#2907: Averill replies on Courlander recordings

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Gage Averill <gage.averill@nyu.edu>

Hi LeGrace (and anyone else interested in the Courlander recordings)

>Gage, Thanks for this information and the possibility of acquiring the new
>recording.  One of my un-listenable treasures, undated, is  DRUMS of HAITI,
>recorded by Harold Courlander for Ethnic Folkways Library. This 4-record
>album even has the insert of Courlander's notes   "liner notes" they'd be
>called today.
>If there a re-recording of this one?  Regards, LeGrace

Courlander worked for many years with Mose Asch, the owner of Folkways
Records, and he released his own recordings on the label.  The Folkways
catalogue was transferred after Asch's death to the Smithsonian
Institution, becoming Smithsonian Folkways label (run for a number of years
by Tony Seeger). Smithsonian Folkways has repackaged some of their older
catalogue for re-issue (with better sound, updated notes , and new cover
art).  They have not done this with the Courlander material yet.  HOWEVER,
they do keep all of the catalogue available.  When recordings are ordered,
they simply copy them to cassette or CD and package them with the old notes
and cover art.  So, you CAN get newer copies on CD of the old material.

Their online catalogue is at http://www.si.edu/folkways/

Smithsonain Folkways also carries the Caribbean Revels recording or rara
(recorded by Verna Gillis, notes by her and me) and "Rhythms of Rapture", a
set of recordings of material with sacred themes from some more traditional
and some more popular groups (prod. Liza McAlister,notes by McAlister,
Fleurant, Averill, Yih et al).

Gage Averill
Department of Music
New York University
24 Waverly Pl., Rm. 268
New York, NY 10003-6789
(212) 998-8302 (bus)
(212) 995-4147 (fax)

Home: 82 Puritan Drive
Port Chester, NY 10573
(914) 939-4193 (home)

e-mail: gage.averill@nyu.edu

Home page for _A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey:
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13233.ctl
NYU Music Department: http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/music/