The Best of Hootenanny

To everything there is a season, and for one season at least (1963-64), American folk music had a primetime showcase. Each week, Hootenanny would travel to a different college campus, where folk music legends and rising stars were given a national stage that lifted them out of the proverbial coffeehouses and basement dives. The stellar roster in this three-disc compilation featuring over 80 songs performed live includes Theodore Bikel, Miriam Makeba, Judy Collins, Ian & Sylvia, Bob Gibson, the Chad Mitchell Trio, the Clancy Brothers, the Limeliters, the New Christy Minstrels, and the Serendipity Singers. There are ramblin' songs ("Lonesome Traveler"), protest songs ("The John Birch Society"), and traditional songs ("Froggie Went A-Courtin'”). If you saw Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind, you might not be able to watch this with a straight face, at least initially. But the sheer joy, exuberance, and passion of the music will soon blow you away, and you'll find yourself singing along to such standards as "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "The Midnight Special," "Wimoweh," "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Down by the Riverside," and, yes, "Kumbayah." The Best of Hootenanny includes an historic performance by the interracial trio the Tarriers, and while Pete Seeger—a victim of the McCarthy-era blacklist—was reportedly banned from the show, he's represented in spirit here by songs such as "Turn, Turn, Turn." Hootenanny also offered exposure to country, bluegrass, and jazz performers, including a young Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, the Dillards (fans of The Andy Griffith Show know them as the Darlings), and Herbie Mann. Other revelations include Carly Simon performing as one half of the Simon Sisters; John Phillips, later of the Mamas and the Papas, as a member of the Journeymen; and Glen Campbell playing bass behind Trini Lopez on "If I Had a Hammer." Also featuring some comic relief are standup performances by such rising young entertainers as Bill Cosby and Woody Allen. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)