The Vaults of (Roots Music) Heaven: Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music Unlocks the Lost Gems and Wild Creativity of its Live Archives

Venerable vernacular music institution releases 127 live tracks by the best in American and global music from last half century.
On a stack of DATs in a shoebox lay the history of American music. There were local legends and major icons, global musicians and indie rockers. Some captured beautifully from the board, some gleaned quietly from the dusty archives of a radio station, the recordings held wildly creative decades of sound from Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, a roots-music touchstone for nearly 55 years. And no one had heard them.

Joan Baez and Donovan, Big Bill Broonzy and Ella Jenkins, Pete Seeger and Taj Mahal, Martin Carthy and Steve Earle, Doc Watson andMahalia Jackson: It was a literal who’s-who of folk, gospel, country, bluegrass, blues, and world music, caught in hours of exciting performances. But someone had to put the pieces together—all 127 tracks worth—and someone had to clear all the rights with 85 different artists.

They succeeded, against odds that would have stopped others in their tracks. Live From The Old Town School (Old Town School Recordings; release: December 13, 2011) reveals not only the venerable institution’s storied start, but its role in the recent infusion of new energy into the roots music world, with everyone from Toumani Diabate and Oumou Sangare toAndrew Bird and Lila Downs.

This crucial collection of rare live gems is available for download from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby, with most of the proceeds going to benefit the School’s educational work with children and adults. And though very diverse, the tracks share a common quality.

“These are all performers who know how to communicate with the audience in a very personal way,” says Colby Maddox, librarian/archivist and teacher at the Old Town School, who spearheaded the project and attracted support for it from the Donnelley Foundation. “They don’t need that distance, that huge arena. They want to get down close and make people happy. And they are all coming from well-established traditions, all different, but all strong.”

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“You can feel the immense energy in the concerts and what we’re presenting,” explains Maddox. “Take Andrew Bird’s show. He was called in as an opening act on short notice, and he put together a band last minute. All these great musicians ran in to play with him, and you can really feel the spontaneity and excitement of that show in the recording.”

Immense energy and deep commitment are at the heart of the Old Town School’s work, past and present. From humble, grassroots beginnings in the lessons and singing circles during the folk revival’s heyday, the School became an established part of the thriving Chicago folk scene, a scene that temporarily rivaled New York and Berkeley in its vibrancy. At the School, folk stars of the day crooned, moved audiences, and even jokingly imitated each other.

Behind the scenes, even as the School became a highly respected fixture of the Chicago music scene and a sought-after venue for many musicians, the spirit of its origins remained. Jam sessions would go on all evening, in the dressing rooms, hallways, and elevators. Annual parties would last all night. Unlikely duos and trios would perform at unforgettable one-off shows, fortunately caught on tape (and now released for all to enjoy). Moments likeOdetta’s striking version of “Strawberry Fields Forever” or Jeff Tweedy ofWilco’s unexpected cover of Schoolhouse Rock anthem (and De La Soul inspiration), “Three Is the Magic Number.”

“We once did a show with Robbie Fulks and Cowboy Jack Clement, the rockabilly producer from Sun Studios who wrote, ‘I Guess Things Happen That Way,’ for Johnny Cash,” recalls Jon Langford of The Mekons, an alt-country and punk legend in his own right and a longtime supporter of the School whose gritty cover of Procol Harum’s “Homburg” is part of the Live From collection. “At the end of the night, he joined us onstage for a ragged version, then played his ukulele for us all the way back to the dressing room, even in the elevator.”

But to bring these key moments and gorgeous relics to light also demanded intense energy. Maddox’s predecessor, Paul Tyler, meticulously copied early live tapes at the radio station that had become an unknowing repository for the School’s first concert recordings. “They had accumulated hundreds of tapes of performances and interviews. I would tuck our rack-mount DAT under my arm and hop on the El,” he remembers with a chuckle. Tyler grabbed tapes sitting in the station’s warehouse and recorded what he could in a vacant studio while his welcome lasted, gleaning famous performances from the late 1950s and 1960s. In addition to the older archives Tyler created, the School itself harbored shelves of digital recordings, started during its second heyday at the turn of the early 21st century.

