Gifts for Picky Folk Music Fans

One of the finest recordings released all year was this doozy of a box set from the fine folks at Rounder Records. These rare recordings include 54 songs, some of which Guthrie never recorded anywhere else. The masters were found in a basement storage unit in mint condition, and come with a book featuring Guthrie drawings and political cartoons, among other commentary. Definitely a prize possession for any music fan.

Granted, it doesn't drop until Dec. 15, but it's worth putting on your list for those last-minute gift buys. This year's DVD is chock full of artists any folk fan would love to see live in concert, from the bluegrass of Del McCoury Band to the folk-rock of Wilco and experimental looping fascination of Andrew Bird.

Every music fan loves new music, so if you're looking to stuff a few stockings with great CDs, there's no place better to start than with the year's best records. Here's a look at the best albums of 2009 to give you an idea on where to start. Or, when all else fails, a gift card for iTunes is a failsafe fall-back plan.

Born in Texas in 1921, Bess Lomax Hawes grew up the youngest child of the great American musicologist John Lomax. She was home schooled and learned early on about traditional music when she traveled with her father and helped him transcribe the music he found in the field. Sing It Pretty follows her life story from her rural Texas upbringing to her New York City days with the Almanac Singers, to her time as a teacher in California, and beyond.

Newly un-blacklisted in the mid-1960s, Pete Seeger took to the television airwaves with a short-run show called Rainbow Quest. And now, episodes from that series are available on DVD. It's a great archival gift for any fan of American folk music, country and rock.

If you're looking for a mid-winter vacation, one of the winter's best music festivals takes place in my neck of the woods. The annual Wintergrass festival is a four-day event held this year in Bellevue, Wash., and featuring an incredible line-up of varying genres. On the docket for 2010 are Tim O'Brien, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Infamous Stringdusters, the WIYOS, Sarah Jarosz, Mountain Heart, the Wilders, and so many more.

Probably one of the best comprehensive histories of American folk music that I've read in recent memory, Which Side Are You On? starts with the folklorists of the early 20th century and follows the craft up to the present day, stopping along the way for excellent insight into the careers of some of the greatest American folksingers. Excellent for bibliophile folk fans.

Every good folk fan needs to try their hand at banjo picking. Trust me, it's different from learning to pick guitar. If your favorite folk music fan already has a banjo and is making a go of it, the Banjo Encyclopedia would be the perfect gift. It's perfect even for armchair banjo enthusiasts who wouldn't pick up an instrument to save their life. It'll teach them everything they need to know about bluegrass banjo, which will be delightful for dinner conversation.

There are about a hundred different reasons to support the American Folk Alliance. Aside from knowing in your heart that you've supported the preservation and continuation of Americna folk music, there are myriad discounts and resources for folk music fans, artists and the people who love them—including their annual conference.

Considered to be one of the more enigmatic personalities in contemporary American folk music, Bob Dylan has rarely given interviews over the course of his 30+ year-long career. Now, Dylan expert and Rolling Stone contributor, Jonathan Cott, has compiled 31 of the most earnest and telling interviews given by this elusive folk poet.