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Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music
Johnm:
Hi all,
I've been listening and re-listening to this set in the past few months and have been so impressed with it, what a generous achievement it was for Harry Smith to put it together, the huge scope of his musical vision, the quality and variety of the performances selected for the Anthology, the order in which the tunes were sequenced, and the fine detail work, like the newspaper headline versions of the plots of the ballads.
For those of you who are not familiar with the set, it was first released by Folkways Records in the early '50s, I believe, and is now available from Smithsonian Folkways on CD, in three volumes, Ballads, Social Music, and Songs, each category of which includes two CDs.
The range of the music on the set is enormous, with Old-Time fiddle tunes and songs, Country Blues, Cajun songs and tunes, Religious numbers from the black and white traditions, Cowboy songs and others. I thought it might be fun to have a thread devoted to the set where people can post anything relating to the set--favorite performances, questions about performers, queries about how different songs were played, really anything pertaining to the set and the music on it.
Just to get the ball rolling, I've played and listened to and recorded music for many years, and I think I have an idea of what an elusive and well-nigh impossible thing it is to get a "perfect take", but I believe Uncle Bunt Stevens' solo fiddle performance of "Sail Away Ladies" that opens the Social Music volume to be just such a pearl. Everything about his playing of the tune--his phrasing, the rhythm of his bowing, his pitch, tone, and the way he makes his notes, his double stops--I just don't see how any of it could be improved. Anybody have any other favorite moments or performances on the Anthology of American Folk Music or have stuff you'd like to talk about pertaining to it?
All best,
Johnm
banjochris:
I'll second you on that "Sail Away Ladies," John. Dan Gellert was waxing poetic about that side at a fiddle workshop he gave in SoCal just a few weeks ago. It's so simple in one way but then so deep at the same time.
A couple of old-time tracks I'm also very fond of on that set are "A Lazy Farm Boy" by Carter and Young, criminally under-recorded musicians (who did the first recording of "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms"); all of their recordings are gems, and I also love J.W. Day's "Wild Wagoner" for the bow skips in the first part and that change to D in the high part.
I checked out that album on LP from the library probably in about 1990 or so, and it was the first place I heard almost everybody on it, with a few exceptions like Uncle Dave and Patton. Very personally influential and I also love the liner notes.
Years ago Smithsonian Folkways used to have a contest on their website and you could win CDs by answering questions, and I remember I won an album by answering: "Who was the last surviving artist on the Anthology?" I'll see who can get it first, no CD, sorry.
Chris
CF:
Here's a great blog that is attempting to discusses the Anthology song by song & artist by artist
http://oldweirdamerica.wordpress.com/
Stuart:
--- Quote from: banjochris on October 14, 2011, 01:46:31 PM ---Years ago Smithsonian Folkways used to have a contest on their website and you could win CDs by answering questions, and I remember I won an album by answering: "Who was the last surviving artist on the Anthology?" I'll see who can get it first, no CD, sorry.
Chris
--- End quote ---
Yank/James
Stuart:
When I bought the LPs back in the 60's a couple were translucent yellow which only added to the mystique. The Greil Marcus book is also a must for AAFM fans.
Here's the S-F page:
https://folkways.si.edu/anthology-of-american-folk-music/african-american-music-blues-old-time/music/album/smithsonian
and the Liner notes in PDF--62 MB, so it might take a while:
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/SFW40090.pdf
There are also a couple of other AAFM inspired items:
http://www.amazon.com/Anthology-American-Music-Edited-Harry/dp/B00004SUA0
http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Republic-Dylans-Basement-Tapes/dp/0805058427/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4
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