Folk School Events

These rosters list recordings made during my intertwined tenures at the David Adler Cultural Center in Libertyville, Illinois, and at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. At Adler, I was Program Folklorist from 1989  to 1992 and Program Director for Folk & Ethnic Music from 1993 to 1997. At the Old Town School, I was Curator for Collections & Exhibitions from 1988 to 1992, stayed on as a teacher for the next 30 years, and programed two special series: the Midwest Fiddle Championship (and Battle of the Bands) from 2003 to 2016, and the Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter) from 2008 to 2018. By 2013, the Fiddle Club was independent.
Highlighted names link to selected recordings by that artist from one or more events.
Highlighted IDs link to stories or field notes.


Adler Cultural Center Concerts

NB Events included in this roster were selected solely on the basis of DrDosido's interests and involvement.

ID# Year Event/Artist Hometown Instrument/ Style Ethnicity
AF438 1984 Harvey "Pappy" Taylor Illinois Traditional Music Award concert w/ Garry Harrison & the Indian Creek Delta Boys Effingham, Illinois fiddle Anglo-American
EF181 1987 John McGreey & Joe Shannon. Illinois Traditional Music Award & tribute concert w/ Liz Carroll, Jimmie Keane, & others Chicago fiddle, uillean pipes Irish
EF140 1990 Marty Fahey, Arvid Anderson & J.C. Cote. Accordion Masters concert. Effingham, Illinois accordion Irish, Norwegian, Quebecois
GL145 1995 Pete Tsouklis Macedonian Orchestra & Slavic Projection Folk Ensemble "On the Move" concert. [Original tape of latter has been misplaced.] Merrilville, Indiana; Chicago clarinet; vocals Macedonian; Slavic
GL159 1997 John Campbell from Festival of the Arts [Recorded on VHS. Not yet digitized.] Zion, Illinois piano; vocals Afro-American/ Blues

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Adler House In the Tradition Events

ID# Date Event/Artist Hometown Instrument/ Style Ethnicity
GL126 2/03/1989 Taylor McBaine w/ Cathy Barton & Dave Para Boone County, Missouri fiddle Anglo-American
GL127 3/03/1989 Taksim West; Chicago Slovene Button Box Club Waukegan, Illinois oud & clarinet; accordion Armenian; Slovenian
GL128 3/18/1989 John McGreevy & Pat Cloonan; Liz Carroll & Kevin Carroll Chicago fiddle & accordion Irish
GL129 4/07/1989 Rev. Jim Howie; Lotus Dickey & Friends Randolph County, Illinois; Paoli, Indiana folksongs & autoharp; original songs & guitar Anglo-American
GL130 5/05/1989 K. Wendell "Wendy" Whitford w/ Robert & Becky Wernerehl Albion, Wisconsin folksongs w/ fiddle & guitar Anglo-American, Norwegian
GL131 6/02/1989 David "Honeyboy" Edwards; Sunnyland Slim [Albert Luandrew] Chicago blues w/ guitar; piano Afro-American
GL133 2/09/1991 Trini Esparza & Los Ecos del Norte Waukegan, Illinois Norteña Tejano
GL134 3/01/1991 Vesta Johnson; Ji Qiu Min St. Louis, Missouri; Oak Park, Illinois fiddle; erhu Anglo-American; Chinese
** 3/16/1991 Polish Highlanders Chicago fiddle Polish
GL135 4/05/1991 Yank Rachell w/ Peter Roller; John Campbell Indianapolis, Indiana; Zion, Illinois blues w/ mandolin & piano Afro-American
** 4/20/1991 Karl & the Country Dutchmen Trembeleau, Wisconsin concertina / polka German
GL136 5/03/1991 Jimmie Keane; Andando Solo Chicago; Madison, Wisconsin piano accordion; Nueva Canción Irish; Latino
GL137 3/19/1992 Liz Carroll, John Williams & Jim Dewan Chicago fiddle, concertina & guitar Irish
GL138 6/20/1992 Kevin & Maggie Henry; Pauline Conneely; &c. Chicago flute, fiddle & tenor banjo Irish
GL139 9/19/1992 Verble Brothers; Chirps Smith Ana, Illinois; Grayslake; Illinois old-time country w/ fiddle & guitar Anglo-American
GL140 2/19/1994 Nicolae Feraru; Kiu Haghighi Detroit; Chicago cimbalom; santur Romani; Persian
GL144 6/10/1994 World Music Fest: featuring Polish Highlanders; John Williams & the Irish All-Stars; Junior Daugherty with Colin McCoy; & Mario Zuleta y los Vallenatos de Colombia
GL150 9/09/1995 World Music Fest: Pickled Herring with Trollriked Spelmans (Swedish); Los Sones de Mexico; George Jubran & Sargon Mirza (Arabic)

The last of the "In the Tradition" concerts were a series of Fiddlers Reunions.

