Best Folkways Podcasts (2024)

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95. Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) 1:04:39

1d ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Mark Stutman is renowned for vintage guitar repairs and is also the owner of Canada's Folkway Music in Waterloo, Ontario. For episode 95 of the podcast, Mark goes into the history of his repair career and how it all started with the search for a good left-handed guitar. Mark also shares with us some of the unique challenges of working on vintage Gi…

1
🔮 LIMINAL LOVE DIVINATIONS: October 2024 Almanac 21:39

7d ago21:39

21:39

Due to the lateness of this episode (extreme tech issues), please enjoy a juicy extra-long section on Halloween 🎃 So... what does romance have to do with All Hallows / Samhain / Calan Gaeaf? ♥️ Find out in this month's broadcast! 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/…

1
(S4E2) 🦉 INTO THE TREES: The Strange Case of Mawnan, Cornwall (Part 2) 1:02:44

1M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

🦉 Today the podcast takes a very different approach to last episode, as we head through the trees on a bit of a Cornish epic. We meet different characters amongst the graves, including Tony Doc Shiels, Leonora Carrington... and Ithell Colquhoun! But will they be able to help us...? 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB …

1
94: Michael Millard (Froggy Bottom Guitars) 45:23

1M ago45:23

45:23

Episode 94 of the podcast is a live interview at the 2024 Fretboard Summit with the incredible Michael Millard of Froggy Bottom Guitars. Michael has over 50 years of guitar-building experience. In 1970, he spent four years working with Gurian Guitars before launching Froggy Bottom. He shares with us lessons learned from customer interactions, guita…

1
🌝 SELKIE SUPERMOONS: September 2024 Almanac 11:52

2M ago11:52

11:52

📻 Welcome to the broadcast! This month we talk the Autumnal Equinox, Scottish Selkies and Harvest Supermoons 🌾🌕 📍 PLACE OF THE MONTH: ⁠St Trothans or Olrig Kirk⁠, Castletown, Caithness https://bit.ly/3MzlaCZ Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 F…

1
93: Seth Baccus 55:45

2M ago55:45

55:45

Seth Baccus creates a range of beautiful electric guitars in the UK. Seth learned the guitar business and guitar making from renowned luthiers Andy and Hugh Manson, who also happen to be his stepdad and uncle, respectively. For episode 93 of the podcast, Seth tells us about his retail experience and being a road tech for John Paul Jones and the Led…

1
🌾 LABOURING MAN: August 2024 Almanac 8:45

3M ago8:45

8:45

It's the month of Lughnasadh or Lammas, so let's head out into the fields! 🌾 Also talk of August's supermoon and some exquisite verse from Hugo Williams 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠…

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92. Mark Blanchard (Blanchard Guitars) 1:05:37

3M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

Guitarmaker Mark Blanchard has a background in machining, a skill he learned at a young age from his dad. These days, he uses his metal-working skills to not only make his own excellent truss rods but also a CNC lathe and many of his own tools, including chisels and planes. Mark does all this out of his one-person shop, located in the mountains of …

1
Misty Blues: A Live Tribute to Odetta 54:10

4M ago54:10

54:10

Misty Blues and lead singer Gina Coleman celebrate 25 years of composing and performing original blues. They will be celebrating this feat on a Blues Cruise this coming Friday. With that, after an encounter with Legendary singer and activist Odetta, Coleman and crew have been working towards a project that has now manifested as – I’m Too Old For Ga…

1
The Blues Society - Memphis Country Blues Festival 1:31:04

4M ago1:31:04

1:31:04

THE BLUES SOCIETY is a re-evaluation of the 1960s seen through the lens of the Memphis Country Blues Festival (1966-1969). It’s the story of Blues masters like Furry Lewisand Robert Wilkins, who had attained fame in the 1920s but were living in obscurity by the 1960s. It’s also the story of a group of white artists from the North and the South who …

1
Cultural Conservation - Cultural Conservation - The Attack on Blues Legacy and Land 1:14:20

4M ago1:14:20

1:14:20

In February of 2024, the Mississippi John Hurt Museum burned. The fire, believed to have been set intentionally, happened immediately after the Legendary Mississippi Blues Pioneer's cabin received landmark status. That was not the first or last attack on the Hurt Family museum, land, or legacy. A week later, the sheriff's office began investigating…

1
🐕 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER: July 2024 Almanac 10:28

4M ago10:28

10:28

Get out your sunscreen and Mr Whippy's as we consider what July has in store for us in the heavens and hedgerows, including talk of St Swithin's Day and Sirius, plus Thomas Hardy and some early Irish verse. 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways…

