Marisa Anderson Announces ‘The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music,’ Inspired by Harry Smith’s Landmark Collection

Portland-based guitarist Marisa Anderson will release a new album, The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music, on May 22, 2026, via Thrill Jockey. The project draws inspiration from Harry Smith’s seminal 1952 compilation, Anthology of American Folk Music and was developed after Anderson was granted access to Smith’s personal library at the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A New Anthology for a New Era

Anderson’s anthology focuses on music from countries that have been in conflict with the United States since 1970, including Southeast Asia, the former USSR, and the Arabic and Islamic regions of the world. The album explores themes of borders – both real and imagined – and questions who has been labeled “unamerican” and what has been lost as a result.

“Taqsim for Guitar” – A First Listen

The first single from the album, “Taqsim for Guitar,” is based on a 1955 field recording, “Taqsim For Violin,” from The Syrian Maqams, recorded by Deben Bhattacharya. Anderson meticulously transcribed the piece, adapting it for guitar while attempting to preserve the original’s microtonal qualities. A taqsim is an improvised musical introduction to a more formal piece; however, Anderson’s arrangement closely follows the original recording and is not improvised.

Bhattacharya was a prolific field recordist who traveled extensively, living in London, Paris, and Calcutta. A four-CD compilation of his field recordings, accompanied by a book of photos and text, was released by Sublime Frequencies in 2018.

Supporting Global Artist Mobility

A portion of the proceeds from The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music will be donated to Tamizda, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting global artist mobility and cultural exchange.

Availability

The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music will be available on vinyl, CD, and digitally. A limited edition Land & Sea color vinyl pressing includes a two-sided 12×24 insert and a digital pre-order. The album is available for pre-order on Thrill Jockey’s website and Bandcamp.

You can hear “Taqsim For Guitar” on Substack.