Pete Seeger

Perhaps no single person in the 20th century did more to preserve, broadcast, and redistribute folk music than Pete Seeger, whose passion for politics, the environment, and humanity earned him both ardent fans and vocal enemies ever since he first began performing in the late '30s.

Interviews, archival footage and home movies are used to illustrate a social history of folk artist and activist Pete Seeger.

Features 39 tracks on 2 CDs and includes 2 booklets that contain extensive notes celebrating 50 years of singing and songwriting by one of the truly great artists of the 20th century. This collection includes a new song by Seeger, as well as rare appearances by artists like: Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Bonnie Raitt, the Indigo Girls, Peter, Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Tim Robbins (yup, the actor) and more! A pretty stunning group of socially conscious performers (from Bonnie Raitt to Billy Bragg) join in tribute to the inspirational music and life of Pete Seeger on this expansive 2 CD set. The grand selection of songs is well-annotated with notes from the artists and Seeger himself about each piece and its place in the pantheon. Among the many highlights are Bruce Springsteen's heartfelt "We Shall Overcome," John Trudell's tense "Torn Flag," actor Tim Robbins's rap-like "All My Children of the Sun," and Ani DiFranco's quiet, brooding "My Name Is Lisa Kalvelage." Further listening: the Smithsonian/Folkways release of If I Had a Hammer, a remarkable collection of Seeger singing his own songs. –Michael Ruby

Features 39 tracks on 2 CDs and includes 2 booklets that contain extensive notes celebrating 50 years of singing and songwriting by one of the truly great artists of the 20th century. This collection includes a new song by Seeger, as well as rare appearances by artists like: Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Bonnie Raitt, the Indigo Girls, Peter, Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Tim Robbins (yup, the actor) and more! A pretty stunning group of socially conscious performers (from Bonnie Raitt to Billy Bragg) join in tribute to the inspirational music and life of Pete Seeger on this expansive 2 CD set. The grand selection of songs is well-annotated with notes from the artists and Seeger himself about each piece and its place in the pantheon. Among the many highlights are Bruce Springsteen's heartfelt "We Shall Overcome," John Trudell's tense "Torn Flag," actor Tim Robbins's rap-like "All My Children of the Sun," and Ani DiFranco's quiet, brooding "My Name Is Lisa Kalvelage." Further listening: the Smithsonian/Folkways release of If I Had a Hammer, a remarkable collection of Seeger singing his own songs. –Michael Ruby

Features 39 tracks on 2 CDs and includes 2 booklets that contain extensive notes celebrating 50 years of singing and songwriting by one of the truly great artists of the 20th century. This collection includes a new song by Seeger, as well as rare appearances by artists like: Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Bonnie Raitt, the Indigo Girls, Peter, Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Tim Robbins (yup, the actor) and more! A pretty stunning group of socially conscious performers (from Bonnie Raitt to Billy Bragg) join in tribute to the inspirational music and life of Pete Seeger on this expansive 2 CD set. The grand selection of songs is well-annotated with notes from the artists and Seeger himself about each piece and its place in the pantheon. Among the many highlights are Bruce Springsteen's heartfelt "We Shall Overcome," John Trudell's tense "Torn Flag," actor Tim Robbins's rap-like "All My Children of the Sun," and Ani DiFranco's quiet, brooding "My Name Is Lisa Kalvelage." Further listening: the Smithsonian/Folkways release of If I Had a Hammer, a remarkable collection of Seeger singing his own songs. –Michael Ruby

He was a singer, a rebel, and a voice of the people. With a banjo and a selfless dedication to justice and the transformative power of music, he inspired all of humanity to question the status quo, to sing out and speak up against oppression wherever they witnessed it.