An addictive calypso sound, saucy, ballsy, outspoken, but not exactly an atrocity. Emory Cook was an audio engineer and inventor who used his "Sounds of our Times" and "Cook" record labels to demonstrate his philosophy about sound, his recording equipment, and his manufacturing techniques. From 1952 to 1966, Cook recorded, manufactured, and distributed some of the highest quality audio recordings in the world. The 140 titles on Cook Records include European and American concert music, U.S. and Caribbean popular and traditional music, as well as mechanical and natural sounds. Emory Cook ran two divisions of the Cook company, Cook US and Cook Trinidad. Most of the albums recorded in Trinidad were made available on Cook US, though there were some that weren't. Emory Cook sold Cook Trinidad in the early 1980's. He donated Cook US to the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is a nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. They are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. They belive that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life thoughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials, a growing legacy that currently comprises more than 3 200 albums and 45 000 tracks.