GL142 6/03/1994 Les Raber; Francis Geels Hastings, Michigan; Decatur, Indiana fiddle w/ piano & guitar Anglo-American
GL147 5/05/1995 Lloyd Lalumondier & Jim Nelson; Tim Stokes & Ed Fravell Festus, Missouri; Buncombe, Illinois fiddle & guitar French; Anglo-American
GL152 9/27/1996 Garry Harrison & Chris German; Bruce Greene Charleston, Illinois;
Burnesville, North Carolina
fiddle & guitar; banjo Anglo-American
GL162 11/11/1997 Lynn "Chirps" Smith & Friends Grayslake, Illinois fiddle, guitar; banjo &c. Anglo-American
GL169 3/27/1999 Jim Lansford with Kim Lansford; Paul Dahlin with Chicago Spelmanslag Galena, Missouri; St. Paul, Minnesota fiddle, guitar, piano &c. Anglo-American; Swedish

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Old Town School of Folk Music Concerts, Workshops, &c.

NB Events included in this roster were selected solely on the basis of DrDosido's involvement.

ID# Year Artist Event Instrument/Style Ethnicity
GL041 1988 Alex Udvary; Jim Stoynoff; Polish Highlanders Festival of East European Music cimbalom; clarinet; fiddle Romani; Greek; Polish
HT006 1989 Santiago Jimenez, Jr.; Los Reyes de Albuquerque; & others. Festival of Latin Music: Raices Musicales accordion; fiddle Mexican
Curator of Collections & Exhibitions
Fiestas of San Juan Nuevo: Ceremonial Art from Michoacan Mexico

Traveling exhibit from Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 1988.
Supplemented with performance by a local singer from Michoacan.

The Making of the 5-String Banjo: From Hollowed Gourds to Silvered Rims

Designed exhibit around the Old Town School's collection of S.S. Stewart banjos, 1989 and 1991.
Supplemented with performances by Bill Morris (classical banjo), Clarke Buehling & the Skirt Lifters (minstrel banjo & old-time music), and a performance by Tommy Thompson of his one-man play, The Last Song of John Proffitt.

Weaving an Identity: Folk Art from Guatemala

Co-curated by Juan Dies, 1990.
Supplemented with performances of a local folkloric dance group, a refugee youth street theater group, and the marimba ensemble, Ixim W'Anima from Toronto along with the local refugee youth marimba group, Oxib K'ajou.

Traditional and Contemporary Indian Art from the Shores of Lake Michigan

Co-curated by Okeechee (Wild Horse), aka Sharon Sklar (Fort Sill Apache), 1992.

HT203 2003 Los Camperos de Valles Festival of Mexican Son fiddle/Son Huasteca Mexican
GL210 2003 Paul Tyler & Friends Tribute to the WLS National Barn Dance fiddle; guitar; vocals Anglo-American
HT204 2005 Serafin Ibarra Festival of Mexican Son fiddle/Son Caletano Mexican
HT206 2007 Dirk Powell workshop fiddle/Cajun Anglo-American
GL235 2008-09 Simbolo Norteña Folk & Roots Festival Conjunto Mexican
GL239 2009 Dan & Rayna Gellert Folk & Roots Festival fiddle & banjo Anglo-American
HT229 2010 Red Stick Ramblers Folk & Roots Festival jam session fiddle & accordion Cajun
HT225 2010 Osiris Caballero class visit fiddle/Son Huasteco Mexican
HT226 2010 Rudi Pietsch class visit fiddle Austrian
HT233 2010 Trio Ollín residency fiddle; songs; rituals Mexican
HT239 2010 Felipe Valle workshop fiddle/Son Huasteco Mexican
GL250 2009-15 Lanialoha Lee; Mary Allsopp; Dena El Saffar; & others miscellaneous workshops drums; fiddle Polynesian; Nordic; Arabic
HT250 2009-14 Anders & Maria Larsson; De Temps Antan; Oisin Mac Diarmada; Mono Blanco; & others miscellaneous workshops fiddle; Son Jarocho Swedish; Quebecois; Irish; Mexican
GL258 2014 Folkestra (a youth band from Sage Gatehead arts center in Newcastle-on-Tyne). exchange visit, Global Dance Party fiddle, accordion; &c British
GL293 2015 Nicolae Fereru; Jim Stoynoff; Liz Carroll; Juan Rivera Iron Heart cimbalom; clarinet; fiddle Romani; Greek; Irish; Mexican
HT287 2016 Neil & Terri Rosenberg &c. invitational jam bluegrass; fiddle Anglo-American; Canadian

