Listen to arrangements of American folk music and their spin-offs for this New Sounds. Hear three arrangements of the murder ballad, “Pretty Polly,” including one from the husband-and-wife team of virtuoso banjo players Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn. There’s also music by Princeton University-based composer Paul Lansky, a computerized recreation of “Pretty Polly” from his record called “Folk Images,” which also takes on the beloved American Folksongs, “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Tender Ladies.”
Listen to contemporary compositions based on American folk music as well. There’s a work by Julia Wolfe, one of the co-founders of Bang on a Can, and her piece based on the legend of John Henry, “Steel Hammer.” Plus, Carla Kihlstedt’s take on the traditional tune, “50 miles,” as done up by her trio, 2 Foot Yard. That, and more.
PROGRAM #3635, a new look at old American songs (First aired on 9/10/2014)
Darol Anger, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Edgar Meyer
Pretty Polly, excerpt [1:00]
Heritage: New Interpretations of American Roots Music
Six Degrees #314 524 434
sixdegreesrecords.com
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn- Pretty Polly [3:45]
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Rounder Records
rounder.com
Last Forever (Dick Connette, Sonya Cohen) - In the Pines [2:35]
Last Forever
Nonesuch #79447
Out of print.
Streaming at dickconnette.com
The rest of Last Forever's records are at storysoundrecords.com
Carla Kihlstedt - 50 Miles [6:10]
2 Foot Yard
Tzadik #7706
tzadik.com
Paul Lansky- Pretty Polly [3:15]
Folk Images
Bridge #9060
bridgerecords.com
Paul Lansky - Wayfaring Stranger [4:54]
Folk Images
Bridge #9060
bridgerecords.com
Bang on a Can All-Stars, Trio Medieval
Julia Wolfe: Steel Hammer-Mountain [8:50]
Julia Wolfe: Steel Hammer
Cantaloupe 21099
cantaloupemusic.com
Erik Friedlander’s Bonebridge - Nostalgia Blindside [4:57]
Nighthawks
erikfriedlander.com
Darol Anger, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Edgar Meyer
Pretty Polly [8:43]
Heritage: New Interpretations of American Roots Music
Six Degrees #314 524 434
sixdegreesrecords.com
Tim Sparks - I’ll Fly Away, excerpt [2:40]
Chasin' the Boogie
Tonewood
cdbaby.com