| Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1956[1] | |||
| Recorded | San Francisco, California, September 1956 | |||
| Genre | Folk, blues, vocal, calypso | |||
| Length | 45:14 (reissue) | |||
| Label | Tradition TLP 1010 (LP) | |||
| Producer | Dean Gitter | |||
| Odetta chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Original cover (1956) | ||||
 The vinyl cover of Ballads and Blues | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the debut solo album by American folk singer Odetta. It was released in November 1956 by Tradition Records.[1]
Like much of Odetta's early work, Ballads and Blues combines traditional songs (e.g. spirituals) with blues covers. Some songs on this album were also recorded for Odetta & Larry's 1954 album The Tin Angel.
The initial vinyl release has tracks 1-8 as side A, then tracks 9-16 as side B (the "Spiritual Trilogy" being counted as one track, a medley). The "enhanced" CD version of this album, released in 2005, contains four bonus tracks and has a slightly different cover with a different photo of the singer. Some tracks are included on the Collectables re-release The Best of Odetta.
Bob Dylan singled this album out as one of his favorites by Odetta; indeed, it was albums like this that inspired him to play folk music instead of rock 'n' roll.[3]
In 2021, the album was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.[4]
- ^ a b Zack, Ian (2020). Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest. Boston: Beacon Press. pp. 56–59. ISBN 978-080703532-0.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Playboy interview with Bob Dylan, 1978
- ^ "National Recording Registry Adds 'Rhythm Nation' Among 25 New Selections". Library of Congress. Retrieved 10 April 2021.