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Midwest Fiddle Championship

Sponsored by the Old Town School of Folk Music

ID# Date No/Divisions Winner Participants Ethnicity
GL211 07/12/2003 1st - Invitational Charlie Walden Chirps Smith; Chuck Horneman  Anglo-American
GL212 07/11/2004 2nd - Fiddle Team Stephanie Coleman & Steve Rosen Mary Allsopp w/ Tuuletargad; Renato Cerón; Polish Highlanders; Sean Colledge Estonian; Mexican
GL220 07/10/2005 3rd - Fiddle Team Chirps Smith & Fred Campeau Elizabeth Lamberti & Chris Petrakos; Maria McCullough & Yahvi Pichardo; Steve Rosen & Paul Tyler; Mexican; Anglo-American
GL221 07/09/2006 4th - Fiddle Teams Genevieve Harrison & Smith Koester
Will & Holly Whedbee; Kristen Bern & Maggie Danaher; Jordan Wankoff & Michell Utzerath; Katie Bern & Matt Danaher Cajun; Irish; Anglo-American
GL222 07/15/2007 5th - Fiddle Teams Chirps Smith & Fred Campeau Katie Bern & Matt Danaher; Maggie Danaher & Kristen Bern; Genevieve Harrison & Smith Koester; Maria McCullough & Yahvi Pichardo Irish; Mexican; Anglo-American
GL238 07/13/2008 6th - Fiddle Teams
6th - Fiddle Bands
Katie Bern & Matt Danaher
Tarima Son
Chicago Spelmanslag; Genevieve Koester; Irekani Fereya w/ Tarima Son; Polish Highlanders Nordic; Mexican; Anglo-American
GL244 07/9/2009 7th - Fiddle Bands Juan Rivera with Los Pichardo Rick Veras & Reggio McLaughlin; Hatfield Sisters; Izaki Metropoulos w/ Orpheus Hellenic Ensemble Mexican; Irish; Greek
GL251 07/10/2010 8th - Open Division
8th - Fiddle Bands
Rachel Baiman & Eva Walsh
Dorian Gehring & the Cajun Vagabonds
Moravian Cimbalom Village Band; Kristen Bern; Rachel Baiman
Slavic; Irish; Anglo-American
GL257 07/09/2011 9th - Fiddle Team Los Pichardo with Gabby Pichardo Maggie Danaher & Monica Severance Mexican; Irish; Anglo-American
GL267 07/21/2012 10th-Solo Fiddle
Fiddle Teams
Steve Rosen
Third Sunday Fiddlers
Sean Colledge; Heather Malyuk, Evan Brayer Collins & Chris Kimmons Anglo-American
GL276 07/13/2013 11th - Solo Fiddle
Fiddle Teams
Tim Macdonald
The Wren & the Whistler
Kalman Strauss; Dan Gillespie; Chico Welch; Tim Macdonald; Judy Higgins Klezmer; Scottish; Anglo-American
GL283 07/__/2014 12th - Solo Fiddle
Fiddle Teams
Tim Macdonald
Iron County Brass Ensemble (Evan Brayer Collins)
Tyler Wilson & Fred Campeau; Jess McIntosh; Jim Becker & Steve Rosen Scottish; Anglo-American
GL294 07/__/2015 13th - Solo Fiddle
Fiddle Teams



In the 10th year of the contest, we added a Battle of the Bands. The Old Town School had just opened a new building with a large dance hall. The Battle pitted three bands against each other with the prize money going to the band that got the most dancers on the floor. (That public story was a fiction. Each band was paid and each Battle miraculously ended in a tie.)

GL268 07/21/2012 1st - Battle of the Bands Brown's Dream
Cajun Vagabonds
Tarima Son

Anglo-American
Cajun
Mexican Son
GL277 07/13/2013 2nd - Battle of the Bands Money Creek Boys
Chicago Spelmanslag
Fruteland Jackson

Anglo-American
Scandinavian
Blues
GL284 07/14/2014 3rd - Battle of the Bands Renato Anesi Trio
Byzantine Time Machine
Fantastic Toe Trippers Orchestra

Brazilian
Greek
multi-cultural
GL295 07/__/2015 4th - Battle of the Bands Nicolae Feraru & his Gypsy Orchestra
Jim Stoynoff Greek Band
Juan Rivera & Los Condedados Huastecos
Genevieve Harrison & White Mule

