Best Folk & Traditional Music

Get the story behind every recording session, album, and single released during Bob Dylan's illustrious-and now Nobel Prize-winning-career. Philippe Margotin has written numerous books on music, including biographies of U2, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones.

With nearly 1,500 Broadway performances, six Tony Awards, more than three million albums sold, and five Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, based on the lives of Maria, the baron, and their singing children, is as familiar to most of us as our own family history. It was during a visit to a church to hear a Bach concert that her mind was changed when she heard the words of a well-known priest, Father Kronseder. Her doctor, concerned that her health was failing, helped the nuns to decide to send Maria to the home of retied naval captain Georg Von Trapp, to be governess to his bedridden daughter.

More conversations followed over the next four decades of friendship, and it was only after Joni and Malka completed their last recorded interview, in 2012, that Malka discovered the heart of their discussions: the creative process. “An unflinching insight into the eight-times Grammy winning singer/songwriter’s lifelong battle with chronic illness, the pain of giving up her daughter for adoption, paranoia and a rare disease that literally makes her feel like her skin is crawling.” — Daily Mail. “This valuable book not only portrays an enduring artist but also reflects several decades of changing societal and musical culture.

Compiles more than one hundred carols, spirituals, popular Christmas hits, folk songs, and holiday tunes from around the world.

Drawn from a wide range of traditional Islamic commentaries, including Sunni and Shia sources, and from legal, theological, and mystical texts, The Study Quran conveys the enduring spiritual power of the Quran and offers a thorough scholarly understanding of this holy text. This painstaking work will do much to enlighten and inform the reading strategies of all who seek to understand the Holy Writ of Islam, especially as it relates to the beliefs and practices of Muslims.” (Sherman A. Jackson, King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Practice, The University of Southern California). “A huge and significant scholarly undertaking, a major service to Islamic studies. “An extraordinary scholarly achievement, The Study Quran brings the text to life, gently guiding readers into the exciting interpretive worlds of Muslims in all of their rich diversity.” (Zareena A Grewal, PhD, professor of Religious Studies at Yale University). Whether the reader is a novice to the Quranic text, longtime student, or scholar, they will find much to reflect upon in this extraordinarily valuable resource.” (Kristin Zahra Sands, Harlequin Adair Dammann Chair in Islamic Studies, Sarah Lawrence College). “ The Study Quran represents a breakthrough for bringing the message of the Quran to the English-speaking world. With analytical depth and clarity, it offers to both specialist and general readers, Muslim and non-Muslim, uniquely learned insights into the reception and interpretation of Islam’s sacred scripture within the various Muslim intellectual and spiritual traditions.” (Sebastian Günther, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Göttingen, Germany). “A magnificent scholarly achievement, The Study Quran offers an eminently readable, thought-provoking and nuanced understanding of Islam’s sacred text that will help both Muslims and non-Muslims appreciate the richness and diversity of understandings of the Quran throughout the ages.” (Shafique N. Virani, Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Toronto). The wealth of detailed information it contains makes The Study Quran a valuable text in understanding the centrality of the Quran and its role in shaping the spiritual and mundane lives of Muslims.” (Liyakat Takim, Sharjah Chair in Global Islam, McMaster University). “The publication of The Study Quran is a joyous occasion for all scripture lovers: a new English translation that celebrates the dignity and formality of sacred discourse, running commentary, and, as a very special signature, compelling and deeply instructive essays by fifteen of today’s leading scholars on Islam.” (Peter Ochs, Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of Virginia). “A monumental milestone in the study of the Quran in western academia and a veritable touchstone of authenticity for all who are asking: what does the Quran actually say? Indeed a massive, unprecedented undertaking.” (Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University). “A work of extraordinary significance, The Study Quran makes accessible in English Islam’s sacred scripture along with an array of material necessary to appreciate the nuances of the text. “ The Study Quran will remain for many decades to come the key reference work in English for students of Islamic Studies and scholars of religion alike, as well as ordinary readers interested in the spiritual content, historical context and literary monument of the revelation of Islam.” (Dr. Leonard Lewisohn, Senior Lecturer in Persian, University of Exeter, U.K.). “ The Study Quran is a milestone in Islamic studies. “ The Study Quran will be an essential book for every English speaking student of Islam and every Muslim (and every Sufi) for generations to come. “ The Study Quran , joins the groaning shelves of ‘study Bibles’ as a resource for Muslims-and for Christians who want to learn more about this closely related sister faith.” ( ReadTheSpirit.com ). “ The Study Quran from HarperOne is a historic and ground-breaking work produced by a distinguished team of Islamic Studies scholars.” ( Maxwell Institute podcast ). The Study Quran is a historic and groundbreaking work, produced by a distinguished team of Islamic studies scholars led by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, which offers. A new English translation of the Quran that is accurate, accessible, and reliable in how it renders this sacred text A wide-ranging verse-by-verse commentary that brings together the most respected and distinguished traditions of metaphysical, spiritual, theological, and legal interpretation of the Quran within Islam A helpful introduction to each surah that provides an overview and background of its teachings Essays by fifteen internationally renowned scholars on how to read and understand the Quran and its role in shaping Islamic civilization A beautiful two-color, two-column design that presents the sacred text and commentary in the spirit of traditional Quran manuscripts Maps, a time line of historical events, comprehensive indexes, and other features to aid reading. The Study Quran provides a service never before available to readers of English: a scholarly yet accessible resource where one can quickly and easily explore how Muslims have interpreted the Quran through the centuries to the present day. An invaluable resource for scholars and students of all backgrounds, and especially to Muslims who want to deepen their understanding of their own tradition, The Study Quran is a much-needed guide in a time when confusion about the Quran and Islam is so prevalent.

