An alliance announced today between MSN Music and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings will make tens of thousand of historic songs from legendary performers of folk, blues, jazz and world music available online for the first time, allowing music fans to discover a diverse world of music and sound. The Smithsonian Folkways catalog of nearly 35,000 tracks, which is only available for download through MSN® Music in the United States (http://music.msn.com/smithsonian), features legendary artists Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lucinda Williams, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ella Jenkins and more. The archive also features nonmusical tracks including speeches, poetry and natural sounds from around the world.

"The music in the Smithsonian Folkways archive is a strong reminder of the incredible emotion in authentic roots music," said Rob Bennett, senior director of MSN Entertainment at Microsoft Corp. "The music in this catalog has influenced countless artists -- including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia and Kurt Cobain -- yet it's often almost impossible to find. We're excited to bring these important artists and their work to a larger audience through MSN Music."