Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the debut solo album by American folk singer Odetta. It was released in November 1956 by Tradition Records.[1]

Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
Studio album by
Odetta
ReleasedNovember 1956 (1956-11)[1]
RecordedSan Francisco, California,
September 1956
GenreFolk, blues, vocal, calypso
Length45:14 (reissue)
LabelTradition
TLP 1010 (LP)
ProducerDean Gitter
Odetta chronology
The Tin Angel - Odetta & Larry
(1954)		 Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
(1956)		 At the Gate of Horn
(1957)
Original cover (1956)
The vinyl cover of Ballads and Blues
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Like much of Odetta's early work, Ballads and Blues combines traditional songs (e.g. spirituals) with blues covers. Some songs on this album were also recorded for Odetta & Larry's 1954 album The Tin Angel.

The initial vinyl release has tracks 1-8 as side A, then tracks 9-16 as side B (the "Spiritual Trilogy" being counted as one track, a medley). The "enhanced" CD version of this album, released in 2005, contains four bonus tracks and has a slightly different cover with a different photo of the singer. Some tracks are included on the Collectables re-release The Best of Odetta.

Bob Dylan singled this album out as one of his favorites by Odetta; indeed, it was albums like this that inspired him to play folk music instead of rock 'n' roll.[3]

In 2021, the album was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.[4]

Track listing
  1. "Santy Anno" (Traditional) – 1:55
  2. "If I Had a Ribbon Bow" (Huey Prince, Lou Singer) – 2:42
  3. "Muleskinner Blues" (Jimmie Rodgers) – 2:51
  4. "Another Man Done Gone" (Traditional) – 2:11
  5. "Shame and Scandal" (Traditional) – 2:23
  6. "Jack o' Diamonds" (Traditional) – 3:15
  7. "'Buked and Scorned" (Traditional) – 2:40
  8. "Easy Rider" (Traditional) – 5:06
  9. "Joshua" (Traditional) – 1:53
  10. "Hound Dog" (Traditional) – 3:50
  11. "Glory, Glory" (Traditional) – 2:12
  12. "Alabama Bound" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 1:42
  13. "Been in the Pen" (Traditional) – 2:32
  14. "Deep Blue Sea" (Traditional) – 3:00
  15. "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (Traditional) – 1:51
  16. Spiritual Trilogy: "Oh, Freedom", "Come and Go With Me", "I'm on My Way" (Traditional) – 6:06

2005 CD bonus tracks
  1. "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" (Traditional)' – 1:53
  2. "Take This Hammer" (Ledbetter) – 3:27
  3. "Deep River" (Traditional) – 3:00
  4. "Chilly Winds" (Traditional) – 2:41

Personnel

References
  1. Zack, Ian (2020). Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest. Boston: Beacon Press. pp. 56–59. ISBN 978-080703532-0.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Playboy interview with Bob Dylan, 1978
  4. "National Recording Registry Adds 'Rhythm Nation' Among 25 New Selections". Library of Congress. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
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