The Errant Æsthete

A wonderful find for lovers of folk, Phil Ochs, the music of WWII, Studs Terkel, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Blues, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, 78 LP’s and so much more — Smithsonian’s Folkways Collection. For the uninitiated, a preview:

This series of 24 one-hour programs explores the remarkable collection of music, spoken word, and sound recordings that make up Folkways Records (now at the Smithsonian as Smithsonian Folkways Recordings). The music of modern day giants like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Ani Difranco is interwoven with original Folkways recordings to demonstrate the lasting legacy that Folkways Records has on popular music. Recent and archival interviews with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Mickey Hart, Studs Terkel, and others help reveal the remarkable human stories behind this equally remarkable collection. The series was produced by CKUA Radio in Alberta, Canada and originally aired in 1999. You can subscribe to the series, copy and paste the URL of the RSS feed into your podcasting program or download each episode as an MP3 file directly to your computer.

Two programs (Episode 21 & 22) Subterranean Homesick Blues I (Download this episode) & II (Download this episode) feature the genesis of the Beat Generation in Greenwich Village in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. With the resurgence of Folk sprouting up everywhere these days, like Vanity Fair’s shoot of the folk greats profiled in their current November issue (see EA’s post) and the upcoming Todd Haynes’ Dylan film (see EA’s post) due for release, there’s definitely a folk music revival going on “all over this land.” About time. (kottke)