Pete Seeger and Folk Songs for Children

This 1953 LP from Pete Seeger is one of the most delightful recordings I've had the opportunity to present. It has its genesis in the 1948 book American Folk Songs for Children, compiled by his father's second wife, the composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. Pete chose 11 of the 90 or so songs in that collection for this Folkways album, where he accompanies himself on his long-necked banjo.

I have to say, the banjo is not an instrument that I love. Growing up during this time, I automatically associate it with the demonically grinning Eddie Peabody or the moronically grinning Freddy Morgan. Or, even worse, Art Mooney's 1948 atrocities "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face," both of which also feature the bellowing band chorus - an inexplicable 40s sensation.

Thankfully, Pete has more taste than that, and he presents these simple materials with great humor and considerable artistry. Many, if not all the songs are very familiar to someone of my background. "Jim Crack Corn," which probably derives from a slave song, was even a pop hit in 1945 for Burl Ives, under the title "Blue Tail Fly."

Pete Seeger

"Bought Me a Cat" had been set in 1951 by Aaron Copland; presumably his source was the Crawford Seeger book. You can contrast the Pete Seeger interpretation here with the justly famous William Warfield record, which I presented here about a year ago.

Like most if not all Folkways recordings of the time, this originally came with a text insert. Mine was missing, but through the Smithsonian Folkways site, I have been able to add a badly scanned (and incomplete) copy sourced from the University of Alberta. The order of songs in the insert differs from what I am presenting here. I am following the label order from my pressing.

By the way, the sound on this record is quite good.