Alan Lomax made a life of recording and archiving american folk music in the United States.
He promotde the world’s folk music, for over 60 years. He completed his degree at the University of Texas in 1936.
He said “The main point of my activity, was… to put sound technology at the disposal of The Folk, to bring channels of communication to all sorts of artists and areas.”

Lomax interviewed Lead Belly which encouraged him to explore oral biography.
His conversations with leading jazz players spawned several books. Lomax recorded on film interviews and music.

In the hill country of Mississippi, he recorded styles of music close to their African roots. As a result he interviewed and recorded 29-year-old singer and guitarist McKinley Morganfield, aka Muddy Waters.
He then started to record music in state prisons which he thought were some of the best music he had ever recorded.
A sad indictment on race and incarceration.
Alan Lomax: A man, and a life with one task.

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