The Web-Site "Early American Roots Music" is awsome! Lots of images and mp3 files to download, and many hours of guaranteed fun. Believe me, my iPod is being put to good use after I found this. The entry page says this:

We feature Old-Time Strings Bands, Ballads & Breakdowns, Early Blues & Gospel, some Early Jazz, Vintage Country Gospel, Early Bluegrass and various Ethnic Musics played by immigrants to America. Most of this material was originally recorded in the 1920s through the early 1950s and was first issued on 78 RPM Records.

Well... imagine having something like Robert Crumb's mythic collection of old historical 78 RPM records at just a click away.

As you can see bellow, some of the images from songbooks and record covers are just super cool!



As for the music, here are a few black gospel selections from the listening room... Just listen to this and tell me if they're not the most alive and beautifull things that you've listened to in a long, long time.

Oh Lord, I'm Your Child.mp3, by Mother McCollum
Lift Him Up, That's All.mp3, by Washington Phillips
I'll Fly Away.mp3, by Reverend Gary Davis (there's an alternative version of this song at the soundrack for "O Brother, Where Art Though")