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One of the last live appearances by Louis Armstrong – presented here in a really charming little album, issued in a small pressing by The National Press Club! The album's a great document of all the Armstrong charms in one package – as Louis talks as much as he plays – telling... read more

One of the last live appearances by Louis Armstrong – presented here in a really charming little album, issued in a small pressing by The National Press Club! The album's a great document of all the Armstrong charms in one package – as Louis talks as much as he plays – telling... read more

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Some of the moodiest sounds you'll ever hear in a record to feature banjo as the main instrument – a classic set of recordings from the legendary Dock Boggs! The set was put together by Mike Seeger, who also plays a bit of guitar on the record – but most of the sounds are up-close,... read more

Beautiful guitar work from Elizabeth Cotten – much more sensitive and lyrical than you might expect – with a warmth that really goes beyond the usual Folkways record of this nature! Elizabeth sings on the set at points – in this raspy, time-worn style that's pretty compelling on... read more

A pretty cool collection produced by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee – focusing on famous speeches by important female African-Americans – mostly focusing on the civil rights era, but also featuring an early speech by Ida B Wells. Ruby reads the speeches, and works include "I Am A Black... read more

An extremely righteous bit of soul jazz – originally issued in a very small pressing by Folkway Records, at a time when the label was doing some great underground recordings! The sound is loose and free – spiritually building in a manner that recalls the work of Ahmed Abdul Malik, Phil... read more

Beautiful sounds from the Entourage ensemble – a record that's got a really meditative blend of acoustic elements with a few electric touches – used in ways that start in jazz, then move way beyond! Instrumentation includes guitar, flute, keyboards, violin, and mbira – coming... read more

Excellent stuff from one of the hippest poets of all time – the amazing Sarah Webster Fabio – a 70s poet with a really wonderful groove! Unlike some of her contemporaries in the Folkways poetry scene, Sarah often recorded with music – in a way that's very similar to Camille... read more

Amazing sounds from Roscoe Holcomb – a set recorded in the mid 70s, but one with a timeless quality that belies Holcomb's deep roots in eastern Kentucky! All tunes feature just a bit of guitar or banjo, and Holcomb's incredible vocals – inflected with a life's worth of rich experience... read more

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Dialogue excerpts from two early 70s films documenting the shift between the Civil Rights and Black Power eras in the US! Side one is taken from the film Huey – and features Black Panthers Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver and H Rap Brown – plus what sounds like interviews with police and... read more

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A rough-edged batch of spiritual jazz tracks from trumpeter Charles "Cha Cha" Shaw (not to be confused with Charles "Bo Bo" Shaw) – recorded in an open-ended loft jazz mode with a really open, echoey feel! The album's a rare 70s jazz date on the Folkways label, and it's... read more

Classic folk blues and acoustic Americana from Lucinda Williams – her first record for Folkways – recorded at Malaco Studios with just Lucinda's naturally wonderful vocals, 12 string strumming, and 6 string accompaniment by John Grimaudo! Ramblin' finds Lucinda doing passionate, but... read more

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