American Folk Songs

by Jo Stafford

Overview

Jo Stafford was one of the few Swing-era popular singers who was able to communicate the homespun beauty of the American folk idiom. Not surprisingly, since she always brought a Midwestern serenity, even a devotional quality, to just about everything she sang, even the most soaring big-band numbers. In this, she is reminiscent of the great Wagnerian soprano Kirstin Flagstad, who also brought a restrained, serene delivery to highly emotional material. AMERICAN FOLK SONGS, from 1950, benefits from the highly musical, Copland-like arrangments by Stafford's husband and long-time musical partner, Paul Weston. Judy Collins once said that she decided to become a folk singer herself after hearing "Barbara Allen" from this album for the first time. That would be a high recommendation, if nothing else.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/11/1993
Label:	Corinthian
UPC:	0783121111021
Rank:	83405

Tracks

1. Shenandoah
2. Black Is the Color
3. Old Joe Clark
4. Wayfaring Stranger
5. Barbara Allen
6. Single Girl
7. Red Rosey Bush
8. I Wonder as I Wander
9. Cripple Creek
10. The Nightingale
11. Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
12. Sourwood Mountain

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jo Stafford   Primary Artist,Vocals
Paul Weston   Guest Artist,Conductor
Joe Maphis   Banjo

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Paul Weston   Arranger,Composer
Alan Bergman   Arranger
Lee Gillette   Producer
Joe Maphis   Producer