I’m joined by Harry Smith aficionado and folk singer Rodney Hargis (https://substack.com/@rlhargis) for a conversation about Harry Smith’s legendary 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music. It only sold 50 copies in the first years of its life but went on to be hugely influential on the folk revival, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, and just about every other musician involved in Roots or really any serious popular music since then.
Harry Smith
Nevertheless, it is still a little hidden, a little mysterious, a little underground. That actually fits it very well because, as Rodney and I discuss, there is a lot going on in this compilation of 84 songs from 1927-1932. Harry was mainly known as a film maker, but he was also a magician, occult enthusiast, alchemist, etc… and ALL of that went into the making of his anthology.
Sit back and listen and check out Rodney’s writing and Harry’s anthology.
