Scott Alarik’s WUMB Folk Tale on Alan Lomax:

The Archive of Folk Song of the Library of Congress in the United States is one of the most comprehensive in the world. Folklorist and ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, along with his father John, made that so. Without their lifetimes of work the music of cultures across our country (and others) might be lost. We may not have the songs and biographical information of Lead Belly, Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie, Flora MacNeil, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and many others.

In addition to the Library of Congress recordings, Alan Lomax created and maintained his own archive of folk songs and stories. Find access to the Lomax Digital Archive HERE.

Alan’s work, in particular during his 1959 “Southern Journey” field recording expedition, continues to influence and inspire artists today.

Here are two uses of Alabama folk singer, Vera Hall’s, rendition of “Trouble So Hard, recorded by Alan Lomax during that trip:

~Brendan