Folkways Records was founded in 1948. Led by Moses Asch (1905-1986), Folkways sought to document the entire world of sound. The 2,168 titles Asch released on Folkways include traditional and contemporary music from around the world, spoken word in many languages, and documentary recordings of individuals, communities, and current events. Folkways grew to be one of the largest and most influential record companies in the world. Folkways Records and the label’s business papers and files were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987. Every recording is kept in print.
And in the age of music streaming, leave it up to the fans to create massive playlists, including this one – 35 hours of the label. That’s 837 Tracks Featuring Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and more.
