Leadbelly

With this collection, curator Jeff Place culls a cross-section of 26 classics from the Smithsonian Folkways vaults to tell an intriguing story of American signature sing-along. The songs' origins are as fascinating as the songs are fun: centuries-old European ballads, an American Revolutionary tune, Nineteenth-century American folksongs, African-derived game songs, a sea chantey, a railroad jingle, camp songs, and even an opera song.