Alan Lomax quotes

Alan Lomax was an American writer, folklorist, and ethnomusicologist renowned for his work in preserving traditional music. His extensive field recordings captured the voices and songs of diverse cultures across the United States and around the world. He helped reshape the study of folk music and brought global attention to the power of oral traditions. Here are 5 of his quotes:

I knew Bobby Dylan back in the days when he lived in the village. He used to come and see me and sing songs for me, saying they ought to go into my next collected book on American folk music.

Alan Lomax

The British ballads became a new kind of form in their hand. And out of them came the blues, a new kind of song of commentary and satire, a song form which, after all, has become the main musical form of the whole human species.

Alan Lomax

He learned through the way that my father and I felt about his songs, his country songs, that they were great songs. And then he went out and sang them for the audiences that we found, and he found a tremendous reaction to that.

Alan Lomax

You could hear him, literally, half a mile away when he opened up. He was at his peak then. He was, naturally, dying to get out of the place he was in, and he recorded for us his appeal for pardon to the governor.

Alan Lomax