At Town Hall [Bear Family] (1990)

About this title: This recording is probably the best existing representation of Hester's work, capturing her voice in all of its natural vibrancy, in a setting where spontaneity matters more than control. The repertory may also explain -- along with Hester's Southern/Texas twang -- why she never quite caught on with folk audiences nationwide. By 1965, Hester was already falling behind the times -- she does some topical songs like Phil Ochs' "What's That I Hear" and Gil Turner's "Carry It On," and her own haunting and ominous "Three Young Men," a tribute to murdered civil rights workers Goodman, Schwerner, and ... read more

Tracks:

1. Come on Back [Tomsco/Tomsco]
2. Come on In [Mapes]
3. 2:10 Train [Albertano/Campbell]
4. Captain, My Captain [Hester/Whitman]
5. Water Is Wide [Traditional]
6. Carry It On [Turner]
7. High Flying Bird [Wheeler]
8. Three Young Men [Hester]
9. Outward Bound [Paxton]
10. The Weaving Song [Hester/Spangler]
11. Sing Hallelujah [Settle]
12. That's My Song [Tomsco/Tomsco]
13. Summertime [Gershwin/Gershwin]
14. It Takes So Long [Jordan]
15. Ain't That Rain [Tomsco/Tomsco]
16. Buckeyed Jim [Traditional]
17. Will You Send Your Love? [Tomsco/Tomsco]
18. Jute Mill Song [MacColl/Scots/Tradi]
19. What's That I Hear? [Ochs]
20. Where Did My Little Boy Go? [Tomsco/Tomsco]
21. Sidewalk City [Davis/Jordan]
22. I Saw Her [Traditional]
23. The Bad Girl [Traditional]
24. Playboys and Playgirls [Dylan]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.