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Mariposa: A Lonin an Onion working hard

success.” Elizdown, drawindown that roguess you waPennywhistleiharmonies dcConspiracy,theatrics andcohorts run IRosalie Sorrel

Patch ’

Joni Mitchell of festival©surprise guestclayed so brDylan “Self-country stylefinally, Odett;up the wholesand “Easy Rthe Range.”

by Billy Altmanand

course, music. During the afternoons, one neverquite knows where to go. The workshops go onsimultaneously, the very best musicians andfolklorists from Canada and the U.S. openingthemselves up and entrancing the hundreds ofdevoted listeners. All gaps between performer andaudience break down. You don’t need a big name ora Sunn amplifier to draw a crowd at this gathering.Just stand under a tree, take out your instrument, beit flute, washboard, harmonica, mandolin, dobro, oreven quitar and suddenly, people are circling aroundyou, interested in what you have to offer. Theydon’t care if you’re famous, how many albums youhave out, who you know. They’re here for one thing- music. And there’s more good music at Mariposathan there is anywhere.

branch that continues to grow all the time. It is aform based on culture, true culture. Songs andstories passed down for generations, through wholecountries, and across continents. It’s the music ofthe world. You find the same song sung hundreds 01

different ways, depending on who’s singing it andwhere he’s from. Contrasts of life styles are evident,but somehow we bring it all together and form onehuge circle and feel the same things as those whomwe have never even met.

Woody GraberSpectrum Staff Writers

The tenth Mariposa Folk Festival took place onCentre Island in Toronto last weekend. Mariposa isprobably the only festival that accomplishes its goal,that is, bringing people together. Being a folkfestival, Mariposa is considerably quieter than therock rip-offs we’re all so used to. The mood isrelaxed, the people friendly. People from all walks oflife and of all ages gather together for the enchantingferry boat ride that takes them to the island. No15-mile traffic jams, no seven car accidents.

Everyone knows they’ll get to the music and theyalso sense that the music is waiting for them.

Once you’re on Centre Island, you begin to getthis strange feeling that you’re in paradise. Trees andgrass all around, smiling faces on all sides and, of

Warm soup foFriday n

around a sm;So much for the geography of paradise. The

performers at Mariposa come here from all over theworld to give us their impressions of life and love.Some don’t even play any instruments; some playfour or five. But they’re all worth the smalladmission price.

some Indian cIndians flownthe entire wculture with tl

By Satungear. The hiworkshop, wlHutto, Jamessent the scat!

Friday night’s concert set the mood for theentire weekend. Most of the acts werentstar-studded, but the music was. Michael Cooney,the folksinger’s folksinger, the Pete Seeger of fun.

Folk cultureThere is one regulation for coming to Mariposa.

You should like folk music. Folk is the only musical afternoon conthe last New (

off the islandSaints Go Mar

David Rea 1 tor: David Bromberg, Jack Elliot, David Rea The nightOlympia Bamup onto the sof the highIndian lass icaptivated as tCree Indians, Ito a heartyHutto handleramazing displ;his Hawks weiran through i“Dust My Brcn\ were in one c

j night in ther, electric city s

home to themellower soun

i Guthrie’s protJack Ellic

'£ on dead druP legendary “sitit - through a fe• carpenter”, “(

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Page six . The Spectrum . Friday, July 31, 1970

—Sheedy James Taylor

onelyLittle Petuniaworking hard, as he put it “to avoid commercialsuccess.” Elizabeth Cotton, playing her guitar upsidedown, drawing an ovation for her rendition of “Coindown that road feeling bad,” and shyly saying; “Iguess you want to hear ‘Freight Train’ now.” ThePennywhistlers, six angel-like voices in intricateharmonies doing Slavic songs. The Perth CountyConspiracy, dazzling the crowd with Stratfordtheatrics and Mothers-type humor, while theircohorts run through the crowd with lit sparklers.Rosalie Sorrels, accompanied by one of the festival’ssurprise guest stars, guitarist David Bromberg, whoplayed so brilliantly on the Paul Siebel and newDylan “Self-Portrait” albums. Her plain, softcountry style hypnotized the entire audience. Andfinally, Odetta, the soul queen of folk music, fillingup the whole island with her powerful voice as shesand “Easy Rider” and that old favorite, “Home onthe Range.”

with the ferryboat whistle made us aware that theoutside world was still there trying to crash in on thebeauty of the festival.

Fred McDowellThe Sunday afternoon sRftws were simply

unbelieveable. Ramblin’ Jack did a two hour showon Woodie Guthrie that had everyone in a dreamstate. As soon as he could tear himself away fromthe screaming crowd. Jack went off to another twohour session, this time with Bromberg and Toronto’sown David Rea. The three swapped songs andharmonies with Bromberg filling in with guitar anddobro licks. Meanwhile, over at the bluegrassworkshop, Eric Nagler, a fine banjo player, hostedsome very inspiring music, finishing up with my(Billy’s) band, the South Happiness Street SocietySkiffle Band, drawing a crowd of five hundredpeople to “How Come You Do Me Like You Do.”

relaxed a bit. The audience, on her side all the way,responded vigorously to each song. Jont’s added thedulcimer to her instrumental array and she did asong called “California” which she wrote in Spain,while she was “wishing I was home.” The peoplejoined in on “Woodstock” and her first encore“Circle Game.” Called back for a second encore,Joni responded to a request for “Chelsea Morning.”She was wailing away, smiling happily, and gentlyswaying back and forth.

