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Across the seven albums, listeners travel through the musical landscapes that shaped America. The collection captures the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the legendary and now-defunct Glass House in New Orleans; intimate Mardi Gras Indian practice sessions with The White Eagles at Darrell's Lounge; Frank Proffitt, Jr. carrying forward generations of Appalachian ballads and dulcimer traditions; R.L. Burnside singing blues while working the North Mississippi Hill Country; Sam Chatmon reflecting on nearly a century of Delta blues; and a remarkable gathering of musicians whose work songs, railroad songs, front-porch performances, and juke joint sessions trace the roots of countless musical traditions still heard today.
Each recording across the albums was painstakingly restored by GRAMMY-nominated mastering and restoration engineer Jessica Thompson, whose work preserving recordings from the archives of Woody Guthrie, Smithsonian Folkways, Barbara Dane, and others has made her one of the leading specialists in audio preservation. Working from archival source materials, Thompson restored remarkable clarity while preserving the authenticity and spirit of the original performances.
The project is co-produced by Alan Lomax’s daughter, Anna Lomax Wood, and David Katznelson. When music industry veteran Reed Watson came across the New Orleans video recordings of the Patchwork series, he let longtime producer and A&R head Katznelson know about the treasure trove he’d discovered. With such an abundance of incredible music, Katznelson’s task was to decide what to put into the initial seven records – by focusing on some of the bigger-named artists included in Lomax’s recordings, and zeroing in on Frank Proffit Jr.’s record as something really special and important, the best seven stories to tell through the initial albums were decided on and produced together with Lomax Wood.
Lomax Wood, who is also the former President of The Association for Cultural Equity (ACE), founded by Alan to sustain the world's expressive traditions, said this: “Qobuz is premiering 77 original compositions and new arrangements that will knock your socks off. Amazing, vibrant performances by musicians on their own turf playing for the connoisseurs – their own people – and Alan Lomax. These songs were chosen by another connoisseur, one who can appreciate every nuance, every touch of improvisatory brilliance, every conversation. David celebrates the artists and understands the value of their music for us right now. It is a joy to work with him, Reed and Odysseus. They are all tuned in.”
Katznelson wrote: “It was a wondrous task to dig into the over 900 recordings Alan Lomax made during the late 70s/early 80s to come up with these seven records. There were times I barely slept at night after finding recordings I never knew existed of legends like Sam Chatmon and RL Burnside. True manna from another time.”
The project also represents a new model for archival releases. Founded in 2025 through a partnership between Anna Lomax, Odysseus Chairetakis (Alan’s grandson), Reed Watson, David Katznelson and Robert Meitus, the Lomax Archive label works directly with the descendants of the musicians featured in its releases. Proceeds are shared with ACE and participating families, helping ensure the communities whose music shaped American culture continue to benefit from its legacy.
Reed Watson added: “These recordings are a revelation, not only because of the mastery of the individual performances, but also because it’s a peek into the sounds and culture Alan was looking for later in his life. Sometimes when you think of “field recordings”, it conjures up black-and-white images from a bygone era. These are in vibrant color and especially fascinating for me, a New Orleanian. As a long-time subscriber, I’m proud to partner with Qobuz to release these recordings, because I know first-hand that they handle royalties fairly and care about the music and musicians represented.”
The release continues Qobuz's growing slate of exclusive music-first collaborations, including projects with Lucinda Williams, Drag City Records, Sun Records, International Anthem, Rough Trade, Newport Festivals Foundation, SXSW, Soho Radio, WYXR Memphis, Festival Bach Montréal, and more. Through exclusive releases, editorial storytelling, and hi-resolution audio, Qobuz continues to connect passionate listeners with artists, labels, and recordings whose influence extends far beyond the charts.
Listen to "Two Way Pock-A-Way" by The White Eagles HERE.
About Qobuz
Founded in 2007 and a pioneer of high-quality sound, Qobuz is the French music streaming and download platform for those who want to live and share their passion for music. Available in 26 countries across Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and Japan, Qobuz is aimed at all those seeking an authentic and fulfilling musical experience.
With more than 100 million tracks in lossless quality – CD, Hi-Res (24-bit/up to 192 kHz), DXD, and DSD – Qobuz offers the richest Hi-Res catalog on the market, recognized by the world’s leading hi-fi brands. It stands out for its commitment to preserving original recordings, in addition to its human touch with unique editorial content, expertly curated playlists, liner notes, and more.
In March 2025, Qobuz became the first streaming platform to have its average payout rate per stream officially validated by an independent audit, confirming a rate of US $0.01873 – officially the highest in the industry. The platform peaked at #4 on the iOS App Store in 2025 and more than doubled its new user base. Qobuz is licensed for Hi-Res audio by the Japan Audio Society (JAS).
For more information, visit qobuz.com
About Lomax Archive
Launched in 2025, Lomax Archive was founded by Anna Lomax Wood and her son Odysseus D. Chairetakis, the most recent family member to contribute to the Lomax legacy. Co-founders include David Katznelson, a Grammy nominated producer and former Vice President of Warner Bros. Records; and Robert Meitus of Meitus Strohm LLP. Grammy winner and longtime music businessman/advocate Reed Watson serves as label director. The label is distributed globally by Secretly Distribution.
Lomax Archive is committed to ethical presentation and producing and is working with families of the musicians to present a lively, up-to-date, and profound representation of the material’s historical and cultural context. Proceeds will be shared with the Association for Cultural Equity (ACE) and families of the musicians.
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