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The best recordings of Paul Robeson

A guide to the best examples of the great American bass, Paul Robeson, on disc

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Published: July 8, 2020 at 2:23 pm

There are plenty of Paul Robeson compilation albums to choose from, and you can find him both as a singer and as an actor on disc. Here are our favourites.

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The Essential Paul Robeson: a generous collection featuring highlights of his performances for Vanguard Records.

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On My Journey (2007)

You could also head to the recordings Robeson made for his own Othello label in the 1950s. On My Journey, a blend of spirituals and folk song, was reissued by the Smithsonian’s African American Legacy Recordings series in 2007, with a 34-page booklet featuring historical photos.

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Live at Carnegie Hall

For a landmark in Robeson’s life, turn to Live at Carnegie Hall – May 9, 1958 (Era, 1992). This captured his sell-out penultimate concert at the legendary venue, almost 30 years after he had first performed there.

"Greatest Rarities" Archive '56-57

In 2013, the Digital Gramophone Company brought to light two rare LPS from the archive, releasing them as Paul Robeson Greatest Rarities Archive 56-57 on the major download platforms. One of the LPs, from 1957, features the transatlantic exchange between Robeson and The Miners’ Eisteddfod at Porthcawl.

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