I haven't researched this nearly as much as I want to, so I'm going to cut to the chase . . . .
I just learned of a series of podcasts called the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. This series is produced by the Smithsonian Institution, as you might imagine, along with the CKUA RadioNetwork in Canada.
Most of the podcasts seem to consist of musical recordings. But there is also some talking on them, including even interviews with some of the artists.
The current featured podcast is Episode 9, on the Blues. It is approximately 57 minutes long. Here's a short description:
Among its other accomplishments, the Folkways collection captures significant developments in the evolution of the Blues as a dominant genre in American roots music. This program looks at key blues artists in the collection, including Lead Belly, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Lightnin' Hopkins, and reviews musical examples from a variety of blues styles: tradition rural blues, piano blues and urban blues. Among the works incorporated in this program are selections from a Folkways blues anthology entitled Asch Recordings 1939-47, Volume 1: Blues, Gospel and Jazz.
The podcast is
free. To get this episode, I would suggest that you navigate to
this webpage. On the far right is a (black) button link and a textual link for the "featured podcast," click on one of those. That should take you to the webpage where you can listen to and/or download the podcast.
There are 24 episodes in the series. Even though this episode on the Blues is the currently "featured" podcast, it is possible for you to listen to and/or download, for
free, all 24 episodes in the series. My plan now is to let you know whenever Smithsonian Folkways changes the featured podcast. Let me know, however, if you would like to listen to and/or download all of them now, and I'll let you know how. If there is strong demand, I'll go ahead and post that information.