"Wake Up Dead Man" (with CD from rounder) by Bruce Jackson was the last (mid 60's) major collection of prison work songs before the abuse died out. Lomax's is probably the largest & most indebt collection (see "Land Where The Blues Began") of both prison & slave songs. He aquired a large amount of slave songs from the Georgia Sea Island Singers, look from them in Lomax's Southern Journey Collection (Prison Songs vol 1&2) ( Georgia Sea Islands Singers "Earliest Times") & they have a few CD's of there own. A few other LP's: Prison Work Songs on Arhoolie #2021 recorded at Angola State Penn. Louisiana 1959 by Dr. Harry Oster. On Ethnic Folkways Library, "Negro Prison Camp Worksongs" #FE4475, recorded in 1951 by Toshi & Pete Seeger, John Lomax, Chester Bower& Fred Hellerman at Texas State Farms, Ramsey & Retrieve. On Rounder's Library Of Congress Archive of Folk Culture "Afro-American Sprituals, Work Songs & Ballads. New World Records "Georgia Sea Island Singers". On Global Village "Virginia Traditions - Virginia Work Songs.

If you find the Lomax & Jackson collections interesting try comparing the changes brought on in time with the tempo, content, phrasing, etc.

Happy Hunting, Barry