Songs of Our Native Daughters gathers together kindred musicians Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell in song and sisterhood to communicate with their forebears.... more

A mentor to everyone from Bob Dylan to Suzanne Vega, "The Mayor of MacDougal Street" was a treasured figure in the Greenwich Village scene for four decades. His autobiography and its portrait of the... more

These largely unheard recordings were made in '62 in Greenwich Village. Doc's father-in-law, fiddler Gaither Carlton, rarely played outside North Carolina; you can hear the remarkable chemistry and... more

Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton is a new album of old-time music produced from archival recordings by two legendary musicians. These largely unheard tapes were recorded at Doc Watson's two earliest... more

Barbara forged her own path, singing for peace and justice and refusing to recognize music-biz boundaries between folk, jazz and blues. The 40-page booklet and 150 minutes of music here take us... more

22 songs favored by leaders of antiwar, civil rights, industrial labor, farm worker, and other struggles throughout American history. "Jesus Christ" Woody Guthrie, "Blowin' In The Wind," New World... more

Over 50 years after its original 1952 vinyl release, this is still the best American roots music collection around! Musicologist Harry Smith assembled the anthology from 78 rpm discs issued between... more

Happy Woman Blues - Lucinda Williams, whose musical style defies easy categorization, recorded her first album of original songs in 1980, supported by a six-member band. Her songs are a mix of... more

Vinyl LP pressing. This recording, first released by Folkways founder Moses Asch in 1976 to coincide with the celebration of America's Bicentennial, was originally recorded by Asch in the 1940s. The... more

Vinyl LP pressing. Named a National Heritage Fellow in 2010 and elected to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of fame in 2011, Delano Floyd "Del" McCoury has been a presence in bluegrass music... more

Woody recorded for a variety of labels, but the real meat of his repertoire rests in the 300 or so songs he recorded for Mo Asch's Folkways label. And now that classic material is finally coming out... more

Lucinda Williams, whose musical style defies easy categorization, recorded her first album of original songs in 1980, supported by a six-member band. Her songs are a mix of traditional and... more

Leyla McCalla's Vari-Colored Songs is a celebration of the complexity of Black culture and identity, and a tribute to the legacy of poet and thinker Langston Hughes. A songwriter and... more

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly commanding personality, and her... more

Easy Rider - Leadbelly songs - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is proud to present 'Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection' - the first in-depth, career-spanning box set of songs, photos,... more

24 more of the historic recordings Woody made for Mo Asch's Folkways label, including such classics as Hard Travelin'; So Long It's Been Good to Know You; Mean Talking Blues; Talking Columbia, and I... more

One of the famed "Singing Ritchies of Kentucky," Jean is a national treasure, one of our best traditional singers. Now a new generation can discover her; this reissue of her landmark Folkways... more

Vinyl LP pressing. Recorded in 1958 and released on the Folkways label in 1959, Bahaman Folk Guitar introduced American listeners to Joseph Spence's unique guitar and vocal styles. These field... more

The singer/activist teamed with up-and-coming quartet the Chambers Brothers in 1966 to record this soul-stirring blend of gospel, folk-rock and blues. The singing is sublime across the board, and the... more

Who could chronicle the history of this great American art form—the train song—better than Smithsonian Folkways? A 36-page booklet rides along with Jay Gould's Daughter Pete Seeger; Wabash Cannonball... more

Concerts, jam sessions, festival workshops…27 unreleased performances by Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys! Rare pix and copious notes join 75 minutes of precious music: "Roanoke," "Kentucky Waltz,"... more

It's more than an instrument—it's a symbol of the American South. Here are 30 prime examples of banjo artistry from more than 300 LPs (44-page booklet, too): "Bright Sunny South" Dock Boggs; "Johnson... more

This award-winning compilation (2011's Independent Music Awards prize for best reissue) collects eleven tracks culled from Ola Belle's two Folkways albums along with eight previously unreleased live... more