Then they had to get the right to release the highest quality tracks. Some established artists, like eccentric folk rocker Donovan, were highly skeptical at first, but came around as they got mixes from Maddox and his team. Some composers, like the Puerto Rican songwriters behind some of Los Plenaros de la 21’s hot numbers, could not be found, no matter how the team tried. Months of back and forth, and they had their 127 choice tracks, merely the tip of the iceberg, Maddox notes.

“We transferred thousands of hours of music,” Maddox recalls. “I couldn’t cut it off; there was just so much good stuff. I knew this might be the only time we’d get to do this. I didn’t want to tell anyone no!”

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Simply Six: Hope Waits

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew
they wanted  to   be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed
Sullivan show,  to   another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan
half a decade later.  Is there  such  a defining moment for you?


That moment came at a very young age. Going to church with my mom and hearing those singing voices, that was just it for me. I'd been singing since I could speak, but to realize that people actually got on stage and sang in front of an audience, and that you could MOVE people with that, and at the same time it could make you, the singer, feel as though everything else in the world made sense.  Gosh, that was such a revelation.

2 . When you’re not creating music what are you listening   to?  Who are some of

your favorites?

I try to get my hands on as many new artists as possible. I love showing up to shows where someone is playing whom I've perhaps never heard of. A lot of the times I am so pleasantly surprised. Other than the secret gems around the city, I've been listening to Adele, The Be Good Tanya's, Steve Earle, & Lucinda Williams.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record

or live?

Wow, that's difficult. I think I'd have to say performing in front of Jeff Buckley's mother at a benefit to help raise money for instruments for school children in Los Angeles last Fall. We were asked to perform a song that honored the memory of Jeff, and one that inspired us when remembering him. I chose Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday. It was the scariest and most freeing moment I've ever experienced on stage. 

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something   to  listen   to?

How much can music influence current events?

 Absolutely it can change the world, and it does. Bob Marley and John Lennon caused a revolution through song. Now its Taylor Swift and Dr Dre creating an influence through gorilla marketing tactics. Artists sell more merchandise now than actual music. I'm not saying one influence is good or bad, I'm just saying there is an influence through music.

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected

your career as a musician?

Technology has shifted the paradigm. Major labels are sweating, and anyone in the world who wants to be in this business can be. There is no longer a wall holding back those who wanna make a record. In- home studios are the new standard, and so are independent labels, or no label at all. Napster changed everything. I'm still trying to figure out if I'd even have a budding career if we were still in the old way of doing things. Its a double edged sword. Without all that free music, maybe 50 - 60% of my fanbase wouldn't continue to follow me, or come to the shows, or tell their friends about me. A hard copy CD on a shelf just doesn't reach as many people without a million bucks standing behind it.

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of

shoes would you be?

 Ballet slippers. Soft pink with the silk ribbon ties that wrap around your ankles.


Tour dates:

Tues, Oct 25 | Vienna, VA (Washington DC) | Jammin' Java

Wed, Oct 26 | Hartford, CT | Black Eyed Sallys

Thur, Oct 27 | Somerville, MA (Boston) | Johnny D's

Fri, Oct 28 | Ardmore, PA (Philly) | MilkBoy Main Stage

Sat, Oct 29 | New York, NY | Rockwood Music Hall

Simply Six: Chad Kichula

1.For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when theyknew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance ofElvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was theBeatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?   Finding an old boxset --"Springsteen's live 1975-85" at a friend's house when I was 17.  Since then music has been my life.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?  I listen to everything from  indie-rock to outlaw country.  My favorites are Springsteen, Steve Earle, Arcade Fire, The Clash, Phoenix, The Black Keys and Johnny Cash. 

