Doc Reed, Henry Reed, Vera Hall

about

Doc Reed, Henry Reed, Vera Hall were African-American singers. Recorded by John A, and Ruby T. Lomax and Ruby Pickens Tartt at Livingston, Alabama, 1937. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

why this is interesting

This 1937 field recording captures three African-American singers whose voices and repertoire offer a rare glimpse into the musical culture of rural Alabama during the Depression. What distinguishes these recordings is their documentary authenticity—they preserve not polished performances but genuine expressions of work songs, spirituals, and ballads as they lived within their communities. The archival work of John and Ruby Lomax, along with Ruby Pickens Tartt, demonstrates how folk music scholarship can honor artists often excluded from mainstream recognition. For listeners interested in American vernacular music, regional vocal traditions, or the complex relationship between fieldwork and cultural preservation, these recordings provide invaluable primary source material that resists easy categorization and rewards close attention

top songs

albums

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Field Recordings Vol. 4: Mississippi & Alabama (1934-1942)

Trouble so Hard

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Field Recordings Vol. 4: Mississippi Alabama (1934-1942)

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Ya Salaam

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Field Recordings Vol.4 - Mississippi & Alabama 1934-1942

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1997 | Field Recordings Vol. 4: Mississippi & Alabama 1934-1942

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Field Recordings - Vol 4 - Mississippi & Alabama (1934-1942)

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Field Recordings, Vol. 4: Mississippi & Alabama (1934-1942)

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Opening Voices

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The Soul Of Disco

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Field Recordings Vol. 4: Mississippi And Alabama (1934-1942)

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Field Recordings Vol. 4: Mississippi & Alabama 1934-42

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