
Alan Lomax and the Search for the Origins of Music - whocansay
https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/288101/alan-lomax-origins-of-music
======
Nav_Panel
Fascinating how the quasi-biography of Alan Lomax doesn't even mention his
father: John Lomax, one of the original "folk song collectors" who traveled
throughout the US in the 20s and 30s, transcribing and recording music from
isolated rural communities.

In my view, John Lomax's project is more interesting: these old American folk
songs provide a geneology of American myth, which is something with cultural
import today. Ethnomusicology is fascinating from an abstract perspective (and
interesting how they were mostly Jews, makes me more sympathetic as I am
myself), but seems a little too distant, trying to solve a problem that might
be a little too big...

------
lake_vincent
Gonna take this opportunity to plug one of my favorite albums of recent years,
Jayme Stone's Lomax Project
[https://open.spotify.com/album/0nfUQ0fq6JXOv8EyUGRgUY?si=ggw...](https://open.spotify.com/album/0nfUQ0fq6JXOv8EyUGRgUY?si=ggwzIwDWRuuY-
RW-cJTyLQ)

It's a collection of professionally arranged renditions of songs from Alan
Lomax's archive. Brilliant project and album.

~~~
CharlesW
Apple Music link: [https://music.apple.com/us/album/jayme-stones-lomax-
project/...](https://music.apple.com/us/album/jayme-stones-lomax-
project/970566564)

------
ericskiff
Weird! I’d never heard of Alan Lomax until yesterday while reading Ani
DiFranco’s memoir, where she waxes poetical about his influence in bringing
great voices forward and incredible dedication to recording a wonderfully
diverse and inclusive set of musicians for decades.

