Born in Texas, Mance Lipscomb (1895–1976), the first artist Chris Strachwitz released on his Arhoolie label, worked for decades as a tenant farmer. Lipscomb referred to himself as a “songster;” his vast repertoire included everything from blues to narrative ballads, spirituals, popular songs, dance tunes, children’s songs, and work songs dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. After recording with Strachwitz, he became a pivotal figure on the folk music scene, performing for audiences around the country. Listen to clips of “Texas Songster” at Folkways, the Smithsonian’s recording label: http://ow.ly/E7pq50jf0Go "Down-Home Music: The Story of Arhoolie Records" is on display, post-security, in Terminal 2. http://ow.ly/YncT50jf0Gp
This video was posted on September 27, 2018.