Sony Classical is proud to present Paul Robeson in a 14-CD edition, the first ever release of his complete Columbia, Victor, and HMV recordings from 1925 to 1947.

Paul Robeson – African-American bass-baritone, stage and film actor, All-American football player, lawyer, and advocate for civil rights – was outspoken against racism, colonialism, and social injustice. Rutgers graduate, scholar of world cultures, and speaker of more than 20 languages, he worked tirelessly to break down political and racial barriers, and to build bridges between the peoples of this world. However, with the advent of the Cold War and the Red Scare following World War II, the political climate changed. Doors began to close for Robeson as concert halls and radio stations shut him out. In July 1950, the US State Department revoked the blacklisted artist’s passport thus preventing him from pursuing his successful international career as a singer and actor. But international audiences continued to honour and call out for him, and he found technologically advanced and effective ways to reach his communities all over the world.

Today, his remarkable voice and unrivaled stage presence live on in sound recordings and films. This 14-CD edition is the first ever release of his complete Columbia, Victor, and HMV recordings from 1925 to 1947. All of his American recordings have been meticulously restored from the original master discs and tapes, and 25 studio recordings – as well as his complete historic New York and London recitals from 1958 – are here presented for the first time on CD. The richly illustrated 160-page book, with essays by Shana L. Redmond and Susan Robeson, pays tribute to a cultural icon of the 20th century.

Contents:

CD 1: The Early Victor and RCA Recordings (1925–1940)
- Spirituals · Ol’ Man River · Ballad for Americans
16 recordings restored for the first time from the original masters, 5 recordings previously unreleased, all others newly remastered

CDs 2–8: The HMV Recordings (1928–1939)

CD 9: The Columbia Masterworks Recordings (1942/1947)
- Songs of Free Men · Popular Favourites · Joe Louis Blues
All recordings newly remastered · 1 recording previously unreleased

CD 10: The Columbia Masterworks Recordings (1945/1947)
- Go Down, Moses · Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, and 22 more spirituals
All recordings newly remastered

CD 11: Live in New York, 1 June 1958
- Spirituals · Arias · Folk Songs · Ode to Joy
First restoration of the historic recital at Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, 14 recordings previously unreleased

CD 12: Live in London, 10 August 1958
First restoration of Robeson’s return to Royal Albert Hall, 16 recordings previously unreleased

CDs 13 & 14: Shakespeare - Othello (1944)
Columbia Masterworks’ first album of an entire stage production, restored from the original 33 disc sides