Music, according to Sufi teaching, is really a small expression of the overwhelming and perfect harmony of the whole universe—and that is the secret of its amazing power to move us.

In Wayfaring Strangers , Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr guide readers on a musical voyage across oceans, linking people and songs through centuries of adaptation and change. These two are the perfect authors to trace the journey this music has made and to paint the picture of the living, breathing stream that it is.--Kathy Mattea, singer-songwriter and teacher. To tie several centuries of peoples' lives together, across oceans and mountains, to make sense of their experiences and aspirations by the tenacious strands of their own music and song--that is a real achievement.--Brian McNeill, Scottish singer-songwriter, producer, and novelist. Wayfaring Strangers will touch a powerful chord in the lives of readers who appreciate the music of Scotland and Appalachia, as well as those whose families have ties to this rich historical journey.--William Ferris, author of The Storied South: Voices of Writers and Artists. In telling the story of the Scottish diaspora in Appalachia through music, Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr have captured a process of adaptation and change that has created a traditional culture that continues to flourish.--Ron Pen, author of I Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles.

Book by Henke, James.

Page, Plant, and Jones hand-selected the songs for the unprecedented, career-spanning Mothership.

Timed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his employment by the federal government, KEXP DJ Greg Vandy. takes readers inside the unusual partnership between one of America's great folk artists and the federal government, and shows how the first American folk revival of the 1930's was a response to hard times. "Greg Vandy, known for his engaging KEXP roots-music show, “The Roadhouse,” lovingly unravels that tale in this cleanly written, handsomely designed and liberally illustrated book about Guthrie’s month-plus tenure based in Portland in 1941. "Greg Vandy's 26 Songs in 30 Days examines the period in 1941 when Woody Guthrie spent a month writing a song a day about hydroelectric power, irrigation, and the Grand Coulee Dam for the Bonneville Power Administration, and is a fascinating glimpse of the musician's life as well as the social politics of the time." “One of KEXP’s most noted DJs explores the relationship between Guthrie and the Bonneville Power Administration that yielded timeless folk songs.” — Shelf Talk, The Seattle Public Library. “ 26 Songs in 30 Days... [is] the revelatory history of Guthrie’s work as a commissioned songwriter for the Pacific NW...” — Northwest Music Scene. “ 26 Songs In 30 Days plunges deeply into the historical context of the time and the progressive politics that embraced Social Democracy during an era in which the United States had been severely suffering from The Great Depression. Vandy and Person do expansive justice to their narrow subject, swerving outside their coffee table book lane and crucially, big-upping Guthrie while filleting the notion of his unassailable musical-ethical integrity. “75 years ago, America's greatest folk singer spent a month in the Northwest where he wrote some of his most famous songs. "This is a terrific read and Woody Guthrie is really part of the American traditional song book" — Nancy Guppy , ArtZone. "Context for the complex fight for public power in the Pacific Northwest...is well provided by Greg Vandy in his book" —Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons. " 26 Songs In 30 Days plunges deeply into the historical context of the transformative vision and the progressive politics that embraced social democracy during an era that led America out of the severe suffering of the Great Depression." — Bainbridge Community Podcast " 26 Songs in 30 Days is splendidly illustrated with images of Guthrie’s typed and handwritten lyrics and letters, postcards, historical photos, and marvelous BPA posters." "Authors Greg Vandy and Dan Person offer a breezy yet informative read, and there are some terrific rarely-seen photos" —. KPFK. "Greg Vandy, a Seattle author and KEXP DJ, describes Guthrie's journey to the Northwest and reveals what he calls the 'beauty of his simplicity." "To celebrate the 75th anniversary of [Guthrie's] project, Seattle author and KEXP DJ Greg Vandy has penned 26 Songs in 30 Days." —. Baja Review “Not a rehashing of Guthrie’s early life and travels, the book includes just enough biography and local folklore to keep this month of 1941 in context.” —Mark’s 365 Days of Vinyl. "Moving, inspiring, and uplifting, the songs of Woody Guthrie took the rural grassroots to the entire nation through folk music – and, as a result, warmed up their hearts and minds, respectively, in unity." “This is a never told before story of how the first American folk revival of the 1930s was a response to hard times, and how Guthrie championed a new Social Democracy in Portland.” — Hood River News "That it was all bought and paid for by Bonneville was a funny thing to discover, but it didn’t make it any less cool or discredit the songs in any way."