Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass (2012)

In the early 1960s, when Greenwich Village was bursting with a folk music revival, the Friends of Old Time Music made it their mission to introduce urban audience to some of the legends of pre-war American traditional music. After a 1961 series of concerts featuring Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson, Alan Lomax invited the artists and a who’s who of the folk revival back to his West 3rd Avenue apartment for an impromptu song swap. Filming was arranged on the fly and a raw, many-layered evocation of the art and attitude of the period emerges from the footage, with some of the biggest names of the era, old timers and revivalists alike: Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Jean Ritchie, Ernie Marrs, Peter LeFarge, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Guy Carawan,the Greenbriar Boys, and the New Lost City Ramblers.

Director: Alan Lomax
Genre: Documentary, Music
Runtime: 35 min
Release Date:

Cast

Cinematography: George Pickow
Editing: Anna Lomax Wood
Country: United States of America
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Alan Lomax
More Films in Genre: Documentary, Music

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass about?
In the early 1960s, when Greenwich Village was bursting with a folk music revival, the Friends of Old Time Music made it their mission to introduce urban audience to some of the legends of pre-war American traditional music. After a 1961 series of concerts featuring Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson, Alan Lomax invited the artists and a who’s who of the folk revival back to his West 3rd Avenue apartment for an impromptu song swap. Filming was arranged on the fly and a raw, many-layered evocation of the art and attitude of the period emerges from the footage, with some of the biggest names of the era, old timers and revivalists alike: Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Jean Ritchie, Ernie Marrs, Peter LeFarge, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Guy Carawan,the Greenbriar Boys, and the New Lost City Ramblers.
Who directed Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass?
Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass was directed by Alan Lomax.
Who stars in Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass?
Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass stars Alan Lomax, Memphis Slim, Willie Dixon, Jean Ritchie, Jack Elliott.
How long is Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass?
Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass has a runtime of 35m (35 minutes).
What genre is Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass?
Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass is a Documentary, Music film.
Where was Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass produced?
Ballads, Blues & Bluegrass was produced in United States of America.