Folkways Records & Service Co. was founded in 1948 in New York City by Moses Asch (1905–1986) and Marian Distler (1919–1964). Under Asch's enthusiastic and dedicated direction, Folkways sought to record and document the entire world of sound. Between 1948 and Asch's death, Folkways' tiny staff released 2,168 albums (an average of one per week). Topics included traditional, ethnic, and contemporary music from around the world; poetry, spoken word, and instructional recordings in numerous languages; and documentary recordings of individuals, communities, current events, and natural sounds.
link: http://www.folklife.si.edu/center/legacy/asch.aspx
p.s. All of Moe's sponsored and not-for-profit world sound recordings are available and were donated to the Smithsonian. His recording archive can be heard upon written request to the Smithsonian, as per his Last Will and Testament had stated. The original cover art availability for these limited released sound art recordings, to the general public, is an entirely different story. bye.