Romani
Greek
Mexican Son
Anglo-American
GL300 07/__/2016 5th - Battle of the Bands Jafra (Ronnie Malley's Debka Band)
Teresa Shine & Friends
Fiddle Club of the World Orchestra

Arabic
Irish
multi-cultural

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Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)

Featured Guests

& Antti Järvelä
ID# Date Artist Hometown Style Ethnicity
HT210 03/14/2008 Paddy Jones County Kerry, Ireland sliabh luachra Irish
GL226 04/20/2008 Chirps Smith Lagrange, Wisconsin Midwestern traditionala Anglo-American
GL239 05/10/2008 Will & Holly Whedbee Chicago Cajun French
HT213 07/20/2008 Felipe Valle & Juan Rivera Mexico City & Chicago son huasteca Mexican
HT214 10/04/2008 Frank Ferrell Bath, Maine New England traditional Anglo-American
HT215 10/30/2008 Alan Jabbour & Ken Perlman Washington DC traditional Anglo-American
GL240 11/30/2008 Karen Solgard Minneapolis, Minnesota hardingfele Norwegian
GL242 03/28/2009 Dan Gellert Dayton, Ohio traditional Anglo-American
HT220 09/25/2009 Arto Jarvela Ulvsby, Finland polska, marssi &c Finnish
HT222 10/16/2009 Pete Sutherland with Jeremaiah McLane & Mark Roberts Monkton, Vermont traditional &c Anglo-American
GL247 02/19/2010 Liz Knowles & Pat Broaders Chicago reels, jigs &c Irish
GL248 03/28/2010 Dennis Stroughmatt Albion, Illinois Midwestern French French
GL249 04/18/2010 Genevieve Harrison Koester & Smith Koester Chicago Midwestern traditional Anglo-American
HT224 05/02/2010 Matt Brown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania traditional Anglo-American
HT227 06/06/2010 Rudi Pietsch Vienna, Austria polka, landler &c German
HT228 06/08/2010 Paul Brown with the Mostly Mountain Boys Winston-Salem, North Carolina traditional Anglo-American
HT228 06/08/2010 Polka Chicks Helsinki, Finland polkka, polska &c Finnish
HT230 07/16/2010 Jim Lansford & Kim Lansford Galena, Missouri traditional Anglo-American
HT232 10/24/2010 Vesta Johnson with Steve Hall Kirkwood, Missouri traditional Anglo-American
GL252
11/21/2010 Kenny Stone Dyer, Indiana bluegrass Anglo-American
GL254 01/16/2011 Mary Allsopp & Tim Anderson & John Hall Glen Ellyn, Illinois polska, schottis &c Swedish; Nordic
GL255 02/20/2011 Charlie Walden & Patt Plunkett Evanston, Illinois Missouri old-time Anglo-American
HT235 05/15/2011 Bruce Greene Burnsville, North Carolina traditional Anglo-American
GL256 05/15/2011 Kathleen Keane Chicago reels, jigs &c Irish
HT238 05/29/2011 Sule Greg Wilson Flagstaff, Arizona Black banjo &c African-American
GL260 10/23/11 Lynn Frederick with Fred Campeau & Steve Rosen Brady Lakes, Ohio traditional Anglo-American
GL261 12/19/11 Michi Regier with Peasants Abroad Lake Zurich, Illinois traditional Slavic
HT244 02/24/12 David Greely Lafayette, Louisiana Cajun French
HT245 03/03/12 Arto Jarvela & Kaivama Finland/Minneapolis, Minnesota traditional Finnish
HT246 03/23/12 Deirdre Ni Chonghaile with Jessica Zeigler Chicago reels, jigs &c Irish
GL265 04/14/12 Ed Cosner & Katie Bern Portage, Indiana
Palos Heights, Illinois
bluegrass Anglo-American
GL266 05/20/12 Dorian Gehring Chicago Cajun French
HT248 06/04/12 Anders & Maria Larsson Sweden traditional Swedish
HT252 07/08/12 Clarke Buehling Fayetteville, Arkansas classic banjo Anglo-American
GL271 09/30/12 Frank Hall Ireland traditional Anglo-American
GL272 11/30/12 Jutta & the Hi-Dukes Evanston, Illinois Balkan, Klezmer Jewish
GL274 01/27/13 Jimmie Keane, Jr. Chicago reels, jigs &c Irish
HT253 03/10/13 Kirk Sutphin & Bertram Levy Walkertown, North Carolina & Port Townsend, Washington traditional Anglo-American
HT256 06/24/13 Bjarv Sweden & Colorado traditional Swedish
HT257 09/29/13 Vidar Skrede Helsinki, Finland traditional Norwegian
GL279 10/13/13 Stuart Rosenberg Skokie, Illinois Klezmer, classical Jewish
GL280 12/01/13 Dickey's Disciples [Lotus Dickey CD release party] Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri traditional Anglo-American
GL282 01/26/14 Don Stiernberg Skokie, Illinois swing, jazz Anglo-American
HT260 04/13/14 Folkestra Gateshead, England traditional English
HT263 09/28/14 Pete Sutherland w/ Pete's Posse Montpelier, Vermont traditional Anglo-American
HT264 10/06/14 Arto Järvelä Finland traditional Finnish
HT265 11/09/14 Maja Jacobsen & David Boulanger Denmark & Quebec traditional Danish & Quebecois
GL286 11/02/14 Judy Higgins & the Big Dogs Chicago traditional Anglo-American
GL288 11/30/14 Pop Wagner & Bob Bovee Minneapolis, Minnesota traditional Anglo-American
GL289 01/11/15 Ain Haas Indianapolis, Indiana traditional Estonian
HT267 02/26/15 Beverly Smith & John Grimm Dahlonega, Georgia traditional Anglo-American
GL290 04/04/15 Stephanie Coleman Skokie, Illinois traditional Anglo-American
HT268 05/12/15 Kristian Bugge & Mette Jensen Denmark traditional Danish
GL292 05/31/15 Colby Maddox
Chicago Bluegrass Anglo-American
GL296 09/25/15 Maria McCullough & Yahvi Pichardo
Chicago Son Caletano Mexican
GL297 10/09/15 Blue Eagle String Band
Maywood, Evanston & Oak Park, Illinois old-time Anglo-American
HT273 04/22/16 Harry Bolick New York traditional Anglo-American
GL299 03/06/16 Tim Macdonald
Chicago traditional Scottish
GL302 05/13/16 Don Ricardo & Don Miguel Ibarra
Skokie, Illinois Son Caletano Mexican
HT274 06/16/16 Kristian Bugge, Lydom Sonnich & Alfred Hoirup Denmark traditional Danish
HT275 06/19/16 Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt Kansas City, Missouri traditional Anglo-American
HT276 09/15/16 Sara Pajunen & Tejia Niku as Aallotar Minnesota & Finland traditional Finnish
GL303 10/23/16 Laurel Premo & Anna Gustavsson Michigan & Sweden traditional American; Swedish
GL304 11/18/16 Brandi Berry
& Brandon Acker
Chicago Baroque Anglo-American
HT278 01/27/17 South Carolina Broadcasters North Carolina old-time; bluegrass Anglo-American
HT279 02/17/17 Blake Miller Lafayette, Louisiana Cajun French
GL305 03/12/17 Steve Gibons
Chicago Romani Jazz
HT280 05/12/17 Ken Keppeler & Jeannie McLerie Silver City, New Mexico traditional; Native Anglo-American
HT281 06/22/17 Tricia Spencer & Howard Rains Lawrence, Kansas traditional Anglo-American
HT284 10/18/18 Marie-Theres Stickler, Theresa Aignr & Sebastian Rastl of Die Tanzgeiger Austria traditional Austrian

