The Bottom Line
Great overview of Moses Asch's Folkways Records label, and how it eventually became Smithsonian Folkways.
Pros
- Great chapter on children's music
- Info-filled page-turner
Cons
- No full discography
- No bibliographic notes or references
Description
- Order directly from www.folkways.si.edu and receive an exclusive 26-track sampler
- Includes hundreds of archival photos, album cover images, and reproductions of original correspondence
- Published by Smithsonian Books/HarperCollins, 2008
- 283 pages
Guide Review - Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways
Former Folkways Records producer Richard Carlin provides an in-depth look at the history of the Folkways Records label, from its humble but idealistic beginnings in 1940 to its current national treasure status as part of the Smithsonian Institute.One of the most interesting and enlightening chapters is the section on children's music. Carlin goes into great detail about the emphasis Moses Asch put on quality music for kids. He also describes the sincere and intense involvement of performers like Ella Jenkins, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Jean Ritchie, Langston Hughes, Charity Bailey, and Suni Paz in building a high-quality music catalog for children at Folkways.
Carlin's Worlds of Sound really makes you want to listen to every single Folkways release, from an album of North American frogs croaking to the 20-CD set of Indonesian music. An entertaining, informative, and riveting book.
