The name of Tony Saletan brings back a host of personal memories, just a few of which I’ve assembled here.

I first met Tony when he performed at the New England Folk Festival in winter 1958. I was in Boston for the weekend, staying at Old Joe Clark’s, 32 Fayette St., Cambridge, the folksingers’ co-op boardinghouse, commune and hangout.

It was the spot for great weekend singing parties (though people with other interests also lived there then). But traditional music reigned, and we were pretty much picking and singing from dusk to dawn, and most of the daytimes too.

There Tony showed up and we swapped songs with each other and a dozen other singers long into the night. Our paths would cross a few times from then on. Tony was a delightful person, witty, energetic, an enthusiast of folk song who, among other things, resurrected the songs of the famed Hutchison Family of the 19th century. I’d just like to add my personal perspective, and a few items of his history that aren’t widely reported.

He was an indefatigable teacher of kids, often taking classes on trips to learn folk music in its various places of origin. He was a pioneer in bringing folk songs to children on public television—see his Wikipedia article for many more details.

Tony married Irene Kossoy of the famed Kossoy Sisters singing duo, and my wife and I delighted visiting them in their home. There Tony with his usual dry humor showed me his large collection of what he called “numerical instruments”—picked up in various second-hand stores around Boston. These were self-teaching zither-related items, plucked, bowed, and hammered. With names like Celestophone, Banjolin and Tremeloa. they bore helpful lettered spaces to help you learn to play from special sheet music. They were sold by mail order and door-to-door. The most successful of these by far was the Oscar Schmidt autoharp.

A personal memory from the Fox Hollow Festival, where both Tony and I performed in 197:. By then Tony and Irene had teamed up with Robin Christenson and his wife, Irene’s sister Ellen Kossoy, for a memorably fine quartet. I was honored when they asked me to accompany them on stage with mandolin—a great pleasure!

I would guess many others who’ve known Tony could tell you as much and more. His Wikipedia article is a starting-place, but much more remains to be said. He is greatly missed by all of us whose lives he touched.

Bob

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Line breaks added for readability. ---mudelf