Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Presenting a towering, operatic contralto accompanied by aggressive, highly rhythmic acoustic guitar strumming, this debut established a formidable new voice in the burgeoning folk revival. The artist effortlessly weaves traditional prison songs, spirituals, and rural blues into a deeply resonant, highly political tapestry of African American history. The profoundly intense performances directly inspired the impending generation of 1960s acoustic singer-songwriters, including a young Bob Dylan.