Folk City: New York and the American Folk Music Revival

A blog about the American Folk Music Revival and its epicenter, New York City’s Greenwich Village.

The American Folk Music Revival

The American Folk Music Revival was a music movement in the United States that began in the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. The Revival introduced a generation of Americans to the music of their own country, and helped to revive and preserve traditional folk music. The Revival had lasting effects on the folk music scene in America, and on the American music scene in general.

The Origins of the Revival

In the mid-1940s, a group of young New Yorkers were frequenting a Greenwich Village club called the Odd Fellows Hall, where they would listen to music and dance. The young people at the Odd Fellows Hall were part of a larger movement that came to be known as the folk music revival.

The folk music revival had its origins in a number of places, including the work of ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, who documented folk music for the Library of Congress; the popularity of folk musicians like Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly; and the rise of left-wing politics in the United States. The revival was also influenced by British folk music, which was enjoying a resurgence in popularity in England at the same time.

The revivalists were interested in creating an American musical tradition that was separate from the commercial popular music of the day. They believed that traditional folk songs were more authentic and expressive than the pop songs being churned out by Tin Pan Alley. The revivalists also felt that songs could be used as a tool for political and social change.

The New York Scene

The New York scene was focused around a few clubs in Greenwich Village that served as incubators for the burgeoning folk music revival. The most important of these was the Gaslight Cafe, which was opened by folksinger Dave Van Ronk in 1958. The Gaslight was a seedy little club that attracted a diverse crowd of Beatniks, bohemians, and Greenwich Village hipsters. It quickly became the epicenter of the folk music scene in New York.

Other important clubs in the early days of the folk revival were the Bitter End and the Cafe Wha?, both of which were also located in Greenwich Village. The Bitter End was founded in 1961 and quickly became one of the most popular clubs in New York. The Cafe Wha? was originally a coffeehouse that featured live music, and it became one of the most popular places to see folk musicians in the early 1960s.

The Main Characters of the Revival

In the early nineteen-sixties, the American folk music revival was just getting underway. A new generation of folk singers was taking to the stage, reviving the sounds of earlier generations and bringing them to a new audience. Among the most important of these singers were Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger.

Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children’s songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This machine kills fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is “This Land Is Your Land”, which has been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Throughout his life Guthrie was associated with United States Communist groups, though he was not formally affiliated with the Communist Party USA until 1940.

Lead Belly

Lead Belly was born Huddie William Ledbetter on January 20, 1888, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. He began playing music at a young age and was first introduced to the twelve-string guitar by his uncle Terrell Ledbetter. He spent most of his life as a itinerant musician, playing at parties, juke joints, and other social gatherings. He also worked as a farmhand, logger, and longshoreman. In 1918, he was convicted of murdered and sentenced to thirty years in Angola State Penitentiary. While in prison, he met musicologist John A. Lomax, who was collecting folk songs for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped Lead Belly gain an early release from prison in 1925 on the condition that he accompany him on his travels to collect songs.

Lead Belly became one of the most popular figures of the American folk music revival. He recorded over four hundred songs during his career and influenced countless other musicians with his unique style of playing. He died of complications from cancer on December 6, 1949.

The Weavers

The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. The group is generally credited with igniting the post-World War II folk revival. Formed in 1948 by Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert, the Weavers achieved commercial success with their recording of Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene”, which topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. Despite their mainstream popularity, the Weavers were blacklisted during the McCarthy Era for their topical songs and left-wing political views.

The Folk City Years

The period from roughly 1940 to 1965 in New York City—and to a lesser extent, in other urban centers in the Northeast—was a golden age for American folk music. The scene revolved around a handful of nightclubs and coffeehouses, most notably the Gaslight Cafe and the Café Carlyle, where celebrities and everyday New Yorkers mingled with up-and-coming musicians.

The Rise of the Folk Scene

In the early 1960s, New York City was the center of the American folk music revival. The Newport Folk Festival, held each summer in Rhode Island, was the primary showcase for new talent, and the city’s Greenwich Village became the epicenter of the scene. Numerous cafés and clubs – including Folk City, Gerde’s Folk City, and The Bitter End – provided venues for both up-and-coming and established folk musicians.

The rise of the folk scene was due in part to the growing popularity of folk music on college campuses. Students were attracted to the music’s simple lyrics and melodies, which often conveyed political and social messages. At the same time, many traditional folk songs were being rediscovered by a new generation of listeners. The release of The Oxford Book of American Folk Songs in 1952 helped ignite the revival, and artists like Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Pete Seeger became major influences on the folk scene.

During this period, New York City also became home to a number of important folk music labels, including Folkways Records and Vanguard Records. These labels helped promote the work of emerging folk artists and preserve traditional folk music for future generations.

The Decline of the Folk Scene

The 1960s were a turbulent time for American music. The British Invasion decimated the folk scene, as young people turned to rock & roll. In addition, the popularity of soul and Motown drew audiences away from acoustic music. As a result, many of the clubs that had been bastions of the folk revival closed their doors.

In 1963, one of the most famous clubs in Greenwich Village, Folk City, was forced to close due to financial difficulties. The demise of Folk City was a severe blow to the folk scene, and many never recovered.

Despite the decline of the folk scene, there were still talented musicians who continued to perform and create great music. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell are just a few of the artists who kept the folk flame alive during this difficult period.

The Legacy of the Revival

In the 1950s and 1960s, American folk music experienced a revival. This resurgence was largely due to the work of a few key individuals and groups, who helped to bring the music to a new audience. Many of the artists who rose to prominence during the folk revival went on to have successful careers in the music industry, and their influence is still felt today.

The Impact of the Revival

The American Folk Music Revival had a significant impact on American music and culture. The Revival brought folk music to a wider audience, and it encouraged new performers to develop their own style of folk music. The Revival also inspired a new generation of folk musicians to create their own music.

The Legacy Today

The folk music revival of the 1950s and ’60s has left a lasting legacy. The music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and other revivalists continues to inspire musicians and listeners today.

The revival was also responsible for increasing awareness of and appreciation for traditional American folk music. This music, which had been passed down orally from generation to generation, was largely unknown to most Americans before the revival. Thanks to the work of the folklorists who collected it and the musicians who popularized it, this music is now an important part of our country’s cultural heritage.

Today, there are many ways to enjoy folk music. You can find it on the radio, on television, in concerts, and on recordings. You can also experience it firsthand by attending folk festivals or by participating in folk dance or singing groups. However you choose to experience it, the music of the folk revival will enrich your life and give you a deeper understanding of our nation’s history and culture.