News

The 78 Project releases on January 28th, 2014, the Volume 1 Soundtrack album to the acclaimed web series that chronicles recordings made using a 1930's vintage Presto direct-to-acetate disc recorder similar to the one Alan Lomax used for his field recordings made between 1933 and 1942.

The impressive artist roster includes Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainright III, Roseanne Cash and husband John Leventhal, Marshall Crenshaw and many others, all of whom starting September of 2011 recorded "direct to disc" in locations all around New York City, including hotel rooms, private residences, public spaces and even one alleyway.

Artists chose public domain songs that for them were meaningful along with the location. These were one take performances that were also video'd, with the edited version turned into a short webisode you can watch at the above hyperlink.

For the artists it was a chance to experience what it was like to record in those early days and to also experience what it might have been like to have had Alan Lomax record them.

About the experience, Richard Thompson said, ""Man. That's amazing. It's everything I was saying about emotional. It's a whole other thing."

The songs of The 78 Project: Volume are beautiful pieces of the American musical tradition, many of which folks will already know, from classic ballads (“Red River Valley”) to early 20th century pop (“A Little Love, A Little Kiss”) cowboy songs (“Old Paint”) to gospel and spirituals (“Glory, Glory”, “The Wayfaring Stranger”) to murder ballads (“Omie Wise”, “The Railroad Boy (Cut Her Down)”, “Banks of the Ohio”) and more.

The soundtrack LP will be in stores nationwide and on all major digital retailers January 28, 2014, and via: The78Project.com