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Pete Seeger's life, music, and legacy encapsulate nearly a century of American history and culture. He has immersed himself in folk music and used it, like Johnny Appleseed, to "plant the seeds of a better tomorrow in the homes across our land." The songs in this collection of 139 American Favorite Ballads narrate tales of ordinary people and their extraordinary deeds, and show Pete at the crossroads of the past and the future putting his own stamp on America's folk song heritage while bequeathing it to generations to come. 5 CDs, each with its own booklet of extensive notes, nearly 6 hours of music! From the Artist Pete Seeger began singing, playing the banjo, and collecting folk music in the mid-1930s¯and has continued doing so into the 21st century. His life encompasses the social upheavals and transformations of much of the 20th century, while his peace anthems and songs of struggle and hope thread through our national soundtrack. They are as often sung by schoolchildren as by activists at peace and environmental rallies. Even in his late eighties, he inspires people across generations, cultures, and nations. Moses Asch founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document folk music and other sounds from around the world. Considering these to be educational as well as entertaining, yet aware of their limited commercial appeal, he directed his sales towards libraries and schools. Pete Seeger's five-volume series American Favorite Ballads (recorded 1957-1962), comprised of classic songs from the American experience that adults and children could sing together, formed a cornerstone for Asch's primary audience. Pete Seeger recorded 38 albums for Folkways between 1950 and 1964. The Smithsonian Institution acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987; Asch's emphasis on the educational nature of Folkways recordings comported perfectly with the Institution's mandate, the "increase and diffusion of knowledge." The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of Folkways and the 20th anniversary of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. We are pleased to honor Pete Seeger's life and legacy through this reissue, and continue our commitment to preserve and expand Asch's "encyclopedia of sound," thus keeping it available for current and future generations of listeners.
