For the Love of the Music: The Club 47 Folk Revival

This music-filled documentary explores the rich history of Club 47, the iconic Cambridge, Massachusetts folk-music mecca, from 1958-1968. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this fascinating story explores the magic that emerged when a small group of talented musicians came together in a tiny coffeehouse and altered the course of American music. From the 60s folk revival to the dawn of the “singer-songwriter era,” the story is told through personal recollections by Club 47 performers, including Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, Judy Collins Tom Rush, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Jackie Washington, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan, and many more. “For the Love of the Music” also features previously unreleased audio recordings and photographs of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Eric Von Schmidt, inspiring new performances by many of Club 47’s original stars, as well as fresh songs from today’s young folk performers — proving that folk music never stops evolving

Starring: Scott Alarik, Taj Mahal, Joan Baez, Geoff Muldaur, Banana, Maria Muldaur, Joyce Chopra, Ellis Paul, Judy Collins, Jim Rooney, John Byrne, Cooke, Peter Rowan, Debbie Green, Tom Rush, Carolyn Hester, Betsy Siggins, Jim Kweskin, Bob Siggins, Everett Lilly, Jon Taplin, Everett Alan Lilly, Elijah Wald, Byron Linardos, and Jackie Washington Landrón

And featuring performances by: Judy Collins, Hayley Reardon, Antje Duvekot, Jim Rooney, Meg Hutchinson, Peter Rowan, The Jim Kweskin, Jug Band, Tom Rush, Geoff Muldaur, Jackie Washington Landrón, and Ellis Paul

With never-before released recordings of: Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Geoff Muldaur, Maria Muldaur, and Mel Lyman

I just saw a terrific documentary on Club 47 called For the Love of the Music: the Club 47 Folk Revival.

In any good documentary, there is usually a focus and it tries to show the viewing audience why the subject is important, and that’s what For the Love of the Music: the Club 47 Folk Revival delivered.

Currently, the venue is called Club Passim and it’s located in the Harvard Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts… however originally, in 1958 it was called Club 47, based on its address of 47 Mount Auburn Street. I wasn’t familiar with this historic folk music venue, but having watched For the Love of the Music: the Club 47 Folk Revival, I had a full understanding of the important role the venue played in the great folk music revival of the 60s.

What the directors/producers (Todd Kwait and Rob Stegman) got right was tracking down the important people involved in Club 47, including Joyce Chopra (who co-founded Club 47) and Betsy Siggins (served as Executive Director for many years). Some key figures like Paula Kelley (co-founder) could not be tracked down and author Eric Von Schmidt (who documented the Cambridge folk scene with Jim Rooney in their book Baby, Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years) passed away in 2007.

The big moment in folk music (or as some people in the documentary called it, “old timey music”) was when folk crossed over into mainstream. Artists like Bob Dylan and the Carpenters, etc., were finding themselves regularly in the charts, and in many ways thanks to Club 47 for booking these type of folk rock musicians. While similar artists like Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell were welcomed with open arms by the venue, the Lovin’ Spoonful and Bruce Springsteen were not.

Anyway, in between the narrative by Peter Coyote and interviews with various folk singer/songwriters and music historians, were some great live footage of folk musicians. The music didn’t go too long and used sparingly, except for the final section of the documentary which featured a full song “Stand Together” by Hayley Reardon, showcasing the ‘next generation’ of folk musicians.

If you have a passion for folk music, the new documentary For the Love of the Music: the Club 47 Folk Revival is a must-see for you… whether you are from that generation or this generation, it’s worth understanding the significance of Club 47. The DVD (or Blu-Ray) came out May 13th, and also available is the companion soundtrack, featuring full audio tracks by Tom Rush, Jack Landrón, Peter Rowan, Red Heart The Ticker, Tripping Lily, and many others.