Here are a collection of videos featuring Alan Lomax, one of the great American field collectors of folk music in the 20th century. He was a folklorist, ethnomusicologist, archivist, writer, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and film-maker. You can find his complete biography and more information about his work here. There are five films made from footage that Lomax shot between 1978 and 1985 for the PBS American Patchwork series, three of which are included here. To view the other two titles, and for more information on the series, visit the FolkStreams website.

Appalachian Journey

The Land Where the Blues Began

Jazz Parades:Feet Don’t Fail Me Now

Alan Lomax, with Phil Summerlin and Buell Cobb, discusses the emotional, historical, and musicological dimensions of Sacred Harp. Lomax sees shape-note singing as characteristically American, places it in a global multi-melodic choral context, and predicts its increasing popularity. Shot at the Holly Springs Sacred Harp Convention, Holly Springs, Georgia, June 6, 1982. For more information about the American Patchwork filmwork, Alan Lomax, and his collections, visit http://culturalequity.org.

For more information about the American Patchwork series, Alan Lomax, and his collections, visit http://culturalequity.org.