Review by Gary Tooze

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Audio:

Extras:
• When We Played Newport, a new program featuring archival interviews with Lerner, music festival producer George Wein, and musicians Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Buffy Saint-Marie, Pete Seeger, and Peter Yarrow (30:35)
• Editing “Festival,” a new program featuring Lerner, associate editor Alan Heim, and assistant editor Gordon Quinn (26:33)
• Selection of complete outtake performances, including Clarence Ashley, Horton Barker, Johnny Cash, John Lee Hooker, and Odetta (20:52)
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Amanda Petrusich and artist bios by folk music expert Mary Katherine Aldin

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Description: Before Woodstock and Monterey Pop, there was Festival. From 1963 to 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 Staples 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 ’n’ 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.

***

An invaluable record of the Newport Folk Festival, the most important annual showcase for roots music from the late '50s through the next decade, Festival packs an amazing amount of information into its brief running time. Director Murray Lerner assembled footage he and several other cinematographers shot between 1963 and 1966 at Newport. The folk music boom that began in the late '50s with rise to popularity of groups such as the Kingston Trio reached its peak during these years, thanks to one man, Bob Dylan. But Dylan also undid the folk revival when he chose to plug in his guitar at the 1965 Newport Festival and play new, rock-oriented material accompanied by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. That moment is captured here, along with performances by many of the folk movement's leading lights, among them Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Donovan, Judy Collins, and Richard and Mimi Farina. Festival also shows how other genres of music were welcome at Newport, with the inclusion of Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, the Staples Singers, Mississippi John Hurt, and Sonny Terry. In the case of several veteran blues musicians, Newport provided their first exposure to a white audience outside of the South. The emphasis here is on presenting as many acts as possible, so no numbers are shown in their entirety. There are brief interviews with some of the musicians, but the information on them is largely imparted through their performances. Lerner's cameras also capture the youthful exuberance of the audiences, some of them seen jamming on their own instruments between shows.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Festival looks excellent on Blu-ray from Criterion and is cited as a "New, restored 2K digital transfer, approved by director Murray Lerner".  It's on a dual-layered Blu-ray, with max'ed out bitrate, and the image is rich with grain, exceptional contrast and piercing black levels. This was documented hand-held with kinetic camera movement. I love the visuals, which exclude vérité realism and even the darker, interior, sequences appear attractive. Outdoor shots are lighter but still hold their density. It is surprisingly clean and the occasional close-ups are impressive in their detail. I could have taken captures all day.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typically flat, linear PCM mono track at 1152 kbps (24-bit) - that actually sounds quite buoyant at times in terms of the film's soulful music. There are production limitations but the memorable standards of songs by Peter, Paul and Mary, Johnny Cash, Baez and Dylan transports you step back in time. The performances are priceless. Festival is presented with optional on-screen text that identifies musicians and the songs being performed by clicking the subtitle button (see sample above). My Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A' disc.

Extras :

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Festival is such an amazing time-capsule. It allows you to position yourself 'in the moment' - and the feeling of the time and place are 'magical' expressions beautifully exported in the presentation. I've been watching it for the past week - over and over. What an amazing time to be an artist. This Blu-ray package is a very strong recommendation to fans of all music, history or the amazing performers. Don't miss this one!

Gary Tooze

September 6th, 2017