‘Arhoolie Records Down Home Music’ is a visual storytelling celebration of American roots music through unseen and newly scanned photographs by Chris Strachwitz, the founder of the legendary Arhoolie Records. The book also features a substantial 20,000-word essay by award-winning music journalist Joel Selvin.
Earlier this year, Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Arhoolie Records, passed away (July 1, 1931–May 5, 2023). Chris founded the label in 1960, a ‘one-man operation that would eventually produce more than four hundred albums during more than forty years in operation, exploring the far corners of American vernacular music-blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, hillbilly, Texas-Mexican norteno music, and more.’
The name ‘Arhoolie’, a term used to describe a ‘field holler’, was suggested to Chris by Mack McCormick, whose own field recordings were highlighted in the new Smithsonian Folk Ways release Playing for the Man at the Door – Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971, reviewed here.
In their 2013 documentary, This Ain’t No Mouse, Maureen Gosling and Chris Simon showed Chris at work capturing music for Arhoolie Records. In that film, he says, “My stuff isn’t produced; I just catch it as it is.” Chris wasn’t interested in commercializing music, “I didn’t want to record stuff I didn’t like”…never a truer word said, and because of that, we now have a rich cultural legacy to enjoy still. As you know, every Monday, I put out an eclectic playlist called the Monday Morning Brew, and this coming Monday features a number of Arhoolie releases which will give you a flavour of the breadth of what he covered. Those archives are now in the capable hands of Smithsonian Folkways, so be sure to dig deeper.
However, Chris wasn’t just recording sound; he also took a lot of photographs. In a new book titled Arhoolie Records Down Home Music – The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz, we see 150 of his best…
Arhoolie Records Down Home Music is due to be published on 14th November via Chronicle Books – Order via Chronicle Books (US) – Amazon (UK) – Bookshop.org (UK)
Chronicle Books: A visual storytelling celebration of American roots music in its rich variety through unseen and newly scanned photographs by the founder of the legendary Arhoolie Records.
Founded in 1960 by Chris Strachwitz, the one-man operation Arhoolie Records eventually produced more than four hundred albums during more than forty years in operation, exploring the far corners of American vernacular music-blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, hillbilly, Texas-Mexican norteno music, and more.
From the very beginning, Strachwitz brought his camera along with recording equipment as he met and recorded now-legendary artists such as Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Clifton Chenier, and Big Joe Williams. This book collects more than 150 of his best, most intimate, and exciting images-many never-before-seen-each with rich captions by Strachwitz and award-winning music journalist Joel Selvin, along with a substantial 20,000-word essay by Selvin about Arhoolie, Strachwitz, and the music.
INTIMATE AND AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS: Although Strachwitz would always self-deprecatingly claim that the photographs he took while meeting and recording musicians were strictly documentary, and *maybe* of some use for a record sleeve later, they are much more than that. Lyrical, candid, real: His rapport with the musicians and their families is glowing and evident in these photographs.
RIVETING MUSIC HISTORY PHOTO BOOK: These are never-before-seen photos, and photos like you’ve never seen before. Every image is from freshly remastered scans, and the authors dove deep into the Arhoolie archives to uncover images almost no one has had the chance to see.
CRUCIAL AMERICAN MUSIC AND CULTURAL HISTORY: Strachwitz’s wide-ranging interest and unbridled enthusiasm for all sorts of roots music led to his crisscrossing the country from artist to artist based on recommendations, rumour, tips, radio broadcasts-the result being a portrait (in sound for the label, and image in this book) of vital American music in a wide range of genres. He has rich stories for each photograph and artist.
AN INVALUABLE DOCUMENT: Arhoolie fundamentally shaped our understanding of American music. Renowned music writer Joel Selvin has not only worked with Strachwitz to draw out the stories behind the photographs, but he has contributed an invaluable long-form essay about Arhoolie, Strachwitz, and the label’s cultural legacy to anchor this incredible book.
Pre-Order Arhoolie Records Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz
Chronicle Books (US) – Amazon (UK) – Bookshop.org (UK)