Profile: New Lost City Ramblers

When it comes to the Folk Revival of the 1950s and '60s, few bands had more of an influence over the scene than the New Lost City Ramblers. Even Bob Dylan has counted them as an influence. While folk-pop groups like the Kingston Trio were acquiring old folk songs and polishing them up for pop-oriented audiences, the New Lost City Ramblers (NLCR) were presenting the tunes the way they found them: warts and all.

They recorded extensively for Smithsonian Folkways and, once they achieved some popularity, they hit the road with some of their influences to present folks like Maybelle Carter and Tommy Jarrell to a new generation of folkies. Learn more about the New Lost City Ramblers, including a full bio, recommended albums, and MP3s.

image © Smithsonian Folkways