Reviewing ''Southern Journey: Volumes 1-6''

Southern Journey: Volumes 1-6, this extensive collection of blues, spirituals, ballads, and work songs, was recorded by Alan Lomax (the famed ethnomusicologist) during a yearlong field trip from 1959 to ’60 and went on to become a major inspiration for the folk revival of the ’60s. Now reissued on CD with additional tracks, these performances — straight from the parlors, churches, and prisons of the Old South — are still essential listening for anyone interested in the roots of American popular music. Voices From the American South: A Ballads and Breakdowns: B+ 61 Highway Mississippi: B+ Brethren We Meet Again: B Bad Man Ballads: B Sheep, Sheep Don’tcha Know the Road: A