{"product_id":"stuart-baker-folkways-records-a-visual-history-of-folkways-records-cover-art-book","title":"Stuart Baker - Folkways Records - A Visual History of Folkways Records Cover Art [Book]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I envisioned myself recording for Folkways Records. That was the label I wanted to be on. That was the label that put out all the great records.”-\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBob Dylan\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoul Jazz Records’ new \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Folkways Records: A Visual History of Folkways Records Cover Art’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a striking \u003cstrong\u003enew deluxe, heavyweight 12” x 12” hardback book\u003c\/strong\u003e featuring hundreds of unique and visually stunning record sleeve artworks from one of the most-iconic record companies in the world, Smithsonian Folkways.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Folkways Records and Service Corporation was founded in 1948 by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoses Asch\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a Polish émigré living in New York City. Eight years before, Asch had met \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlbert Einstein\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who first encouraged him to document the ‘sounds of the world.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBetween 1949 and 1987, Folkways released over 2,000 recordings of jazz, folk, avant-garde, world, sounds of nature, spoken word, electronic modernism, civil rights speeches and more. Folkways stands head and shoulders above all ‘world music’ record labels in its depth of representation of cultural diversity and its understanding of the nature of sound itself. Asch’s vision of presenting ‘other music’ in all its myriad forms alongside the homegrown indigenous music of the United States of America (jazz, blues, folk and more) showed an unparalleled vision of modern cultural representation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuch of the success in bringing together such diverse subjects into one cohesive unique and visual identity for Folkways Records is down to the 100s of stunning artwork designs of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRonald Clyne\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the primary designer at the record label. Through typeface, colour and design Clyne gave Folkways record covers both an incredibly stylish and unique look and an underlying seriousness of intent and vision, the perfect match to that of founder Moses Asch.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe book focusses on the numerous stunning and striking record designs that feature across Folkways’ vast and idiosyncratic musical landscape-from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Music of Equatorial New Guinea\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Voices of the Civil Rights Movement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Songs and Dances of The Flathead Indians\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Sounds of The Tropical Rain Forest in America\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Other diverse music you will find here include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOuter Space Music\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChinese Classical Music\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSea Shanties and Loggers Songs\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDrums of the Yoruba of Nigeria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStreet Games and Songs of The Children of New York City\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExperiments in Computer Music\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFolkways recorded some of the greatest names in American music across the fields of jazz, folk, poetry, blues and classical music, including \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWoody Guthrie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLead Belly\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNikki Giovanni\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePete Seeger\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLangston Hughes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuke Ellington\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMary Lou Williams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAllen Ginsberg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDizzy Gillespie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Cage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCharles Ives\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, all of whom are featured here.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMusic editors at the company included the esteemed music anthropologists \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarold Courlander\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSam Charters\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarry Smith\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (who compiled the seminal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Anthology of American Folk Music’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs a wholly independent record label with a focus purely on music outside of the mainstream, Asch found unique and innovative solutions to keeping his record company alive for almost 40 years, maintaining the vast catalogue of 2,000 recordings always in print.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoses Asch died in 1986. The following year, Smithsonian Folkways was created after Asch’s family donated the entire catalogue to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Smithsonian Folkways remains today a major force in the promotion and documentation of a global vision of music and sound.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Soul Jazz Records","offers":[{"title":"Hardback Book","offer_id":59717796299097,"sku":"SDZ-53816","price":42.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/Untitled-Design_8495ab29-7ed3-43bd-8344-7b306bb2bf6c.png?v=1791194489","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/stuart-baker-folkways-records-a-visual-history-of-folkways-records-cover-art-book","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}