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Anthology of American Folk Music®

Various Artists
Anthology of American Folk Music®

The Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith (1923–1991), is one of the most influential releases in the history of recorded sound. Originally issued by Folkways Records in 1952, the Anthology brought virtually unknown parts of America's musical landscape recorded in the late 1920s and early 1930s to the public's attention. For more than half a century, the collection has profoundly influenced fans, ethnomusicologists, music historians, and cultural critics; it has inspired generations of popular musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jerry Garcia, and countless others. Many of the songs included in the Anthology have now become classics, as has Harry Smith’s unique "scientific/aesthetic handbook" of song notes and drawings. Reissued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1997, this deluxe 6-CD collector's boxed set contains a 96-page book featuring Harry Smith's original liner notes and essays by Greil Marcus and other noted writers, musicians, and scholars.

“[The] Anthology was our bible…. We all knew every word of every song on it, including the ones we hated. They say that in the 19th-century British Parliament, when a member would begin to quote a classical author in Latin the entire House would rise in a body and finish the quote along with him. It was like that.” – Dave Van Ronk

“Had he never done anything with his life but this Anthology, Harry Smith would still have borne the mark of genius across his forehead. I'd match the Anthology up against any other single compendium of important information ever assembled. Dead Sea Scrolls? Nah. I'll take the Anthology.” – John Fahey

“First hearing the Harry Smith Anthology of American FoIk Music is like discovering the secret script of so many familiar musical dramas. Many of these actually turn out to be cousins two or three times removed, some of whom were probably created in ignorance of these original riches. It also occurred to me that as we are listening at a greater distance in time to a man or woman singing of their fairly recent past of the 1880s, we are fortunate that someone collected these performances of such wildness, straightforward beauty, and humanity." – Elvis Costello

Track Listing

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101
Dick Justice
03:28  
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102
Nelstone's Hawaiians
02:58  
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103
Clarence Ashley
03:16  
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104
Coley Jones
03:16  
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105
Bill and Belle Reed
03:05  
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106
Buell Kazee
03:05  
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107
Buell Kazee
03:05  
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108
Chubby Parker
03:09  
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109
Uncle Eck Dunford
03:01  
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110
Richard Burnett and Leonard Rutherford
03:16  
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111
Buster Carter and Preston Young
03:00  
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112
The Carolina Tar Heels
02:59  
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113
G. B. Grayson
03:12  
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114
Kelly Harrell
03:13  
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201
Edward L. Crain
02:57  
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202
Kelly Harrell
03:05  
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203
The Carter Family
02:57  
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204
The Williamson Brothers and Curry
03:26  
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205
Frank Hutchison
03:01  
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206
Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers
03:31  
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207
Mississippi John Hurt
03:28  
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208
William and Versey Smith
02:58  
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209
The Carter Family
03:19  
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210
Furry Lewis
06:16  
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211
The Bently Boys
02:50  
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212
The Masked Marvel
03:09  
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213
The Carolina Tar Heels
03:17  
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301
Uncle Bunt Stephens
02:58  
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302
Jilson Setters
03:17  
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303
Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers
02:55  
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304
Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard
02:56  
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305
Andrew and Jim Baxter
02:47  
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306
Eck Robertson and Family
03:01  
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307
Hoyt Ming and the Pep Steppers
03:13  
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308
Henry Thomas
02:55  
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309
Jim Jackson
03:04  
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310
Columbus Fruge
02:49  
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311
Joseph Falcon
03:00  
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312
The Breaux Freres
03:00  
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313
The Cincinnati Jug Band
02:58  
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314
Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra
02:40  
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401
Rev. J. M. Gates
01:31  
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402
Rev. J. M. Gates
01:29  
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403
Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
02:45  
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404
Alabama Sacred Harp Singers
02:53  
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405
Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1
02:58  
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406
Rev. Sister Mary Nelson
02:25  
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407
Memphis Sanctified Singers
02:54  
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408
The Elders McIntorsh and Edwards' Sanctified Singers
03:19  
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409
Rev. Moses Mason
03:05  
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410
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
03:00  
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411
Blind Willie Johnson
03:21  
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412
The Carter Family
03:14  
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413
Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers
03:03  
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414
Rev. F. M. McGee
02:43  
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415
Rev. D. C. Rice and His Sanctified Congregation
03:20  
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501
Clarence Ashley
02:56  
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502
Buell Kazee
03:01  
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503
Cannon's Jug Stompers with Noah Lewis
03:44  
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504
Didier Hébert
03:04  
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505
Richard "Rabbit" Brown
03:07  
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506
Dock Boggs
02:58  
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507
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
03:21  
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508
Ernest and Hattie Stoneman
02:44  
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509
The Stoneman Family
03:18  
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510
The Memphis Jug Band
03:11  
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511
The Carter Family
02:47  
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512
Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon
03:10  
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513
Blind Lemon Jefferson
02:57  
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514
Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell
03:02  
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601
Ramblin' Thomas
02:24  
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602
Cannon's Jug Stompers
03:16  
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603
Dock Boggs
02:59  
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604
Julius Daniels
03:07  
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605
Blind Lemon Jefferson
02:47  
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606
Blind Lemon Jefferson
02:55  
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607
Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon
03:01  
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608
Uncle Dave Macon
03:01  
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609
Uncle Dave Macon
03:15  
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610
Mississippi John Hurt
03:17  
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611
The Memphis Jug Band
02:33  
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612
J. P. Nestor
03:00  
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613
Ken Maynard
03:15  
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614
Henry Thomas
02:45