Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, greatest recognized for his quite a few area recordings of people music of the twentieth century. He was additionally a musician himself, in addition to a folklorist, archivist, author, scholar, political activist, oral historian, and film-maker. Lomax produced recordings, live shows, and radio reveals within the US and in England, which performed an vital position in preserving people music traditions in each international locations, and helped begin each the American and British people revivals of the Forties, Nineteen Fifties, and early Nineteen Sixties. He collected materials first along with his father, folklorist and collector John Lomax, and later alone and with others, Lomax recorded 1000’s of songs and interviews for the Archive of American Folk Song, of which he was the director, on the Library of Congresson aluminum and acetate discs. (wikipedia) 

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I’ve positively seen a three-dot theme precisely (or considerably) like this earlier than, however that is not likely an issue. The concept is cute, nonetheless. I simply do not know concerning the execution, which is to say the themers themselves simply aren’t that attention-grabbing. SEIJI OZAWA is cool, however I additionally see (or noticed) him lots in crosswords. HIJINKS and BEIJING are super-short and super-ordinary issues, which leaves FIJI DOLLAR, which, nicely, factors for originality, for positive, however that reply feels determined. I’ve little question that the FIJI DOLLAR is an actual factor, however on the world forex familiarity scale, which I simply made up, FIJI DOLLAR must be someplace close to the underside. I assume it is arduous to shoehorn FIJI into an extended reply in any manner that may really feel pure, so right here we’re. FIJI WATER is a factor, however not lengthy sufficient to symmetrically stability out SEIJI OZAWA. FIJI ISLANDS and FIJI AIRWAYS are each too lengthy by an “S.” Now could be a very good time to admit that I at all times (Always) overlook if it is FIJI or FUJI, in nearly each occasion. Mount ___? ___ APPLES? I’m utterly hopeless. Anyway, MOUNT FIJI isn’t a factor. FIJI APPLES (!) (57A: Galas, e.g.) would’ve match, however sadly, additionally not a factor. So we get FIJI DOLLAR, which is lower than satisfying. Very slim theme specs, undecided what you are gonna do, however the idea was significantly better than the execution as we speak, for me. 

The fill has some excessive factors. Those large corners get you some bouncy 7s, like SIKHISM and FALAFEL and DONJUAN. ONE IOTA and “O CANADA” really feel like 7-letter crosswordese, however they cannot all be winners once you’re doing stack after stack of 7s like that. I really feel just like the corners act as a sort of bonus themeless puzzle, in that they offer you some open area and a few longer, extra colourful solutions to take a look at past the theme, which truly does not have a lot in the best way of colourful solutions. Weird additionally that So Many solutions on this grid are so long as two of the theme solutions. Really makes these themers fade and disappear. Not what the attention cares about or desires to give attention to. I imply, ZERO SUM just about upstages each theme factor on this grid (25D: Like a balanced “sport,” in economics). So there are positively fixing pleasures available right here. 

Non-pleasures weren’t ample, however they have been jarring. That clue on ICEE meant nothing to me, and so to have the reply in the end be the crosswordesiest beverage of all of them … that was disappointing (16A: Brand whose brand’s letters are coated in snow). I used to be like “does the IKEA brand have snow? The IAMS brand? That could be bizarre … Why would canines be related to snow? Snow canines! So cute! I need to play with snow canines! I ponder if that Saint Bernard remains to be accessible on the shelter, it is best to examine later, gah, OK come on, you are fixing a puzzle, focus! … OK … [solves some more] … oh, it is ICEE … sigh, yeah, positive, no matter.” Did not benefit from the clue on OARS (19D: Rest on one’s ___ (take it straightforward)) in that I utterly forgot the expression existed and who says this (anymore?) anyway?! If you give me “Rest on one’s ___,” I’ve bought LAURELS and completely nothing else. I had OA-S and needed to know why anybody would relaxation on their OATS. Thought LOMAX was a high-quality reply … for a Friday or Saturday. I’ve heard of him and *nonetheless* forgot him, and I’m fairly positive many Tuesday solvers will do not know. The place the place my mind most needed to reject this puzzle was at DISCS, which isn’t within the puzzle, however is what the reply ought to’ve been at 66A: Some Olympics projectiles (DISCI). What a horrible Latin plural. DISCUSES is a standard factor the place once you say it individuals know what you are saying. DISCI, alternatively, is plural for “disco” on Planet AMALFI ISUZU (a really actual planet, look it up). To need to “appropriate” DISCS to DISCI, and to have to take action whereas additionally filling in super-crosswordese AERIE, that isn’t how I’d’ve had the ending of this journey go. But such is destiny.