Smithsonian Folkways

“What I find so unique about Michael’s songwriting was his ability to absorb the full spectrum of American music—rock ’n’ roll, blues, folk, jazz, ballads, you name it—churn it up together, and create new work that drew on all those references. It still felt utterly singular, strangely timeless, delightfully strange and never precious.”

As we reflect on the life and legacy of the late Michael Hurley (1941–2025), we’re sharing a heartfelt remembrance written by folklorist, author, and SPINSTER record label co-founder Emily Hilliard, who first started corresponding with Michael seventeen years ago while interning at Smithsonian Folkways.

The World of Michael Hurley is a companion playlist that offers a window into his lifetime of listening, traveling, and music-making, featuring songs he wrote and performed live, music by his friends and collaborators, among other favorites, beginning with “The Werewolf Song” from Hurley’s debut album for Folkways Records back in 1964.

Read more from Hilliard and take a journey through our tribute playlist and accompanying track notes on the Folkways website:

folkways.si.edu/news-and-press/remembering-michael…

folkways.si.edu/the-world-of-michael-hurley

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📸 1. Photo by Emily Hilliard 2. Playlist graphic by Darryl Norsen / Photo by Nathan Salsburg

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4 days ago | [YT] | 22

Smithsonian Folkways

We’re thrilled to have the prolific singer, songwriter, and poet Tucker Zimmerman take an autobiographical journey through the Smithsonian Folkways collection for the latest iteration of our People’s Picks playlist series.

Tucker’s selections and in-depth accompanying track notes reveal moments, creative works, and figures that have shaped him, from absorbing Jesse Fuller’s performances on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street to being inspired by Kenneth Patchen to write his first book. Notably, in his track note for Woody Guthrie’s “Talking Fishing Blues,” Tucker included the lyrics of a never-recorded, seldom-performed talking blues original titled “Talking North Beach.”

“Lead Belly was the most influential musician in my life,” he writes. “I first heard him at age ten on a ten-inch Folkways album—dark blue pebble cover with only a tag slapped on that said ‘Take this Hammer.’ I took his hammer. I was transported out of this world by his voice and the sound of his guitar mesmerized me. I learned later that his guitar was a twelve-string and I promised myself that if I ever grew up to play guitar, it would be a twelve. At the age of twenty-five I kept that promise—and keep it to this day.”

Read more from Tucker and listen on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or Pandora here → folkways.si.edu/playlist/peoples-picks-tucker-zimm…

🍃 Photo by Dirk Leunis / Graphic by Darryl Norsen

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 23

Smithsonian Folkways

Happy Album Release Day to The Seldom Scene!

Since forming in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1971, the group has remained quintessential bearers of the bluegrass tradition, releasing nearly two dozen albums that cast a wide net for inspiration and repertoire. ‘Remains to Be Scene’ is no exception, delivering stirring takes on bluegrass standards and signature interpretations on cuts from the likes of The Kinks, Jim Croce, and Woody Guthrie.

This milestone album is the first to be released since the passing of founding member and trailblazing banjo player Ben Eldridge, who contributes heartfelt liner notes to the release. It also marks the final recording with Dudley Connell, who wrapped up a Seldom Scene tenure of nearly three decades on guitar and vocals with his retirement at the end of 2024.

“Throughout its history, The Seldom Scene always kept a rollicking, playful free spirit where anything can happen,” Connell reflects. “That’s one of the joys of this band for us players in it, as well as for the audience. And good material counts, too, of course. I think Seldom Scene material will outlive all of us. I think it’s a band that has made an important contribution to the development of bluegrass by saying, ‘Yeah, it’s okay to record a James Taylor song and have the bluegrass audience accept it, so long as it’s a good song and well-done.’”

‘Remains to Be Scene’ is available to stream or purchase on CD, LP, and digital formats. Listen now and pick up your copy → orcd.co/the-seldom-scene-remains-to-be-scene

Photo by Jeromie Stephens / Album cover by The Grass Spot

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1 month ago | [YT] | 39

Smithsonian Folkways

“These picks reflect a variety of sonic continuums,” shares Shovel Dance Collective, curators of our latest People’s Picks playlist. The London-based nine-piece folk group, united by a passion for the folk music of the British Isles, Ireland, and beyond, delved into the Smithsonian Folkways collection to bring us a mix that bridges musical traditions from around the world, highlighting virtuosity and the power of the human voice.

