Dust-to-Digital
Curating the World's Music, One Story at a Time
New Release
Babe Stovall: Pied Piper Of New Orleans
We are thrilled to announce a new release in collaboration with David Evans, marking the latest chapter in our long-standing partnership. Our work together began 22 years ago when David wrote the liner notes for disc six of our inaugural production, Goodbye, Babylon. Since then, David has been an invaluable contributor to numerous projects, including the release of two albums featuring his field recordings: Sorrow Come Pass Me Around: A Survey of Rural Black Religious Music and From the Lion Mountain: Traditional Music of Yeha, Ethiopia.
This is the first in a series of never-before-heard musical releases from David’s personal archive. This collection focuses on the life and music of the remarkable Babe Stovall. Accompanying the digital album is a detailed 40-page PDF, which includes insightful writing by Marc Ryan, Stovall's musical collaborator and the project’s co-producer.
We invite you to explore this musical journey, as David Evans offers a personal reflection on Stovall's life and legacy, bringing new light to a hidden gem of American music.
Digital Bundle: Music of Africa
Digital releases offer immediate access to a treasure trove of audio gems, historical imagery, and in-depth research. This bundled collection immerses listeners in the rich and diverse musical traditions of Africa.
I Have My Liberty! Gospel Sounds from Accra, Ghana captures the vibrant energy of Ghanaian gospel worship, while Opika Pende: Africa at 78 RPM offers rare early 20th-century African recordings. Listen All Around features remastered tracks from Hugh Tracey’s fieldwork, showcasing Congolese rumba and benga, and Paul Bowles: Music from Morocco compiles traditional Moroccan music recorded in 1959. Finally, Kassidat: Raw 45s from Morocco explores the poetic depth of Morocco's Golden Age of music. Each release provides a captivating glimpse into the sounds and cultures that shaped 20th-century African music.
The World of Dust-to-Digital
Dust-to-Digital has been independently-run since its inception. The company has never received outside funding, and the social media posts have always remained ad-free.
What They've Been Saying
The Ledbetters do not let rights issues deter them. They doggedly track down the current holders of composition, performance and audio rights required for release, wherever they are. And so, bit by bit, byte by byte, Dust-to-Digital will continue to expose modern audiences to forgotten gems from the analogue era.
Lance and April Ledbetter are perhaps the most important preservers of folk music in the modern world...
We feel that Lance embodies the creativity that Kurt believed in.