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For three decades Music Maker Foundation has sought out the country’s unsung, tending the roots of American music - this new 143-page book, proudly co-published by No Depression, is accompanied by an 85 song, four-CD compilation from various artists drawn from over 200 releases in the MMF catalog.

Song Keepers is Music Maker Foundation’s sixth book chronicling their innovative methods of preserving and nurturing American music. The book contains interviews with figures integral to the development of Music Maker like roots musicians Taj Mahal, Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and distinguished Folklorist-Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities William Ferris. Song Keepers is dotted with portraits of the musicians, artists, and street philosophers who’ve travelled with the foundation. And it features 100 stunning photographs, both striking black-and-white tintypes and luminous color images.

As for the music, the four discs of the box-set map an entire underground world of contemporary roots. The collection represents figures from the earliest days of Music Maker’s founding, guitarists like Guitar Gabriel, Drink Small, and Cootie Stark, to the vibrant contemporary work of young gospel singers Faith & Harmony. It abounds with rare (Walker Calhoun’s Cherokee-language take on “Amazing Grace”), previously unreleased (David Butler’s “Poor Boy”) and obscure tracks (Ironing Board Sam’s Allen Toussaint-produced “Man on the Street”), and stone-cold classics from established legends like Etta Baker.

Disc 1—Snap Your Fingers: Acoustic Blues

1. Guitar Gabriel, Landlord Blues
2. Alvin Youngblood Hart, Livin’ in a Strain
3. Adolphus Bell, Black Man’s Dream
4. Skeeter Brandon, Blues Hangover
5. Rufus McKenzie, Slavery Time Blues
6. George Higgs, Greasy Greens
7. Big Boy Henry, Walkin’ Night & Day
8. Gail Ceasar, Guitar Woman Blues
9. Shelton Powe, Shake ’Em on Down
10. Neal Pattman, Disco Twist
11. Captain Luke, Freight Train Boogie
12. Cora Mae Bryant, Yo-yo Daddy
13. Precious Bryant, If You Don’t Love Me, Would You Fool Me Good
14. Cootie Stark, High Yellow
15. Willa Mae Buckner, Peter Rumpkin
16. JW Warren, Have You Seen Corinna?
17. David Butler, Poor Boy
18. John Lee Zeigler, Pretty Little Shoes
19. Captain Luke, Chokin’ Kind
20. Algia Mae Hinton, Snap Your Fingers
21. Mr. Q, We Three
22. Albert Smith, Biscuit Roller
23. Etta Baker, Carolina Breakdown

 Disc 2—Back in Business: Electric Blues

1. Sol Roots, Intro
2. Sonny Boy King, Came Home This Morning
3. Jerry “Boogie” McCain, Where You Been?
4. Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, Back in Business
5. John Dee Holeman, Chapel Hill Boogie
6. Lee Gates, You Gotta Love Me Baby
7. Robert Finley, I Just Want to Tell You
8. Alabama Slim, Please Leave My Money Alone
9. Aretta Woodruff, Trapped
10. Ironing Board Sam, Man of the Street
11. Dr. Burt, Clock on the Wall
12. George Connor, Brother’s Tone
13. Hermon Hitson, Let the Gods Sing
14. Leonard “Lowdown” Brown, Find a Bridge
15. Albert White, A Rose for My Lady
16. James Davis, Georgia Drumbeat
17. Eddie Tigner, Route 66
18. Sweet Betty, PARTY

 Disc 3—No Ways Tired: Sacred Soul and Gospel

1. Glorifying Vines Sisters, Pray for Me
2. Johnny Ray Daniels, Glory, Glory
3. Bishop Albert Harrison, Shake Me
4. Dedicated Men of Zion, Lord Hold My Hand
5. Legendary Singing Stars, At the Gate
6. Theotis Taylor, Something Within Me
7. Willie Farmer, At the Meeting
8. Faith & Harmony, Victory
9. Como Mamas, I Got Jesus
10. Blind Butch, No Ways Tired
11. Johnny Ray Daniels, Somewhere to Lay My Head
12. Bishop Dready Manning, Gospel Train
13. The Goins, Ain’t No Grave
14. Guitar Gabriel and Lucille Lindsay, Do You Know What It Means to Have a Friend?
15. Drink Small and Cootie Stark, Drinkin’ the Wine
16. Elder Anderson Johnson, God Don’t Like It
17. Lena Mae Perry and the Branchettes, One More Day
18. First Cosmopolitans, Roll Jordan Roll
19. Walker Calhoun Family Singers, Amazing Grace
20. Essie Mae Brooks, Rain in Your Life
21. Etta Baker, If I Could Hear My Mother
22. Carl Rutherford, Old Rugged Cross

 Disc 4—This Old House: Eclectic Folk

1. Cary Morin, You Were There With Me
2. Spencer Branch, Blown Back with the Breeze
3. Big Ron Hunter, Going for Myself
4. Patrick Sky, Many A Mile
5. Etta Baker, Johnson Boys
6. Preston Fulp, In the Pines
7. Paul Geramia, Rising River Blues
8. Nee Ningy Band, Fiddler a Dram
9. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Cornbread and Butterbeans
10. Benton Flippen, Cumberland Gap
11. Dom Flemons, Marching Up to Prospect Hill
12. Sam Frazier Jr., Cabbage Man
13. Jeffrey Scott, Oreo Cookie Blues
14. Neal Pattman, Shortnin’ Bread
15. Sam Turner Stevens, Cluck Old Hen
16. Pura Fé, Della Blackman
17. Etta Baker, The Rainbow
18. Rhiannon Giddens, Cripple Creek
19. Carl Rutherford, Shasta Daylight
20. Willie French Lowery, This Old House
21. Deer Clan Singers, Pigeon Dance
22. Guitar Gabriel, The Story of Old Man Rivers