Each performer has his own unique story. Turner Junior was a blind street musician who accompanies himself on harmonica on the spiritual "When I Lay My Burden Down." He philosphically tells Alan Lomax that when you leave this earthly life "you'll see with a spiritual eye." A young Ora Dell Graham was attending the Drew Colored High School (which also schooled elementary students) where she recites a couple of playground rhymes. The liner notes tell us she would not live to see her twenty-first year. She was killed during a holdup.

This collection also covers a wide range of the American musical experience. "Rock Island Line" is performed by a group of convicts at the Arkansas Cummins State Farm. The traditional folk song "Soldier's Joy" is performed (in Lomax's words) by "two blind men and three day laborers." "Creek Lullaby" is sung a capella by a young Native American girl identified only as Margaret, whose haunting vocal is made all the more memorable by singing the song in Creek. Fiddler Jess Morris was a working cowboy in Texas when he recorded "Goodbye, Old Paint."

Each song on this collection has a fascinating story behind it, and the accompanying 40-page booklet tells them all in loving and meticulous detail. The importance of the exhaustive work of John and Alan Lomax can not be overstated. These historical recordings would be lost to time if not for their efforts. It is impossible to listen to these recordings without being moved. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An added bonus is the booklet that is included. It provides background on the Library of Congress's Folk Archive and the field recordings done by John, Alan, and Elizabeth Lomax in the late 30's to mid-40's. It also gives a short song and artist history for each track. The fact that one child singer died before her 21st birthday makes her song especially haunting.

Many of us live comfortably insulated, yuppified, sanitized lives. These recordings remind us where we came from. Most importantly, they demonstrate the power of music, that it feeds our souls and gives us strength. We all have that power to make music. Some of us have just forgotten how to do it, or have been told we should not try to sing or play. These songs help us remember on many levels, and show us that making music is a blessing we are all capable of enjoying.

TRUST ME