Our 70th anniversary has been a complete blast, and the year isn’t over just yet! In 2018, we introduced the brand new Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, giving fans and collectors a chance to own some of our most prized, influential, and sought after recordings on vinyl. These masterpiece albums have been lovingly redesigned from original prints, materials, and photographs, and the audio has been remastered from original LP master tapes by GRAMMY-award winning sound engineer Pete Reiniger. Each limited reissue also features the iconic black textured Folkways tip-on style album jacket and the liner notes booklet that was included in the initial album release.

The Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series continues on November 11th with three groundbreaking works of American folk music:

• Goofing-Off Suite – Pete Seeger (originally released in 1955)
• American Banjo: Songs and Tunes in Scruggs Style (originally released in 1957)
• Dock Boggs: Legendary Singer & Banjo Player – Dock Boggs (originally released in 1964)

Pre-orders are now available on our website. For a limited time, purchase all three as a bundle and receive a complimentary Folkways slipmat for your turntable!

We are also giving the vinyl reissue treatment to bluegrass legend Del McCoury’s out-of-print debut album Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass on its 50th anniversary. Del McCoury recorded his first album for Arhoolie Records in 1968 and it helped launch his still-going-strong career. Learn more about and purchase the new vinyl reissue of Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass.

The Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series kicked off this year with 3 extraordinary albums from the Folkways catalog:

• Struggle – Woody Guthrie (originally released in 1976)
• Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' Hopkins (originally released in 1959)
• Bahaman Folk Guitar – Joseph Spence (originally released in 1959)

A bundle of these three titles including the complimentary Folkways slipmat is still available!