“Parallels are drawn between the banjo-like instrumental traditions of Appalachia and Senegal,” the group explains. “The Levantine Oud and Flamenco Guitar are paired, with their Romani melismas and historical modal connection to the Islamic world. There is extreme virtuosity in both the so-called ‘high’ classic music of Ali Akbar Khan and in the takamba folk music of the Malian Tuaregs. This virtuosity also manifests in Henry Cowell’s piano music—a small taste of the Western avant-garde grappling with modernity.

There are of course many human voices singing together—a sound so powerful it is often what we cite as the benchmark for music’s affective potential. Vedic recitation, Japanese Imperial court music and the euphoric hymns of the Old Regular Baptists are punctuated by the vocal musics of Britain and Ireland, which draw together our joint practice as musicians. Even Allen Ginsberg gets his place—another small taste of the utopian avant-garde milieu in which Moses Asch and Harry Smith moved.”

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, or Pandora → folkways.si.edu/playlist/peoples-picks-shovel-danc…

Graphic by Darryl Norsen

1 month ago | [YT] | 17

Smithsonian Folkways

“Man at the Crossroads,” the third offering from The Seldom Scene’s upcoming album ‘Remains to Be Scene,’ is out today.

“I have known of this song for a long time,” dobro player Fred Travers says of this wistful reflection on people, places, and times past. “It was written by my friend and neighbor, singer-songwriter David Norris, and I have always wanted to record it.”

Unearthing old, new, and unexpected material to cover has always been a standard operating procedure for the venerable progressive bluegrass quintet, going back to their debut recording in 1972. ‘Remains to Be Scene,’ coming March 14th, is as robust and compelling an album as they’ve ever made, showcasing tunes from across the stylistic spectrum molded into a singular sound that’s pure Seldom Scene.

Listen to the latest single: https://youtu.be/0hviF2e2auI

Tickets are available for the Scene’s album release show at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 13th: www.birchmere.com/events/the-birchmere-smithsonian…

📸 by Jeromie Stephens

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1 month ago | [YT] | 16

Smithsonian Folkways

‘Songs for Spring,’ the third of four seasonal volumes of music from Little Folkies, is out digitally today on Smithsonian Folkways.

Developed in San Francisco by musician, educator, and composer Irena Eide (also known as the artist Rainy Eyes), Little Folkies is a multi-award-winning early childhood folk music program for parents, teachers, and kids ages 0-5.

‘Songs for Spring’ salutes the season of new beginnings with spirited folk songs about communing with the living world around us. Whether enjoyed at home, in the classroom, or on the go, these tunes encourage sharing, exploration, and the joy of music-making at the heart of the Little Folkies curriculum.

Performers on this album include Irena Eide, Miranda Mallard, Emily Mann, Phoebe Hunt, Jan Purat, Blaine Sprouse, Jimmy Touzel, Sharon Gilchrist Music, Isaac Cantor, Paul Knight, Phoenix McKenna, Nova McKenna, Shiloh Smith, and Josh Smith.

Each season of Little Folkies’ original four-volume collection will be released digitally and culminate in a complete 4-CD set and songbook.

🐛 Stream or download the spring collection now: orcd.co/little-folkies-spring

Learn more: www.littlefolkies.com/

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Produced by Irena Eide. Recorded by Irena Eide, Robert Cheek, Jeremy D’Antonio, and Mark Allen-Piccolo. Mixed by Irena Eide. Mastered by Dirk Powell.

Illustrations by Amelia Heron. Design by Pharis Romero.

1 month ago | [YT] | 20

Smithsonian Folkways

Out today, the first-ever reissue of Sons of Membertou’s debut album, ‘Wapna’kik: The People of the Dawn,’ marks the return of a landmark album that revitalized Mi’kmaw music and culture upon its initial release in 1995.

Drums are at the heart of ‘Wapna’kik,’ which features original and traditional songs sung almost entirely in Mi’kmaw, with fiddles, banjos, and electronic sounds woven throughout. This remastered and resequenced edition comes with two new tracks: the “Mi’kmaq Honour Song,” often regarded as the national anthem of the Mi’kmaw Nation, and “500 Years,” a beautiful poem by Rita Joe, the renowned poet laureate of the Mi'kmaw people, set to music.

New liner notes by community leader and drum keeper Darrell Bernard Sr. trace the music’s origins throughout Unama’kik (Cape Breton Island) and its growing impact since its first release thirty years ago. “It is our responsibility to share our music with the young people of our Nation so that we preserve as much of our culture and language as we can,” Bernard writes. “Now, you have this opportunity to enjoy some of the music of the Mi’kmaq as presented by the Sons of Membertou. Msit No’kmaq!”

‘Wapna’kik’ was produced in collaboration with members of the broader Membertou community and is the first release in our Sound Communities recording series with the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University, supported by the Cultures of Sound Network.

