Sounds to Grow On

In this hour Michael traces the history of a folksong, probably most familiar to you as "The Streets of Laredo" but also reflected in the song "St James Infirmary." In 1960, Folkways released an album put together by folklorist Kenneth Goldstein called The Unfortunate Rake: A Study in the Evolution of a Ballad. Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On is a 26-part series hosted by Michael Asch that features the original recordings of Folkways records.

A remarkable thing about Folkways is the number of significant movements in the 20th century with which it was in tune. One such movement is the African-American poetry scene, starting with the Harlem Renaissance that began in the 1920s. The Harlem Renaissance is a rather loose term that identifies a flourishing of poetry and prose to emerge from Harlem. The poetry ranges greatly stylistically. But what unites all these poets, including Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, is that they focus in some way on the experience of the African-American in the U.S. Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On is a 26-part series hosted by Michael Asch that features the original recordings of Folkways records.

Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On is a 26-part series featuring the original recordings of Folkways records. Host Michael Asch is the only child of Moses and Frances Asch. He was a professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton until his retirement. However, as he says in this first program: "The show is not about me. It is about my father, and more specifically about the record company my father founded and ran for 38 years. The company’s name is Folkways Records, and, due to the foresight and perseverance of many people at the Smithsonian Institution, the company still continues as Smithsonian Folkways Records. This program features an overview of great Folkways sounds."

This episode is dedicated to music on Folkways that has a special place for Michael Asch. It includes some of his favourites and some of his father's favourites. Some of these songs are from Moe's childhood and some are from Michael's early adulthood when he worked for Folkways. Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On is a 26-part series hosted by Michael Asch that features the original recordings of Folkways records.

In program three the focus is on the blues, but from a particular personal angle. Listeners from Chicago may well recognize the title "The Midnight Special," as being used on a radio show that has been broadcast on WFMT since 1953 and is now broadcast as well over the net. Michael thought to honor that program by recreating what he heard when moved to Chicago to attend university in the fall of 1961. Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds to Grow On is a 26-part series hosted by Michael Asch that features the original recordings of Folkways records.