(September 2025) Episode 674 is ODETTA. She was an influential figure in the American folk revival in the 1950s and 1960s. Her biographies are full of famous names crediting her as an inspiration. She also contributed her voice and music to the civil rights movement. Odetta’s voice is distinctive for being deeper and lower in the register than similar singers, especially early in her career. While the bulk of the songs are folk, her music did touch on blues, jazz and spirituals.
Favorite song: It’s a Mighty World
Favorite song: Deportee
Compared to expectations: same
Recommendation: The albums from 1962’s Odetta and the Blues and 1965’s Odetta Signs Dylan are her best work.
Opus Project 