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?  Recording "World Shaker",  very proud of writing/producing that song. 

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?  I believe music is highly influencial, as are the people who perform it.  The combination of words and melody is very powerful.  Music can be so many things, whether it be the spark,  the support, or the inspiration for change.

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?  Only digitally recorded so I can't relate to the changes in that technology.  In cyber, it's constantly changing. Five years ago Myspace was the rage, now it's dead in the water.  Facebook is obviously more than just a flash in the pan, but I am curious to see if Twitter will be able to do the same.   I do love how these social networks connect can connect a musician like me to people all over the world. 

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?  Steel-toed work boots.

SIMPLY SIX: Lauren Austin

 I haven't heard a lot of Lauren Austin yet, but what I've heard I am enjoying greatly.  She is a singer/songwriter from Nashville.


1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

Music has always played a major role in my life, but it wasn’t until I was about 14 that the idea of making a career of it entered my mind.  I grew up a band and choir geek, so one day when my friend and I were singing along to the radio in the car, I thought, “hmm… why not do that for a living?”  

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?

Everything.  I’m really inspired by the diversity and creativity in music.  I grew up in really small town, so for a long time I thought the only kind of music made was the country and top 40 I heard on the town’s two radio stations.  When I moved out to Los Angeles, the variety blew my mind.  One of my favorite radio programs became “Altville” which is a blend of Americana/Roots music.  That turned me on to people like Patty Griffin, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and Lucinda Williams, and I thought it was about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

I would have to say experiencing that moment that every artist dreams of and hearing a song of mine on the radio for the first time.  In the beginning of 2009 one of my goals was to have a song played on radio, and I just barely made the cutoff airing on December 31, 2009!  

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?

Absolutely.  I think music isn’t something we do or listen to; it’s a part of who we are as human beings.  The state of music and the world are reflections of each other.

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has turned the industry upside down, and overnight.  There are arguments on both sides as to whether that’s a good or bad thing, but that doesn’t change where we’re at.  I see it as the new Wild West, and to me that’s an exciting advent with lots of opportunities. 

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Come on! I’m a girl and you want to limit me to one pair of shoes?? Well then, probably my boots.  They’re made for work, but you can dress them up; they’re durable, versatile, and not a come-and-go trend, and as I face the long haul ahead of me in the industry, I hope to think that’s a lot like me. 

 

 

   

SIMPLY SIX: Jeff Jacob

Jeff Jacob is a singer/songwriter from Nashville.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

My defining "moment" would have been a combination of being in school musicals as a very young kid all the way up through high school, quiting piano lessons after 6 years in my early teens and then realizing I could just write my own songs. They were pretty bad back then, but I recorded some with the guys in the house band on a river cruise ship and then just kept going...It was all about getting in the studio and recording for me.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

I love SO much of a variety. Favorites include - Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, John Waite,early REM, The Beatles, The Stones....Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Dobie Gray, Ray Charles....Billy Joel, Elton John...Elvis, Steve Earle, Tina Turner....

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

Generally speaking, I think there are small moments when people come up to me after a gig, or listening to a recording of mine and say how much a certain song moved them or meant to them. I have this song God Backwards, about a dog who has been put down by his owner as a humane choice, and the dog is talking through God back to his owner telling him how grateful he is....Only one time in the years I've been playing this song live, have I not had a least one person come up to me after wards and tell me how much that song meant to them because of their own experience with a loved pet.

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

Music can change the world, because change and revolution really happen one person at a time, until a critical mass or one huge unified voice rises up and demands that things change, and music can certainly if not directly lead to change, help inspire, galvanize and unify that focus.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has been killing the commercial recording studios for the past 6-7 years at a very fast pace, but on the flipside here we indies have all sorts of digital avenues to promote and sell our products and gigs...that's pretty great. I really need to get more with that!

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

It's a battle between an old pair of "Chucks" and a comfortable pair of flip-flops these days. Check with me in the next few years...If I move to the beach as I'm hoping to do in the near future....you'll know which shoe wins!