1
91. Noemi Schembri (Noemi Guitars) 49:19

4M ago49:19

49:19

Noemi Schembri builds outstanding guitars out of her one-person workshop in Northern Italy. Noemi had an interest in woodworking at a young age and went to high school and college to prepare for a career in the wood industry. For episode 91 of the podcast, Noemi tells us how she ended up forging her own path in woodworking and how this led to her s…

1
Juneteenth and African American Folklore 1:08:36

4M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

As we celebrate JUNETEENTH, we must understand how Folklore and the Blues Narrative relate to this celebration. In this episode, I will discuss the celebration, what the celebration is actually about, and its connection to and significance of African American Folklore and traditional Black Music. Juneteenth should always be mentioned with “African …

1
(S4E1) 🌲 INTO THE TREES: The Strange Case of Mawnan, Cornwall (Part 1) 38:51

5M ago38:51

38:51

🎈 Welcome to Season 4! Today we're plunging into one of the strangest stories in contemporary British folklore... Monsters in the woods at Mawnan, Cornwall. 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coff…

1
Smithsonian Folkways releases The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert 1:13:30

5M ago1:13:30

1:13:30

Black Spirituals, Field Hollers, and Slave Seculars celebrate Black American Traditional Music and Experience. This show is dedicated to sharing and raising awareness of folklife, songs, dance, scripture, lyrics, and everything related to black Spirituals, Field Hollers, and Slave secular expressions, as well as the coded songs of Black Spirituals …

1
90. Jeff LaQuatra 56:01

5M ago56:01

56:01

Jeff LaQuatra is a professor of guitar and has directed the guitar program at Colorado State University since 2016. For episode 90 of the podcast, Jeff shares his musical journey from student, to winning and judging competitions, to teaching. Jeff also talks about how he prepares his students to make a living as a professional player and what advic…

1
89. Josh Rieck (J. Rieck Lutherie) 57:57

6M ago57:57

57:57

Josh Rieck has many arrows in his luthier quiver. He builds and repairs instruments, and also owns a full-service music store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Josh started out studying double bass in college and then completed the Guitar Repair & Building program at Red Wing College in Minnesota. He does it all: Violin family instruments, acoustics, a…

1
(BONUS) 🎬 BEHIND THE SCENES (⚡️S4 Coming Soon!) 15:53

7M ago15:53

15:53

⚡️ Season 4 returns shortly! In the meantime, here's a rare self-indulgent ramble about life at Folkways HQ... 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact…

1
88. Casimi Guitars 1:09:51

8M ago1:09:51

1:09:51

Lifelong friends Mathias Roux and Matthew Rice make visually stunning and beautifully executed Casimi Guitars out of their shop in South Africa. For episode 88 of the podcast, Mathias and Matthew discuss how they developed their visual style and the voice of their guitars. They also share their thoughts on the division of labor in the shop, their t…

1
The Lady and the Empress! Lady D's One Woman Bessie Tribute Show 50:21

7M ago50:21

50:21

On this episode of Jack Dappa Blues, enjoy the collaborationof Jack Dappa Blues Radio and Southern Ohio Folklife for a conversation w/ LadyD (West Virginia’s First Lady of Soul) to talk about her recent performance ofThe Lady and the Empress, a one-woman show about the life and music of BessieSmith, the Empress of the Blues. Learn about Bessie Smit…

1
🌼 MARS & MILFORD HAVEN: March 2024 Almanac 13:50

8M ago13:50

13:50

Let's take a look at the reflection of Mars in the Celtic languages, plus St David, St Piran and St Patrick, and the strange fairy lore of Milford Haven... 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me …

1
87. Joe Zon (Zon Guitars) 59:03

8M ago59:03

59:03

Joe Zon of Zon Guitars has been pushing the limits of bass building with phenomenal results since the early 1980s. For episode 87 of the podcast, Joe explains his theory and the construction of all-composite necks and how they are used to enhance the sounds of the wood. Joe also discusses his collaboration with Bartolini pickups, active versus pass…

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Why Is It Always About Race? - “Country, Country Blues, and Blackness” 55:27

9M ago55:27

55:27

For some reason, when it comes to Country Music, most people do not associate it with black folk or folk musical expression. The thing is, country music, in its many forms, comes directly from black expression. i.e., the blues, country blues, and more. To give the context to the roots of commodified music presented and thought of as white music… We…

1
🕯 BRIGID & BOSCASTLE: February 2024 Almanac 12:49

9M ago12:49

12:49

Welcome to the new format! The almanac will now be uploaded as an individual video here (streaming platforms), with the main show uploaded separately. As is done on Youtube. This is in acknowledgement of time sensitivity for episodes - as many people listen in the archive, often years later, and the almanac at the end of an episode may not be relev…

