For those who enjoyed the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" Soundtrack

There is something intrinsically refreshing about listening to traditional folk music. It is a music spawned by the human propensity to express experience through music, be that experience the boredom of travel, the joy of faith, or the anguish of slavery. It is hence a highly intimate and personal form of expression, intended for the individual and not the mass audience. Moreover, in the hands of the right musician, it is truly "living history."

Interest in the traditional folk music of the United States received a healthy boost following the release of the soundtrack from O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). The soundtrack, produced by T-Bone Burnett, featured a host of modern folk musicians and some select recording from the early twentieth century. It is indeed a highly enjoyable collection of music.

For those of you that have not heard this soundtrack, I recommend that you check it out. For those that enjoyed this album and would like to hear more music from this genre, here are some suggestions:

1. The Anthology of American Folk Music (Harry Smith)
   This series is a collection of American folk music recorded between 1920-1932. Released in 1952, many historians and biographers have considered this collection a major contributing factor to the 1960s folk revival. Though serious questions now existed regarding the actual extent of the impact, it remains perhaps the most famous of the collections.
   
2. The recordings of John and Alan Lomax
   In ethnomusicology the name Lomax is synonymous with the American South. John Lomax, his wife Ruby, and their son Alan toured the southern United States for years recording folk music. John Lomax made approximately ten thousand recordings in the 1930s, which are stored in the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress. His son Alan, made extensive recordings in the 1950-60s which are readily available on CD. The recordings of Alan Lomax are far more accessible than those of his father, his series Southern Journey is quite popular.
   
3. Live at the Gaslight 1962 BOOTLEG (Bob Dylan)
   The early Dylan albums are also great sources of American folk music. Though an official "Live at the Gaslight" album now exists, I highly recommend that you try to snag a bootleg version as many good tracks have been omitted from the official version. These recordings were made at the Gaslight Café in Greenwich Village before Dylan was really known outside of New York. They are a real treat for anyone who is a fan of pre-electric Dylan.

The above recordings--which represent a mere sliver of what is available--are easily available for purchase (or download!) online. They are good samples of historical performances of traditional folk music; however, I do not want to encourage people to become, as Alan Merriam put it, "preservationists who strive to rescue folk music from the carelessness of the folk!" In this respect, it is important to bear in mind that folk music is in essence a living genre of which there are many great composers and performers today.

I hope you enjoy the above suggestions. If you have you own suggestions, which I am sure many of you do, please share them in comments!