Personnel includes: Jo Stafford (vocals), Paul Weston (arranger, conductor); Joe Maphis (guitar).

Originally released on Capitol Records.

Jo Stafford was one of the few Swing-era popular singers who was able to communicate the homespun beauty of the American folk idiom. Not surprisingly, since she always brought a Midwestern serenity, even a devotional quality, to just about everything she sang, even the most soaring big-band numbers. In this, she is reminiscent of the great Wagnerian soprano Kirstin Flagstad, who also brought a restrained, serene delivery to highly emotional material. AMERICAN FOLK SONGS, from 1950, benefits from the highly musical, Copland-like arrangments by Stafford's husband and long-time musical partner, Paul Weston. Judy Collins once said that she decided to become a folk singer herself after hearing "Barbara Allen" from this album for the first time. That would be a high recommendation, if nothing else.