In the late 1950s, ethnomusicologist professor Dr. Harry Oster made a series of field recordings at state penitentiaries in Louisiana. This collection focuses on the type of prison work songs sung by inmates performing physically demanding labor. Of note is a version of the African American ballad “John Henry” sung by a trio with Robert Pete Williams and two songs sung by Odea Matthews, a female inmate at the state penitentiary in Angola. The liner notes are written by Dr. Oster.

Track Listing