Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual

New vinyl reissue remastered from the original master tapes, packaged in classic Folkways-style tip-on jackets with original liner notes.

Dubbed “The Mayor of MacDougal Street,” Dave Van Ronk (1936–2002) was an iconoclastic folksinger and an influential figure in the American folk music revival of the 1960s. Because of his interest in African American folk music and blues, and his gift (or curse) of a gravelly baritone voice, Van Ronk was often criticized for his approach to his musical repertoire. His rejoinder was that he reserved the right to sing songs in the style that he deemed to be “the right way.” This 1959 Folkways recording, his first on any label, is a collection of 19th- and early 20th-century traditional folk and blues songs that persuasively illustrates his stance.

The vinyl reissue includes a liner notes booklet with the song lyrics and is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, revisiting some of the most iconic and influential albums released on the record label.

We are offering Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual along with the vinyl reissues of Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry Sing, and Lead Belly's Easy Rider as a Vinyl Bundle with Bonus Folkways Slipmat.

Track Listing

101	Duncan and Brady	Dave Van Ronk	03:02
102	Black Mountain Blues	Dave Van Ronk	04:02
103	In the Pines	Dave Van Ronk	03:08
104	My Baby's So Sweet	Dave Van Ronk	02:35
105	Oh, What a Beautiful City (Twelve Gates to the City)	Dave Van Ronk	03:15
106	Winin' Boy	Dave Van Ronk	02:38
107	If You Leave Me Pretty Momma	Dave Van Ronk	03:09
201	Backwater Blues	Dave Van Ronk	03:04
202	Careless Love	Dave Van Ronk	02:59
203	Betty and Dupree	Dave Van Ronk	03:37
204	K.C. Moan	Dave Van Ronk	03:04
205	Gambler's Blues	Dave Van Ronk	02:30
206	John Henry	Dave Van Ronk	02:28
207	How Long	Dave Van Ronk	03:56