AllMovie

In this collection of footage taken from four consecutive years of the Newport Folk Festival, director Murray Lerner's lens focuses on a wide ranging variety of folk acts as they shepherd the beloved musical genre through some of its most crucial years. From the down home tunes of Son House and Mississippi John Hurt to the high profile folk of Peter, Paul and Mary and performances by such legends as Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, Lerner's revealing concert film lovingly traces the aesthetic evolution of one of America's most distinct musical styles.