Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

Start the weekend with a Six String Social - 2-15 update

Have you stopped by a Six String Social? They’re held at the mothership, 909 W. Armitage, just a few steps from the El stop. These are song-circles/speciality workshops on a particular theme/performer/topic. Update: Friday, February 15th - Love Hangover w/Shelley Miller; February 22nd, Bible Belt Songs, w/Colby Maddox; February 29th, Bluegrass 101 with Simon Flory; March 14th, Vintage R & B with Barbi Silverman; March 23rd, Steve Earle songss with Jim Stacho. Always at 6:30! $5.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | February 1, 2008 | Comments (0)

Friday 3/7 - When the school’s communities get together!

You like coming to the school, enjoy the folks you meet, and love your classes — right? But you haven’t been to a First Friday? Jeeze Louise! You’ve missed out! First Friday is when everything happens: when the School’s communities come together to have fun. Things jump off at 6:30, at our 4544 N. Lincoln building. A $4 donation is requested.

Festivities begin at 6:30. Guitar teacher Cathy Norden leads the SONG CIRCLE. You don’t need to bring an instrument, don’t need to bring a song, you don’t even need to know a song — just stop by and join in. Fiddle teacher Walter Hojka or Danny Miller hosts the STRING JAM and beginners are welcome! Fiddle, banjo, guitar are standard but bring what you have! Steve Joyner convenes the SONGWRITERS’ CRITIQUE & EXCHANGE. « Read more »

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 29, 2008 | Comments (0)

Trad Fest Weekend, January 25-26th

Jimmy get your fiddle down and rosin up the bow
Johnny take your banjo down we’re gonna have a show
Pass around the jug to corporal McCoy
We’re gonna play a tune called Soldiers Joy

Trad Fest is our annual “come on down!” weekend for lovers of old-time barndance music. The weekend centers around a Saturday night concert by three knock-out groups: The Foghorn String Band, Gary Harrison and the New Mules, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. (Recognize that last name? They did a dynamite concert at the School a couple months back).

But this isn’t a normal concert weekend. Bring a dish to the $5 Friday night open house/pot luck supper – it includes the Saturday performers. Beyond that, these folks will be back for an afternoon of jamming on Saturday. Now, what happens on such occasions? It’s jam city, not just the pros playing. Whatever your skill level, you’ll find a place with your comfort zone: bring your instrument! The open house pot-luck is at 6:30, Friday, January 25th at Lincoln. For Saturday afternoon/evening information and tickets, check oldtownschool.org. A community event, y’all come!

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 20, 2008 | Comments (0)

The Trad Fest fringe — Sunday’s Gravestone Concert!

Arlo Leach, leader of the Hump Night Thumpers, has assembled an amazing lineup of musicians for this concert, both international and local. harmonica blues legend Charlie Musselwhite tops the bill, followed by the Carolina Chocolate Drops (see above!), Devil in a Woodpile, Joe Filisko, the Northside Southpaws, the Jake Leg Stompers, and (of course) the Hump Night Thumpers.

Harmonica player and guitarist Will Shade founded the Memphis Jug Band in 1927. He worked with musicians like Memphis Minnie and Furry Lewis, writing original songs like “Stealin’ Stealin’” and “On the Road Again,” becoming the most important figure in a genre that remained popular through the end of the Great Depression. Even so, he died penniless and was buried in and unmarked grave. Arlo has located his burial site, and has worked with other to organize this concert.

The program will be a tribute to Will Shade’s achievements and will raise money to purchase a gravestone. Tickets are $20 ($18 for members, $16 for kids and seniors).

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 20, 2008 | Comments (0)

Typhanie Monique — “Chicago’s next major jazz artist”

That’s the description of Typhanie Monique by the Trib’s Howard Reich.

Typanie is a member of the School’s vocal teaching staff. You may have read about her when she and Chris Walz taught workshops in Moscow for three weeks last July.

JazzTimes magazine described Typhanie’s sound as a modern-day Sarah Vaughan with iridescent traces of Lena Horne.
Another critic wrote: “Toss her a subject or a groove and hang on tight. She’ll shake it, knead it, pummel it, wring it until it drips with the essence of her signature soul style. The harder you listen the more you’re repaid with a sound so pure that you ache when it stops. Her second CD, The Room, has had rave reviews.

You can hear Typhanie on Saturdays through February at Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St, between 5 and 8:30 pm. (312) 467-9394. www.andysjazzclub.com. $10. She has a voice to remember, and this is a great jazz venue.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 7, 2008 | Comments (0)

Frank Hamilton Workshops

Frank’s teaching inspired creation of the Old Town School of Folk Music. For the 50th anniversary, Frank came back to teach workshops for today’s students. This was a rare opportunity to learn from the man who had the school built around him. He’s still the same exciting, tall, skinny guy he was then; it’s just 50 years later.

During this trip, Frank taught two workshops: Accompaniment for Singing and a Beginners Approach to Jazz. Those of us who attended one or both have expressed the hope that the School will arrange to have him come back regularly — his teaching is both a link to our earliest days and an inspiration.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | November 19, 2007 | Comments (2)

Roger Myerson responds

On October 16th, the top item on the School’s website was “Our hearty congratulations to Old Town School student Roger Myerson for his good ear, excellent tone, and the Nobel Prize in Economics.”

Roger responded:

“You know, it has been an incredible privilege to be so honored by the Swedish Academy of Sciences.

But in all this hoopla, I have had no honor greater than the kind note at the top of the oldTownSchool.org web page this week! Thanks so much!….”

Roger Myerson

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | October 20, 2007 | Comments (1)

Old Town harmonica student wins Nobel Prize!

You didn’t know they offered a Nobel Prize in harmonica?

OK, it’s true: they don’t.

So instead, Roger Myerson was forced to do serious research in economics: that’s the work for which he is being recognized. But Roger is a fine harmonica player. So we’re hoping that he plays some harp when in Sweden to accept the prize, and that the Nobel folks are listening.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | October 15, 2007 | Comments (1)

Cafe Menu Specials

If you’ve visited the Café, you know that it’s a real restaurant, with a changing menu of delectable items prepared by folk chef, Miki Greenberg. What you may not know, however, is that numerous variations from the menu are named for frequent customers. One example: The Jason McInnis is corn chips with meat sauce and parmesan cheese (accommodating Jason’s flour allergy). Another item named for a favorite person: The Murfin. It’s a cup of water. The Murfin Special is the same, with ice added. Miki’s top of the line item in that category, a cup of soda water: The Murfin Deluxe. Note: Although Jenna Murfin has now married Jeremy Babcock (congrats!), Miki assures us that the Murfin items will still be offered.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | October 7, 2007 | Comments (1)


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