Live From The Old Town School

Twenty-one songs on a CD sampler are a great value, even if it does only come in a simple jacket without any extensive liner notes. It’s even more impressive to think that this is a promotional product to advertise the now-available digital download of 127 total historic songs from the archives of The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, collected over the course of 53 years at various locations and with various recording technology. Thus, there is a lot of variety on this disc (as well as among the entire digital archive now available). One must also realize that the definition of “folk music” covers a lot of ground, and perhaps that why the album’s title doesn’t even give the entire name of the school. In fact, we also hear what might more properly be categorized as gospel, jazz, blues, world music, alt-country, Celtic, or Americana. This sampler ranges from the 1956 recording of Mahalia Jackson singing “When the Saints Go Marching In” right up to the 2008 recording of Toumani Diabate playing “Jarabi.” Many consider the full-throated Jackson to be the greatest gospel singer to ever live. Diabate, a master of the kora (21-string West African instrument that’s a cross between a lute and harp), has brought his Malian music to an international audience. Other tracks come from well-known artists like John Hammond, Donovan, Joan Baez, Dave Van Ronk, Doc Watson, John Hartford, Bill Frisell, Martin Carthy, Steve Earle, and Steve Goodman.

How can the set go wrong with the pure, soaring soprano of Baez vocalizing one of her classics (“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”)? Or the characteristic flatpicked guitar of Doc Watson (“Blue Eyed Jane”)? Or the guitar sounds of Bill Frisell with Bruce Molsky’s fiddle (“Peg and Awl”)? Or a clogging John Hartford singing “Wrong Road Again”? May he rest in peace. The 1988 live recording of Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” is an interesting contrast to the typical arrangement we’ve heard with drums, full horn section and vocal harmonies. Instead, the audience provides rhythmic clapping and the backup vocals.

Some of the intrigue comes from a few artists you may not have heard a great deal…or in different kinds of musical setting. For example, Jeff Tweedy may be better known as a member of alt-country bands Uncle Tupelo and Wilco, and his rendition of “Three is the Magic Number” illustrates his fortitude and strength as a solo singer/songwriter. Along the same lines, Jon Langford is more commonly associated with the English post-punk band, The Mekons, whose longevity was largely due to its reinvention into country, folk-rock and punk. On this CD, he sings “Homburg” (a Procol Harum song) in a spare setting with guitar and Dobro. Known as a country music neo-traditionalist, Robbie Fulks’ “Rock Bottom” only gives us a small taste of his cleverness. Claudia Schmidt closes the album with her 1976 a cappella rendition of “Wild Mountain Thyme.” Of course, everyone sings along as you should too! And don’t forget to check out the additional 106 songs available for digital download or on four CDs. Besides the individual songs, you can also download four entire volumes at a time: #1 (Family Music), #2 (New Folk), #3 (Trad Folk), and #4 (World Music). (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)