Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual

• Track Listing

Not infrequently I am taken to task for the manner in which I approach my material, Folk singer and guitar player Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) wrote in the liner notes to Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual. A white New Yorker singing traditional Southern Black songs, he distinguished himself from others who adopted this repertoire by imitating the way he heard Black musicians perform. "Although I can appreciate the 'White approach' to Negro folksongs and enjoy the work of many of it's adherents, I still reserve the right to sing these songs in the style to which I am accustomed, partly because of habit, and partly, I confess, because I feel that my way is the 'right way'."This 1959 release was Van Ronk's first record. It contains the tracks "If You Leave Me Pretty Momma," "Backwater Blues," "K.C. Moan," "How Long," and "John Henry," which were not featured on the Van Ronk collection The Folkways Years, 1959-1961. Liner notes include photos, lyrics, song histories, and an introduction by Van Ronk.

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