Stream or purchase the album on CD and digital formats → orcd.co/sons-of-membertou

📸 by Barry Bernard

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1 month ago | [YT] | 27

Smithsonian Folkways

New People’s Picks playlist, this edition curated by producer and songwriter Bartees Strange.

Born in Ipswich, England, to a military father and opera-singer mother, Bartees had a peripatetic childhood before eventually settling in Mustang, Oklahoma. Later, he cut his teeth playing in hardcore bands in Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, New York. Charting his own path as a solo artist, he released his debut album, ‘Live Forever,’ in 2020—featuring a mix of hip-hop, folk, and indie rock—followed by ‘Farm To Table,’ in 2022, which received best-of nods from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and more. His third album, ‘Horror,’ is out on February 14 via 4AD.

“I chose these songs because they remind me that there are no rules to making music,” Bartees shares. “Each one is new to me, discovered sliding through the Smithsonian Folkways archives. I’d never heard them before this, and I love them all for their spirit, their composition and their bravery. To me, it feels like so much heart is in each tune. From Barton Smith—exploring the boundaries of multi-tracking on a reel-to-reel—to how out of tune Lightnin’ Hopkins’ guitar is, to the feeling of sorrow I feel from Bertram Turetzky’s ‘Baku.’ The fun thing about playlists is you can put artists in a room who may never have known each other, from time and space that are far apart. I really like thinking about the playlist as a room these people passed through. I hope you feel curious enough to listen.”

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, or Pandora: folkways.si.edu/playlist/peoples-picks-bartees-str…

📸 Photo by Elizabeth De La Piedra / Graphic by Darryl Norsen

1 month ago | [YT] | 14

Smithsonian Folkways

“Farewell, Angelina,” the second single from the Seldom Scene’s upcoming album ‘Remains to Be Scene,’ is out today. Penned by Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s and recorded most famously by Joan Baez, “Farewell, Angelina” unfolds a surreal, poetic dreamscape. The Seldom Scene base their version on John Mellencamp’s arrangement, weaving an intimate dialogue between words and strings.

Listen now and pre-order the album, available March 14th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a66I...

1 month ago | [YT] | 23

Smithsonian Folkways

On February 21, we will reissue ‘Wapna'kik: The People of the Dawn,’ a milestone album by the traditional Mi'kmaw drum group Sons of Membertou that revitalized the Indigenous community’s music, culture, and language upon its initial release in 1995. The album has been out of print for years and will be released on CD for its 30th anniversary with previously unreleased tracks and made available digitally for the first time.

The Sons of Membertou combine contemporary instrumentation and songwriting with traditional drumming techniques and lyrics sung almost entirely in Mi'kmaw, showcasing the vibrant presence of the community’s artistry and heritage. The group began in 1992, when Elders in the Membertou community gifted a drum to Darrell and Sharon Bernard, asking them to return it to their community and revitalize the ceremonies, music, and language that had been outlawed by settlers for many years. With the help of many Elders, the Sons of Membertou recorded traditional and new songs.

This culminated in their debut album, ‘Wapna'kik,’ meaning “People of the Dawn.” The album’s title refers to the fact that the Mi'kmaq have been the first people on Turtle Island to see the sunrise for thousands of years. New liner notes by community leader and drum keeper Darrell Bernard Sr. trace the music’s origins throughout Unama'kik (Cape Breton Island) and its growing impact since its first release thirty years ago.

Today, you can hear the previously unreleased “Kepmite'tmnej (Mi'kmaq Honour Song),” available digitally now. “The ‘Mi'kmaq Honour Song’ has become the national anthem of the Mi'kmaw Nation,” Darrell says. “This beautiful song, written by George Paul, is about a deep respect for the Nation of Mi'kma'kik. It is about bringing our people together, and about respecting and remembering the reasons that the Creator has placed us on this land.”

‘Wapna'kik’ was produced in collaboration with members of the broader Membertou community. It marks the first release in our Sound Communities recording series with the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University, supported by the Cultures of Sound Network. Through the documenting and sharing of music and spoken word, the series highlights artists who tell stories of the lands, waters, and peoples of Turtle Island, focusing on the territories also known as Canada.

Pre-order the album and listen on your platform of choice here: orcd.co/sons-of-membertou

The Sons of Membertou will celebrate the album’s release with a free concert at the Canadian Museum of History on February 13. Learn more: historymuseum.ca/events/sons-of-membertou-concert

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Cover painting by Gerald Richard Gloade / Design by Cooley Design Lab / Photo by Barry Bernard

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3 months ago | [YT] | 25