Directed by Murray Lerner • 1967 • United States
Before WOODSTOCK and MONTEREY POP, there was FESTIVAL. From 1963 through 1966, Murray Lerner visited the annual Newport Folk Festival to document a thriving, idealistic musical movement as it reached its peak as a popular phenomenon. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny Cash, the Staple Singers, Pete Seeger, Son House, and Peter, Paul and Mary were just a few of the legends who shared the stage at Newport, treating audiences to a range of folk music that encompassed the genre’s roots in blues, country, and gospel as well as its newer flirtations with rock and roll. Shooting in gorgeous black and white, Lerner juxtaposes performances with snapshot interviews with artists and their fans, weaving footage from four years of the festival into an intimate record of a pivotal time in music—and in American culture at large.
The following program features interviews with director Murray Lerner, associate editor Alan Heim, and assistant editor Gordon Quinn. It was produced in 2017.
This 2017 program considers the American folk music movement during its most vital years. It features FESTIVAL outtakes, a 2007 interview with director Murray Lerner, and interviews recorded by Lerner with music festival producer George Wein and musicians Joan Baez, John Cohen, Judy Collins, Buff...