After a 10-year run, the Chicago Chapter of the Fiddle Club of the World scaled back to a short concert and jam session the 2nd Monday of each month in the back room of the Grafton Pub. All featured guests were local fiddlers.

GL307 11/12/18 Fred Campeau Skokie, Illinois traditional Anglo-American
GL308 12/10/18 Chirps Smith Lagrange, Wisconsin traditional Anglo-American
GL181 01/14/19 Steve Rosen & Paul Tyler Evanston, Illinois traditional Anglo-American
GL308 02/11/19 Vidar Skrede & Patrik Ahlberg Milwaukee; Chicago traditional Norwegian; Swedish
GL310 03/11/19 Genevieve Harrison & Smith Koester Chicago traditional Anglo-American
GL311 04/08/19 Charlie "Possum" Walden & Patt Plunkett Evanston, Illinois traditional Anglo-American
GL312 06/10/19 Matt Brown w/ Max & Otto Allard Chicago traditional Anglo-American
GL183 08/12/19 Fiddle Club of the World Orchestra Chicago traditional multi-cultural
GL313 09/09/19 Jess McIntosh Chicago traditional Anglo-American
GL314 10/14/19 Teresa Shines w/ OTSFM Irish Ensemble Chicago traditional Irish
GL315 12/09/19 Cat Buckley & Tim Anderson Chicago; Wheeling, Illinois traditional Nordic
GL182 01/13/20 Paul Tyler retirement bash Chicago traditional Anglo-American

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