Perhaps instigated by my continued fascination with the Holy Modal Rounders, I finally tackled the influential Anthology of American Folk Music this year. A six LP compilation of recorded music from 1926 to 1933, it was just not the length that gave me reasons to keep putting it off. Because it evaded streaming platforms, I knew I would have to fork over a hefty $60 for a physical copy to even listen to the thing. In spite of these obstacles, however, I was always sure that the album would leave an important mark on me and was beyond delighted to finally get to it.
Although it and American Epic: The Collection introduced even me (the amateur blues and early country music scholar) to an overwhelming number of unfamiliar and incredibly talented musicians, I am ultimately of the opinion that they are the best places to get your toes wet in all that early American music has to offer. I'm still further exploring artists which the compilations introduced me to. Henry Thomas! Henry Thomas! Henry Thomas! I had been listening to blues music for over three years and had hardly come across his name until the Anthology. How is he not one of the biggest names in American music history?!
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Some of my music intake this half year was also influenced by a college elective I took on "Popular Music in Black America." Covering African American music traditions from the 19th century to present day, we discussed many artists I knew and loved but also examined some material I wasn't familiar with. In my free time, I dove further into class subjects such as the Fisk Jubilee Singers, ragtime musicians like Scott Joplin, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I hope to listen to more artists which we discussed in the second half of this year, notably Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, and Louis Jordan.
While I dedicated most of last year to the covering the far reaches of the 1960s, I am mostly dedicating this year (and the foreseeable future) to pre-1960s music. Ever since I started listening to Charley Patton in early 2021, I've always thoroughly enjoyed rediscovering the roots of American music but it hasn't been until now that I felt comfortable putting my "beloved" (that's probably what you think) 1960s and 1970s on the backburner. While I will still being going slowly through a number of British 60s artists (as well as a few American folk revivalists) in the second half of this year, as soon as I see a reasonable out, I'll jump at the chance to dedicate even more time to early recorded music.
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