Best Folkways Podcasts (2025)

1
Bonus: Moses Asch & Folkways Records 2:12:06

19m ago2:12:06

2:12:06

A few years back, we had the pleasure of partnering with Smithsonian Folkways for a special two part series on Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, who was born 99 years ago earlier this month. To honor his legacy, we combined these two pieces and re-releasing them today. We’ll traverse Moe’s early career, bankruptcy, and the tumultuous yet tantali…

1
(S4E4) 🍷 Christmas Ghost Stories with Thomas Sheridan 37:12

2d ago37:12

37:12

I sit down for the ultimate winter chat with Thomas Sheridan! We discuss everything from Alternative Folklore, Winter liminality, James Joyce, Irish Christmas traditions, The Snowman... to the symbolic murdering of the year! Not under any circumstances to be missed! 🚫 Featuring the end of John Huston's The Dead, 1987 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of…

1
97. Max Monterosso 1:02:05

1h ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Max Monterosso builds beautifully detailed steel string guitars, harp and electric guitars out of his one-person shop in the Veneto region of Italy. For episode 97 of the podcast, I caught up with Max at the Acoustic Guitar Village Show in Cremona, Italy this past October. https://www.instagram.com/maxmonte_guitars/ Max shares insights from buildin…

1
(S4E3) 🎄🌞 SOLSTICE: The Real Story of Yule (BBC R4, 1985) 25:47

11d ago25:47

25:47

Please enjoy the original stunning radio play 'Solstice' by Alison Mcleay, first broadcast Sat 21st Dec 1985, 10.30pm on BBC Radio 4.Original blurb: 'It is now the Winter Solstice, the night when the sun dies and is reborn: a night of magic, which has more to do with our traditional Christmas celebrations than people might like to admit. Just for t…

1
❄️⚡️ NORTHERN SPIRITS: December 2024 Almanac | Christmas, Yule 15:05

9d ago15:05

15:05

Welcome to the broadcast! Thinking about Britain's Germanic heritage, this Christmas we raise a glass to the ancient northern spirits: the mothers at Modraniht, and the Norse dísir and their Dísablót. 🌬 Plus December's stargazing and a trip to St Anthony's Well! Happy Jól / Yule! 🎄 | LINKS + SOURCES | P.H. 'Old English Customs: Extant at the Presen…

1
96. Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival and the New Blue Guitars 37:19

17d ago37:19

37:19

Episode 96 of Luthier on Luthier is a collection of interviews from the 2024 Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival, sponsored by Henriksen Amplifiers. At the show, Cris Mirabella, Tyler Wells, and Maegan Wells each presented their guitars to the new Blue Guitars Collection. I sit down with each of them to hear their thoughts on the instruments and…

1
WNC Roots Music History LIVE! 45:21

1M ago45:21

45:21

Back in July of 2024, I had the pleasure of bringing the first LIVE American Songcatcher podcast experience to the historic Graham County Courthouse in Robbinsville, NC. This time, I can't edit out all of my stumbles. The multimedia presentation traverses Western North Carolina music history starting with the native Cherokee, first settlers and imm…

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

2M 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

2M 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
ANNOUNCEMENT // ReString Appalachia 2:44

2M ago2:44

2:44

ReString Appalachia www.americansongcatcher.com/ReStringAppalachia ReString Appalachia is an initiative by American Songcatcher to get instruments that were lost due to Helene back in the hands of musicians throughout Appalachia. This effort is supported by over 125 roots musicians, including Bela Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, Old Crow Medicine Show, Th…

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

3M 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

3M 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
S3:E7 // Frankie & Johnny 34:42

3M ago34:42

34:42

For Platform Distribution: Today on the program, we’re proud to present the story behind the most widely recorded murder ballad in American history, the true St. Louis story of "Frankie and Johnny." Johnny’s real name was Albert, and though the phrase "He was doin’ her wrong” has been the constant refrain, the depiction of Frankie Baker has always …

1
🌝 SELKIE SUPERMOONS: September 2024 Almanac 11:52

3M 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

4M 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
Talkin' Blues // John McCutcheon 1:02:05

4M ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had with Grammy-nominated folk singer, storyteller, humanitarian, author and multi-virtuoso-instrumentalist John McCutcheon. During his five-decade career, John has released 44 albums spanning an eclectic catalog of ballads, historical songs, children's songs, love songs, topical satire, fiddle and hammer dulcime…

1
🌾 LABOURING MAN: August 2024 Almanac 8:45

5M 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 ☕️ ⁠⁠…

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

5M 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
S3:E6 // Sam Cooke 34:22

5M ago34:22

34:22

Today on the program, we present the story behind the Father of Soul, Sam Cooke. Growing up in the church, Sam knew he wanted to be a singer by the time he was five years old. There was a magnetic and infectious quality to this young Gospel singer, and he knew he was destined for bigger things than singing sacred music. The risk he took in becoming…

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

6M 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

6M 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

6M 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
Bonus // Southern Songs and Stories 27:30

5M ago27:30

27:30

Today on the program, through our host public radio station WNCW in Spindale, NC, we’re sharing one of our favorite cultural podcasts, called Southern Songs and Stories, a documentary series about the music of the American south and the artists who make it. The show is based in western North Carolina and the surrounding Appalachian and foothill reg…

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

6M 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

6M 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

6M 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

7M 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

7M 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
S3:E5 // Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys 45:34

7M ago45:34

45:34

Today on the program, we’re proud to present the story behind the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. One of the most influential and iconic bandleaders and musicians of the 1930’s-1950’s, Bob came from a humble life of a poor sharecropping family, and was deeply influenced by old time and breakdown fiddle through his Texas state champion family of f…

1
90. Jeff LaQuatra 56:01

7M 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

8M 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
Talkin' Blues // Charlie Hunter 1:00:26

8M ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had with GRAMMY-NOMINATED American guitarist, composer, producer and bandleader Charlie Hunter. He first came on to the scene in the early 1990s, and simultaneously plays bass lines, chords, and melodies, on custom seven and eight-string guitars, as featured in trios and quintet projects, as well as Garage-A-Troi…

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

9M 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

9M 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

9M 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
S3:E4 // Bascom Lamar Lunsford & A Living Tradition 53:25

9M ago53:25

53:25

Today, we proudly present something a little different on American Songcatcher. Instead of the usual documentary podcast-style piece, this is a compilation of field recordings I did in Buncombe and Madison Counties just outside of Asheville, NC. Considered the mecca of the long held traditions in ballad singing and old-time mountain music, this are…

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

10M 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

10M 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…

1
S3:E3 // Mississippi Fred McDowell 39:50

10M ago39:50

39:50

Today on the program, we present the story of the father of North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell. From humble beginnings, Fred was inspired from the likes of Charley Patton, his neighbor Eli “Booster” Green and the sounds he gathered from guitarists in Memphis, Mississippi and the Delta, and defined the often overlooked n…

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