Oscar Brand

Throughout a career spanning more than seven decades, Oscar Brand established himself as a steadfast presence among American folksingers, songwriters, and interpreters. He issued more than ninety albums during that span. Brand traveled the nation in the company of Woody Guthrie, performed concerts alongside Lead Belly, championed folk music in all its varieties in the spirit of Pete Seeger, and presented the Folksong Festival program on New York’s WNYC for over seventy years. Numerous recordings featured parodies centered on single themes, among them holidays, car songs, and political satire. He earned recognition for his extensive collections of bawdy songs. His recording approach stayed straightforward, centering on Brand with his guitar and a handful of supporting musicians. Every one of Brand’s albums kept its focus squarely on the songs themselves.