Paul Ashford (1906-1952) was a Seattle composer, folk singer, and collector of songs and records, as well as a music reviewer and prolific writer, who published many articles in the Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, among other publications. Many of Ashford's musical compositions and writings reflect life in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest throughout the Great Depression and into the 1940s. During the Depression, when paid music reviews became scarce, Ashford worked briefly as a writer through the Works Progress Administration program, producing a guide to Washington State and other tourist materials. He attended the University of Washington and graduated with a Master's degree in musical composition in 1929. In the 1940s, Ashford (who also was an avid collector of jazz recordings) developed a particular interest in baroque recorder music, and composed many pieces for the instrument. He later founded both the Seattle and San Francisco Recorder Guilds, before his death from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1952.
From the description of Paul Ashford papers, 1890-1958 (bulk 1920-1946) (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 123949383
