Anglo-American Ballads, Volume One

Deep roots. These songs (”Pretty Polly,” ”Barbara Allen,” and 10 others) were already old when they came to 18th-century America; on Anglo-American Ballads, Volume One, they become the compost that fertilized country and rockabilly. Originally released in 1942, they were the first installment in the Library of Congress’ six-volume classic Folk Music of the United States. The performances, mostly by nonprofessionals (except for Woody Guthrie on ”Gypsy Davy”), are riveting. A