Arhoolie Records Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz

About Joel Selvin

ARHOOLIE RECORDS Founded in 1960 by Chris Strachwitz the one-man operation eventually produced more than 400 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 label's first release by Mance Lipscomb came at the peak of the folk movement and instantly introduced the Arhoolie imprint as home of authentic down home music. Maybe every six months someone'll come through with an album an Arhoolie album of Fred McDowell Keith Richards told Rolling Stone in 1971. And you'd say: There's another cat! Arhoolie released landmark albums with Lightnin' Hopkins Mississippi Fred McDowell Clifton Chenier Big Joe Williams and many others. The label recorded extensively in rural Louisiana and his recordings with Clifton Chenier and Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil not only helped modernize Creole and Cajun music but actually sold a few records for the label. Strachwitz pioneered the study of Mexican-American music since recording Los Pingunos del Norte for Arhoolie in 1970. He won a 1986 Grammy award for his recording with Texan accordionist Flaco Jimenez. With filmmaker Les Blank he produced the classic documentary in the field Chulas Fronteras in 1976. On subsidiary labels such as Blues Classics and Old Timey Arhoolie also reissued important historic recordings by long-forgotten masters of American music; from western swing out of Texas in the '30s to deep Southern blues from the 40s and 50s. Since the first album Arhoolie has existed to throw spotlights on the true American music. The Smithsonian Institution acquired the Arhoolie label in 2016 and the Arhoolie Foundation has been making digital versions of Strachwitz's immense collection of Texas-Mexican records (said to be the largest in existence) available on the Internet extending his mission of preserving and promoting the often-hidden but rich musical heritage of this country. CHRIS STRACHWITZWith his ceaseless enthusiasm and diligent efforts to dig out the genuine folk music he loved Chris Strachwitz produced an incomparable body of work over a half-century of running Arhoolie Records. While inevitably reflecting his own unique perspective and following his particular passions he nevertheless mapped out the subtext of modern American music with his vast recordings of vernacular music. With an immigrant's acute eye for American culture Strachwitz has mined the dusty shelves of this country's musical life for some of the most vibrant and robust music to be found on records anywhere. His genial but irascible character and tireless appetite for the real deal were captured in the 2014 documentary This Ain't No Mouse Music by filmmaker Maureen Gosling. He celebrated his 90th birthday in 2021. JOEL SELVINThe longtime San Francisco Chronicle pop music columnist first wrote about Arhoolie Records in 1970; his 2008 profile of Strachwitz won a journalism award. He has written more than 20 books about pop music.