Belated birthday wishes to Moe Asch

Dec. 2  would have been the 106th birthday of Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, who released 2,168 albums on the label during his life (an average of one per week!).

Smithsonian Folkways sound production supervisor Pete Reiniger recently dusted off one of Moe’s studio microphones, a Western Electric “Birdcage” model (available from 1938 to 1949) that was likely used on many of the recordings in the small, one-room Folkways Records studio. Not only does it still work, but it sounds great!

Hear it in action on this recording of “Yaku Taki” from Hatun Kotama, an upcoming album of Kichwa music from Ecuador. The Western Electric microphone was used to record the English translation at the end of the track.

Kevin Gover, director of the National Museum of the American Indian, recording on Smithsonian Folkways' Western Electric "Birdcage" microphone.

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