Time had, unfortunately, run out. OwenMcBride bade us goodnight and, with our heads inthe clouds, we slowly departed. Any bad thoughts,like the few hundred who tried to crash the gatesSaturday and Sunday nights, were easily forgotten.We went to the ferry, played on the line, sang on theboat, and continued even after we were back on thecity proper. Mariposa was a dream come true, heavenon earth, peace.

It is aigs and

r wholemsic ofIreds oiit and PA troubles

;videnl As with any good festival (and there aren’t toomany of those), the best was saved for last. Sundaynight’s concert covered quite a lot of groundmusically. Owen McBride, Sunday’s host, did amagnificent impromptu set (Merle Travis hadcancelled) with some innocently off-color Irishdrinking songs. Sara Grey, an Appalachian lady, hadeveryone floating with her soft, clear voice. Duringher act the PA system broke down, but Sara bravedthrough the storm, waited for everything tostraighten out, and carried on beautifully.

irm one: whom

Warm soup for warm heartsFriday night ended with everyone crowding

around a small campfire singing songs and eatingsome Indian corn soup prepared by a troupe of CreeIndians flown in from Manitoba. The Indians spentthe entire weekend exchanging ideas and theirculture with the people.

By Saturday afternoon, the festival was in highgear. The highlight of the day was the bluesworkshop, where Mississippi Fred McDowell, J.B.Hutto, James Taylor and the Olympia Brass Bandsent the scattered hundreds into a frenzy. As theafternoon concert ended, the Olympia band, one ofthe last New Orleans marching bands, led the peopleoff the island with a rousing version of “When theSaints Go Marching In.”

The night concert Saturday started off with theOlympia Band marching through the audience andup onto the stage. Their foot-stomping set was oneof the high points of the entire festival. LovelyIndian lass Alanis Obomsawin held the crowdcaptivated as she sang some of her tribe’s songs. TheCree Indians, led by their joke-cracking chief, dancedto a hearty reception. Fred McDowell and J. B.Hutto handled the blues part of the show with anamazing display of dexterity and feeling. Hutto andhis Hawks were called back for two encores as theyran through many fine Chicago standards, such as“Dust My Broom .” Hutto made all of us feel like we

se. Theiver theid love,ae play

; small

for theweren l The last half of the show was beyond criticism.

David Rea played magnificently for the hometowncrowd, his magic fingers flying over the tretboard.He did two exceptionally fine guitar songs, “I’m inLove with a Woman for the Way She Walks” and“David and Goliath.” The latter, a fast and loose“hip Bible” song, was the funniest thing all weekend.Norman Kennedy, a Scottish singer, brought theaudience to its feet with his acapella singing. Goingfrom Scottish ballads to Irish jigs, the reaction he gotshowed just how good the crowd was. That one man,without a single instrument, could leave tenthousand people clamoring for more, is indeed aphcnomanon. And it can take place only atMariposa. Next to last was James Taylor. Most of thepeople had never seen James before, and he reallyknocked them out with his shy, self-mockingapproach. Playing songs like “Fire and Rain”,“Country Road", “Carolina in My Mind” and“Sweet Baby James”, Taylor conveyed his sensitive,probing words and music to the audience. Comingback for his second encore with an “Aw, shucksfolks”, Taylor enthralled each and every personwithin earshot.

looney Norman Kennedyof fun

i were in one of the South Side bars on a SaturdayI night in the windy city. In sharp contrast to the| electric city sound, McDowell took us back down

home to the Delta with country picking and amellower sound.

i Guthrie’s protegeJack Elliot (or Ramblin’ Jack, as you will) came

on dead drunk and stole everyone’s heart. The" legendary “singing cowboy from Brooklyn” rambled

fc-’ through a few tunes, most notably “If I were amjL carpenter”, “God on our Side”, and “Sadie Brown”,» on which David Bromberg showed he could pick

with the best of them. Doug Kershaw, complete withM velvet suit and eletric violin, stomped through the

■ft Louisiana swamp tunes that have made him “theCajun king of the Bayou.” His running argument

Climax to a beautiful weekendFinally, the princess herself, Joni Mitchell, came

on. Joni had not played before an audience for sixmonths. Her last American appearance wasremember at Kleinhans in December. Then, Joni,emotionally stirred, was almost crying during songslike “Cactus Tree” and “Willy.” Now, after a muchneeded rest in Greece, she shyly approached themicrophone. She was very nervous and shecautiously went through “Big Yellow Taxi.” Nextcame “Marcie” and “Nathan La Freneer” and Joni

V

Friday, July 31, 1970 . The Spectrum . Page seven