SIMPLY SIX: John MacLean

John MacLean is a singer/songwriter from Massachusett.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

By 1979 I thought I had missed my chance to be a singer, player, songrwiter - any of those things I had sort of dreamed of. I was well past my teens and figured it was too late to start learning. But that year my great dear friend George Brown, who is a wonderful Texas born guitar player and singer, was living in my house in Baltimore. One night he played Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho & Lefty" and I was suddenly knocked over by the realization that I had to learn to play and sing. George taught me how

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

There are so many! Constants include Bruce Springsteen (especially "Nebraska"), Richard Shindell, Kate Campbell, Lyle Lovett, Dick Gaughan, Dylan, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Steve Earl. More currently, I have discovered Antje Duvekot and Cliff Eberhardt and just love their music.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

For my song "Liar's War (Letter Home)" to receive honorable mention in the 2005 Boston Folk Festival Singer Songwriter Contest was a defining moment. I gave me the courage to believe I am a songwriter. As for live performing, the first time I stood in front of a microphone and sang to an audience was my greatest moment - not for the quality of my performance but simply because I did it. I'll never forget that.

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

I'm not sure that music can change the world all by itself BUT I do believe it can provide unmeasurable emotion, unity, and focus when a serious cause is brewing. Music is very, very powerful. Songs make me cry all the time.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Everything has changed and fragmented. On the one hand that has meant CD stores are closing down all over the place and few people buy my actual CD, but on the other hand the door is wide open for unsigned artists to get heard in so many other ways, especially on the internet. Voices to Hear is a perfect example of that. And I've sold mp3's and CD's as far away as Belgium and France via iTunes! Couldn't have imagined that ten years ago.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Easy. A well worn in pair of snakeskin boots - just like the pair I bought in Scottsdale, Arizona twenty years ago. They always remind me of the Texas origins of my earliest music education from George Brown.

Marah

This week’s voice to hear is a departure from what we’ve done so far. Instead of a single voice, we’re going to talk about a group. The group is called Marah and they hail from Philadelphia. Basically the group is two brothers, Dave and Serge Bielanko and whoever else they let in. Over the years they have had quite a few players come and go in the band, while they remained the constant. They’ve recorded six albums and one of them was a Christmas album.

On their MySpace page they call their music “technicolor folk-punk-rock” and I think that’s about a good definition of it as I could come up. How many rock bands use a banjo?

Besides making great music the band also comes up some of the best song and album titles ever. Their first album was called Let’s Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later On Tonight. Their most recent album is called If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry. One of their early songs was titled “The History of Where Someone Was Killed.”

Early in their career Marah was labeled in with the alt-country crowd and it wasn’t exactly a place they wanted to find themselves in. The presences of the banjo made people think they had to be alt-country. Which they weren’t. What they are is rock n roll, or as they put it “Technicolor folk-punk-rock.”

Marah has self produced five of their six releases. They’ve worked with artists like Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen. Stephen King called If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry the best album of the year upon its release.

Marah has also given me one of the most fun concerts I have ever been to. Last year they performed at the Parish Room at the House of Blues. This is the upstairs smaller room, for artists that can’t open in the main room of the HOB. I don’t think there were more than 100 people, and if there were that many I’m being generous, there that night. But it didn’t stop the group from putting on a great show.

Towards the end of the show Dave jumped down from the stage onto the floor. He called all the people in the audience to him and had us all sit on the floor around him as he talked and sang. It was one of the most unique concert experiences I have ever had.

I’ve always read about groups like R.E.M. and the Police that started out playing clubs they said with fifty people in the audience. I always thought that would be really cool to see a concert like that, for someone that later became big and you can say I saw them when. I really feel like I had that experience with Marah. Marah is a band filled with excitement and that excitement translates onto the album and in concert. They sing about people trying to live their lives with all the problems that come with that; money and faith and love and the occasional beer and party in there. This is a band to watch out for.