Skip to Content

Folkways Records

Moses Asch and His Encyclopedia of Sound

By Tony Olmsted

Published June 24th 2003 by Routledge – 264 pages

    Purchasing Options:

    Description

    In 1949, immigrant recording engineer Moses Asch embarked on a lifelong project: documenting the world of sound produced by mankind, via a small record label called Folkways Records. By the time of his death in 1986, he had amassed an archive of over 2,200 LPs and thousands of hours of tapes; so valuable was this collection that it was purchased by the Smithsonian Institute. Folkways Records is an account of how he built this business, working against all odds, to create a landmark in the history of American music.

    Author Bio

    Tony Olmstead is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has presented several papers on the music business, and is the recipient of several academic awards and fellowships.

    Related Subjects

    1. Music
    2. Trade Biographies

    Name: Folkways Records: Moses Asch and His Encyclopedia of Sound (Paperback) – Routledge 
    Description: By Tony Olmsted. In 1949, immigrant recording engineer Moses Asch embarked on a lifelong project: documenting the world of sound produced by mankind, via a small record label called Folkways Records. By the time of his death in 1986, he had amassed an archive of over...
    Categories: Music, Trade Biographies