “Pretty Polly.”

The Music of the Anthology

The Harry Smith Project: Revisiting the Anthology of American Folk Music is an album by Bob Dylan and various artists, released on October 31, 2006 on Columbia Records. The album is a tribute to Harry Smith, the compiler of the 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music. It features renditions of songs from the Anthology performed by Dylan and various artists.

The Styles of the Anthology

The Anthology of American Folk Music was compiled by musicologist Harry Smith and originally released in 1952 on Folkways Records. The six-album set presents eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued on 78 rpm records between 1927 and 1932.

The music on the Anthology spans a wide range of styles, from the ethereal sounds of religious music and mountain ballads to the raw energy of country and blues. Despite their diversity, the recordings all speak to the experience of ordinary Americans in the early twentieth century.

Religious music
One of the most striking elements of the Anthology is the large number of recordings of religious music, both Christian and non-Christian. Many of these songs were recorded by itinerant preachers and missionaries who went into remote areas to spread their message. The result is a fascinating snapshot of American religious beliefs and practices in the early twentieth century.

Some of the more well-known religious recordings on the Anthology include “I’ll Fly Away” by Alberta Hunter, “I Saw the Light” by Hank Williams, and “This Little Light of Mine” by Mahalia Jackson.

Country music
The Anthology includes a number of classic country recordings, including several by The Carter Family, one of the most influential groups in country music history. The Carters were part of a wave of recording artists who brought country music to a wider audience in the 1920s and 1930s.

Other notable country recordings on the Anthology include “In the Pines” by Blind Lemon Jefferson, “Keep On the Sunny Side” by The Stoneman Family, and “Wildwood Flower” by The Carter Family.

Blues
The Anthology features a wide range of blues recordings, from Delta blues to urban blues. Some of the most famous blues artists represented on the set include Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Robert Johnson,and Lead Belly. These artists helped to define the genre and influenced generations of musicians who came after them.

The Legacy of the Anthology

In 1952, Harry Smith released the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-album collection of folk, blues, country, gospel, and old-timey recordings that he had amassed over the years. The anthology was groundbreaking in its time, and its influence can still be felt today. In 1997, a group of musicians got together to reinterpret the songs on the anthology, resulting in the album The Harry Smith Project: Revisiting the Anthology of American Folk Music. Here are some of the artists who have been influenced by the anthology.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Harry Smith Project is a very successful and important effort to bring the Anthology of American Folk Music back to life. The musicians involved have done an excellent job of bringing these old songs back to life, and they have also managed to create something new and fresh in the process. This is a must-have album for any fan of American folk music, and it is sure to become a classic in its own right.