Long before the current ”unplugged” craze, in 1957 to be exact, the Old Town School of Folk Music taught the first of its several generations of students about the acoustic roots of American music.
On Sunday a star-studded cast of folk music stars paid tribute to the school at a sold-out 35th anniversary benefit concert at the Centre East in Skokie that raised $40,000 for the school`s scholarship fund for disadvantaged children.
Appropriately enough, the 3 1/2-hour concert opened with a brief performance from the school`s first music instructor, Frank Hamilton. Noted children`s performer Ella Jenkins followed, leading the first of the night`s many audience sing-alongs on ”The Cuckoo.”
Veteran Chicago folk scene stalwart Fred Holstein impressed with his rich baritone vocals on a pair of maritime folk tunes, while his younger brother, Ed, later humorously recounted his first visit to the school.
One of the show`s highlights was the Paraguayan trio Los Cantores Guaranies. Dressed in colorful native garb, they blended together acoustic guitars and harp, embellishing their gorgeous melodies with seamless three-part vocal harmonies.
Charismatic folk legend Odetta lived up to her introduction by WFMT`s Ray Nordstrand as ”the queen of folk music in America.”
Singing in an idiosyncratic voice that swooped from a dusky alto to a whispery falsetto at will, Odetta performed an eclectic repertoire that ranged from the folk standard ”Kumbaya” to Jimmy Cliff`s reggae classic ”Sitting Here in Limbo.”
Former student and teacher Stephen Wade delighted the audience with excerpts from his current one-man show ”On the Way Home,” and Bonnie Koloc returned to her folk roots for a lovely rendition of ”Roll Me on the Water.” The star of the evening, though, was folk progenitor Pete Seeger. Looking ageless in his standard uniform of faded jeans, denim shirt and work boots, he led audience sing-alongs of everything from Spanish folk songs to English rounds.
In classic Old Town School tradition, the finale featured about 40 members of the school`s current teaching staff and board members singing
”Sloop John B”-the first song ever sung at the school.
