Ballad Hunting with Max Hunter: Stories of an Ozark Folksong Collector

A traveling salesman with little formal education, Max Hunter gravitated to song catching and ballad hunting while on business trips in the Ozarks. Hunter recorded nearly 1600 traditional songs by more than 200 singers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, all the while focused on preserving the music in its unaltered form.

Sarah Jane Nelson chronicles Hunter's song collecting adventures alongside portraits of the singers and mentors he met along the way. The guitar-strumming Hunter picked up the recording habit to expand his repertoire but almost immediately embraced the role of song preservationist. Being a local allowed Hunter to merge his native Ozark earthiness with sharp observational skills to connect--often more than once--with his singers. Hunter's own ability to be present added to that sense of connection. Despite his painstaking approach, ballad collecting was also a source of pleasure for Hunter. Ultimately, his dedication to capturing Ozarks song culture in its natural state brought Hunter into contact with people like Vance Randolph, Mary Parler, and non-academic folklorists who shared his values.

Author: Sarah Nelson
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: 01/24/2023
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
ISBN13: 9780252044892
ISBN10: 0252044894
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
- Music | Genres & Styles | Folk & Traditional
- Biography & Autobiography | Music

About the Author
Sarah Jane Nelson is a writer and musical performer. She has written on music for Old-Time Herald, Ozarks Watch, Fiddlers Magazine, and other publications.