Some people might be interested in knowing of a recent release by the German Bear Family label, a CD of some historical interest - Sam Hinton 'The Library of Congress Recordings March 25, 1947' Bear Family BCD 16383. It has 46 of the 54 recordings that singer, folklorist, zoologist, lecturer etc, Sam Hinton, made for Duncan Emrich of the Archive of Folksong at the Library of Congress in 1947. (8 were left off because they would not fit on the CD). It is a very pleasant CD indeed - most tracks are less than 2 minutes, the longest, a Child ballad, is almost 4 minutes and the shortest is 37 seconds. Sam Hinton, who is now 86 and working on his autobiography, 'A Naturalist in Show Business', provides the notes for the songs (even for the missing 8). It provides an overview of what was in the songbag of a 30-year-old from East Texas (he was born in Oklahoma, but moved to East Texas as a child) in 1947. 13 of the songs come from Sandburg's 'American Songbag' which Hinton acquired in 1929. Only 2 songs - 'Buffalo Boys' and 'The Barnyard Song' - were previously released by the Library of Congress. This is an authorised release, unlike some Library of Congress issues in the Document catalogue.

Cheers, Stewie.