George Korson, Songs and Ballads of the Anthracite Miners

Recorded in the hard-coal (anthracite) region of northeastern Pennsylvania in 1946 by George Korson, Songs and Ballads of the Anthracite Miners was part of a pioneering project in occupational folklore. Consisting of mostly unaccompanied ballads sung by the miners themselves, none of whom were professional performers, this intriguing album documents not only a moment in time, but also a specific work community struggling for a public and social identity. 

Amazingly, part of the funding for the project came from the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and one wishes such artistic vision and foresight were still an active part of unions today. Musically there's nothing startling here, and the import of this collection is far more historical than it is entertaining. Most of the miners were of Irish descent, giving a decided Celtic feel to the singing here, and the two instrumental pieces, both solo fiddle tunes, also have an Old World lilt to them, sorely lacking in the wild, blue note tendencies of the best American fiddling. But the value of this collection, again, doesn't come from its musical execution, but from its importance as a vital document of a period and place in America's labor history. See also Gillespie, Angus K. 1980. Folklorist of the Coal Fields: George Korson's Life and Work. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press.