1
86: Aluminati Guitar Company 52:15

9M ago52:15

52:15

Aluminati Guitars offers innovative, environmentally friendly, and beautifully designed guitars built in Asheville, North Carolina. For episode 86 of the podcast, I sit down with the company's founder, James Little. James tells us about the aluminum, carbon fiber and Lucite components used to make their complete instruments, OEM necks, and off-the-…

1
(S3E8) 🎶 PORTALS: The Fairy Music of Loch Sween 44:37

10M ago44:37

44:37

Let's head to Loch Sween, Argyll, Scotland, as we linger by a patch of rocks, rumoured to be an entrance to the Otherworld... 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌…

1
85. Al Beardsell 58:05

10M ago58:05

58:05

Al Beardsell makes beautifully designed and crafted guitars in Winnipeg, Canada. Al started building as a musician because he could not find, or in some cases, afford the kind of guitars he wanted to play. For episode 85 of the podcast, Al shares with us his thoughts on engineered sides, electric acoustic hybrids, making pickups, and much more. Fin…

1
(BONUS) 💌 Postal Address + FOF Winter Competition Winners 2023 6:47

11M ago6:47

6:47

Write to me! Plus the Friends of Folkways Winter Solstice Competition Winners. 💌 Merry Christmas! 🎄 Some more festive offerings... 🎄 ❄️ THE ANCESTORS (are watching) https://bit.ly/3RTt1xx ❄️ A SLEIGH RIDE THROUGH CHRISTMAS https://bit.ly/3GUn7H6 ❄️ SOLSTICE: The Real Story of Yule https://bit.ly/47cjfft ❄️ GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS https://bit.ly…

1
Candice Ivory - Queen of Avant Soul Sangs The Blues 1:24:27

11M ago1:24:27

1:24:27

Today, I speak with Candice Ivory about her new project, When The Levee Breaks. As said on her websiteAfter releasing three acclaimed albums of jazz-driven original songs, vocalist Candice Ivory reveals a whole new sound on When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie. Raised in Memphis and based in St. Louis, Ivory hails from an illustrious …

1
Black Scholarship and Black Culture 1:23:38

11M ago1:23:38

1:23:38

Many Black Academic Scholars are also active practitioners in our respective cultures and traditions. That doesn't negate their ability to teach, mentor, or share skills and tricks of the trade with the folk. It actually makes them even more qualified. Some feel Black Scholars who are educated or formally trained cannot teach or pass on the folk tr…

1
(S3E7) 🔗 THE ANCESTORS (Are Watching) 36:22

11M ago36:22

36:22

This Yule, come in from the cold, warm your feet by the fire, grab a mulled wine if you like, as it’s time to consider The Ancestors. 🔥 Plus we talk Anglo Saxon Christmas, the Winter Solstice, JRR Tolkien, and more in December's Almanac. 📅 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky: https://sp…

1
84. Cristian Mirabella 1:15:25

11M ago1:15:25

1:15:25

Cris Mirabella (Mirabella Guitars) makes stunning archtop and electric guitars from his workshop on Long Island. For episode 84 of the podcast, Cris gives us a mini masterclass on New York archtop guitar history. We hear about the origins of Jimmy D’Angelico, Jimmy D’Aquisto, and Vincent DiSerio and how they are all intertwined. Then, Cris shares w…

1
83. James Condino 1:10:17

1y ago1:10:17

1:10:17

James Condino builds and repairs guitars, mandolins and standup basses in Asheville, NC. And he plays all of them! For episode 83, James shares with us some commonalities and differences of all the instruments he works on, his business philosophy and the importance of playing music to his craft. Links: https://condino.com/ https://kaybassrepair.com…

1
You Have A Home 49:20

1y ago49:20

49:20

On this episode, I'm encouraging all folks invested in the story of Black American tradition, folklore, folklife, material art, street art, religious belief, spiritual belief, Advocacy, Organization work, Public Programming, and everything that has to do with the "so-called" African American Narrative to submit work to the African American Folklori…

1
(S3E6) 🌀 BACK, AGAIN: The Kersey Slip (Halloween special) 49:33

1y ago49:33

49:33

What happened in Kersey, Suffolk, October of 1957? Find out in this atmospheric episode for Samhain. 🍂 Plus, the latest almanac! 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@big.big.sky: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 Folkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssV…

1
82. Richard Hoover (Santa Cruz Guitar Co.) 44:45

1y ago44:45

44:45

Richard Hoover is the founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, which has been a leader in the world of boutique acoustic guitars since 1976. For episode 82 of the podcast, recorded live at the 2023 Fretboard Summit, Richard shares his guiding principles, thoughts on running a company, selecting materials, and much more. Links: https://santacruzgui…

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