ABSTRACT
Alan Lomax is a legendary figure in American folk music circles. Although he published many books, hundreds of recordings and dozens of films, his contributions to popular and academic journals have never been collected. This collection of writings, introduced by Lomax's daughter Anna, reintroduces these essential writings. Drawing on the Lomax Archives in New York, this book brings together articles from the 30s onwards. It is divided into four sections, each capturing a distinct period in the development of Lomax's life and career: the original years as a collector and promoter; the period from 1950-58 when Lomax was recording thorughout Europe; the folk music revival years; and finally his work in academia.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |8 pages
Part I 1934–1950: The Early Collecting Years
chapter |24 pages
“Sinful” Songs of the Southern Negro
chapter |15 pages
Haitian Journey
chapter |8 pages
Music in Your Own Back Yard
chapter |3 pages
Songs of the American Folk
chapter |8 pages
Preface: Our Singing Country
chapter |2 pages
14 Traditional Spanish Songs from Texas
chapter |9 pages
Reels and Work Songs
chapter |10 pages
Mister Ledford and the TVA
chapter |6 pages
America Sings the Saga of America
chapter |5 pages
Folk Music in the Roosevelt Era
part |10 pages
Part II The 1950s: World Music
chapter |6 pages
Tribal Voices in Many Tongues
chapter |7 pages
Making Folklore Available
chapter |6 pages
Galician Music
chapter |3 pages
Italian Folk Music
chapter |2 pages
The Folk Song of Italy
chapter |4 pages
Skiffle: Why Is It So Popular? and Where Is It Going?
chapter |33 pages
Folk Song Style
chapter |13 pages
Saga of a Folksong Hunter
part |8 pages
Part III The Folk Revival (1960s)
chapter |3 pages
The “Folkniks”—and the Songs They Sing
chapter |2 pages
Leadbelly’s Songs
chapter |3 pages
Bluegrass Background: Folk Music with Overdrive
chapter |7 pages
Getting to Know Folk Music
chapter |3 pages
Folk Song Traditions Are All Around Us
chapter |18 pages
The Good and the Beautiful in Folksong
part |15 pages
Part IV Cantometrics and Cultural Equity: The Academic Years
chapter |26 pages
Song Structure and Social Structure
chapter |14 pages
Appeal for Cultural Equity
chapter |18 pages
Cinema, Science, and Cultural Renewal
part |4 pages
Part V Final Writings