Following in the footsteps of collectors the world over, for almost a century folklorists have traveled far and wide, following leads to front porches, living rooms and backyards to record distinctive traditional songs and tunes across the U.S. The inspiration for this week’s program is the recently released set “Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris” on Dust to Digital Records.

We’ll listen to selections from that set, as well as a wellspring of recordings collected by Alan Lomax, Mike Seeger, Alan Jabbour and others, including music from Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton, Pink Anderson. E.C. Ball, Elizabeth Cotten and many more. Essential roots music, recorded in the field … this week on The Sing Out! Radio Magazine.

LISTEN:

Artist / “Title” / CD / Label

Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer” (excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle /
              Smithsonian Folkways
The Doc Watson Family / “Tucker’s Barn” / Tradition / Rounder
James “Son Ford” Thomas / “44 Blues” / Voices of Mississippi / Dust to Digital
Will Shade, Charlie Burse and Gus Cannon / “Take Your Fingers Off It” / Classic Harmonica
              Blues / Smithsonian Folkways
Pink Anderson / “Talking Blues” / Classic African American Songsters / Smithsonian Folkways
Peg Leg Sam / “Froggy Went A-Courting” / Classic African American Songsters / Smithsonian
              Folkways

E.C. Ball / “The Farmer’s Curst Wife” / Sounds of the South / Atlantic
Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter Bayes / “I’m Leaving You This Lonesome Song” / Classic
              Old-Time Music / Smithsonian Folkways
Doug Wallin / “Naomi Wise” / Classic American Ballads / Smithsonian Folkways
Burl Hammons / “The Big Scioty” / The Hammons Family / Rounder
The Doc Watson Family / “Give the Fiddler a Dram” / Tradition / Rounder

The Southland Hummingbirds / “You Don’t Know Like I Know” / Voices of Mississippi /
              Dust to Digital
Indian Bottom Association Old Regular Baptists / “Guide Me O Though Great Jehovah” /
              Songs of the Old Regular Baptists / Smithsonian Folkways
Bozie Sturdivant / “Ain’t No Grave Can Hold My Body Down” / A Treasury of Library of
              Congress Field Recordings / Rounder

James “Son Ford” Thomas / “I Know It’s Wrong to be Playin’ the Blues” / Voices of Mississippi /
              Dust to Digital
Lead Belly / “Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Yea” / Cowboy Songs on Folkways / Smithsonian Folkways
Elizabeth Cotten / “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” / Close To Home / Smithsonian Folkways
W.H. Stepp / “Bonaparte’s Retreat” / A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Frecordings /
              Rounder
Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer” (excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle /
              Smithsonian Folkways