The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival. The festival features performances by folk, blues, country, bluegrass, and folk rock musicians, and since the 1990s has featured performers from related contemporary genres, such as alternative country, indie folk and folk punk. (More from Wikipedia)
The Chambers Brothers , who are best known for their 1968 psychedelic hit song “Time Has Come Today”, had started out as a gospel quartet in the 1950’s and gradually edged into folk music during the early 1960’s. They went electric at about the same time that Bob Dylan did – and at some of the same venues even, such as the Newport Folk Festival.
(April 2013)
Linda Ronstadt also had a Broadway appearance in a revival of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. On Adieu False Heart, she paired up with Ann Savoy on a Cajun/folk album. One of Linda Ronstadt’s final concerts was as a headlining act at the 2007 Newport Folk Festival.
(October 2013)
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Following her performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, Joan Baez recorded her first album for Vanguard Records, Joan Baez, which was produced by Fred Hellerman of the Weavers. While not a big seller right away, it has been certified “gold”, as were Joan Baez, Vol. 2 and Joan Baez in Concert. Her early studio albums were mostly collections of traditional folk ballads and blues songs sung in her lovely soprano voice. However, Joan’s early concert albums were unusual in that they included new songs rather than traditional material or established songs.
(February 2014)
