Ozark Folksongs (Music in American Life)

Dust jacket notes: "Finally, in one convenient volume, all Americans can discover the crowning achievement of one of our nation's greatest folklorists - Vance Randolph. This abridged edition (with updated headnotes) gathers together the finest examples from Randolph's original four-volume work and offers an equally wide range of song types among its 250 selections. Here we find centuries-old British ballads; songs of the Civil War, slavery, cowboys, outlaws, and murderers; temperance pieces and revival meeting hymns; and a rollicking assortment of dance and play-party songs. In his skillful abridgment, Cohen takes special care to include those songs that reflect Ozark folklife or help convey Randolph's skills as editor and annotator. There could hardly be a better introduction to Randolph and his work...."