Harry Smith Tribute Draws Beck, Wilco, Lou Reed, To Name A Few

What you probably don't know about Harry Everett Smith is that he's dead. He died in 1991. You probably don't know this, because you probably have no idea who Harry Everett Smith was. At least I hope you didn't, because I seriously had no idea who he was.

But you do know what folk music is.

Well, Harry Smith is a well renowned musicologist, film maker, and artist. For music lovers, Harry's most well known contribution was the curation of a 6 LP set called "The Anthology of American Folk Music." You probably know it better as "The Smithsonian Folkways Records." Yep, it's still going, and on top of sparking a folk revival spear-headed by the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, it went Gold last year!

The question now is who will hit Platinum status first, Harry's tribute to Folk Music, or Folk Music's tribute to Harry?

The odds aren't in Harry's favor. While the first Anthology boasted Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Dick Justice, "The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited," due October 24 on Shout! Factory, has more than a few heavy hitters contributing.

A four disk set (2CD/2 DVD) includes contributions from Sonic Youth, Beck, Wilco, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, and Beth Orton. The recordings are live performances from concerts staged by Hal Willner well known American Music Producer and tribute expert.

One DVD is a documentary about Harry Smith, the man, the mystery. The second DVD is a filming of performances by contributing artists. Here's a tracklisting:

Disc One:

01 David Johansen - "Old Dog Blue"
02 Steve Earle - "Prison Cell Blues"
03 Wilco - "James Alley Blues"
04 Beth Orton - "Frankie"
05 Beck - "Last Fair Deal Gone Down"
06 Kate and Anna McGarrigle - "Sugar Baby"
07 Elvis Costello - "The Butcher's Boy"
08 David Thomas - "Way Down the Old Plank Road"
09 Richard Thompson and Eliza Carthy - "The Coo Coo Bird"
10 Ed Sanders - "My Baby Done Left Me"
11 Nick Cave - "John the Revelator"
12 Eric Mingus and Gary Lucas - "Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting?"
13 Roswell Rudd and Sonic Youth - "Dry Bones"
14 Garth and Maud Hudson - "No Depression in Heaven"
15 Geoff Muldaur - "K.C. Moan"
16 Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer - "When That Great Ship Went Down"

Disc Two:

01 Robin Holcomb - "A Lazy Farmer Boy"
02 Van Dyke Parks and Mondrian String Quartet - "Sail Away Lady"
03 Geoff Muldaur - "Poor Boy Blues"
04 Marianne Faithfull - "Spike Driver Blues"
05 Lou Reed - "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
06 Kate and Anna McGarrigle With Elvis Costello - "Ommie Wise Part 1 & 2 (What Lewis Did Last...)
07 Gavin Friday - "Fatal Flower Garden"
08 Bob Neuwirth and Eliza Carthy - "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground"
09 David Thomas - "Fishing Blues"
10 Mary Margaret O'Hara - "He Got Better Things for You"
11 Mocean Worker - "Harry Goes a Courtin"
12 Robin Holcomb and Todd Rundgren - "The House Carpenter"
13 Don Byron, Percy Heath and Bill Frisell - "This Song of Love"
14 Nick Cave - "Shine on Me"
15 David Johnansen - "James Alley Blues"
16 Petra Haden - "Single Girl Married Girl"

Disc Three (DVD):

01 Elvis Costello - "The Butcher's Boy"
02 David Johansen - "Old Dog Blue"
03 Nick Cave - "John the Revelator"
04 Beck - "Last Faire Deal Gone Down"
05 Ed Sanders - "One Hot Summer Night With Harry Smith"
06 Kate and Anna McGarrigle - "Sugar Baby"
07 Lou Reed - "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
08 Beth Orton - "Frankie"
09 Rosewell Rudd and Sonic Youth - "Dry Bones"
10 The Folksmen - "Old Joe's Place"
11 Robin Holcomb and Todd Rundgren - "The House Carpenter"
12 Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer - "When That Great Ship Went Down"
13 Philip Glass - "Etude No. 10"
14 David Johansen - "James Alley Blues"
15 Eric Mingus and Gary Lucas - "Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting?"
16 Petra Haden - "Single Girl, Married Girl"
17 Richard Thompson and Eliza Carthy - "The Coo Coo Bird"
18 Bob Neuwirth and Eliza Carthy - "I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground"
19 Geoff Muldaur - "Poor Boy Blues"
20 Don Byron, Percy Health and Bill Frisell - "This Song of Love"
21 Kate and Anna McGarrigle with Elvis Costello - "Ommie Wise Part 1 & 2 (What Lewis Did Last...)
22 Steve Earle - "Prison Cell Blues"
23 David Thomas - "Fishing Blues"


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