Peter, Paul and Mary at Newport 1963-65

Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey narrate this look back at folk legends Peter, Paul and Mary’s appearances at the Newport Folk Festival from 1963-65, which includes a few performances that were captured in Murray Lerner's 1967 film, Festival! In addition to several traditional numbers, the trio play three Bob Dylan covers, including an especially fine "Blowin' in the Wind." "Everybody just loved Mary," Yarrow recalls of his late band mate, who had an especially expressive way of singing: in performance, she shimmies, snaps her fingers, and shakes her head vigorously. Peter and Paul, both playing guitar, seem restrained in comparison. Although most of the 18 songs here feature two or more singers, Peter does a solo rendition of "Puff the Magic Dragon" with accompaniment from the audience who sings the chorus. Unfortunately, director Jim Brown awkwardly inserts voiceover from Peter and Paul at inopportune moments during the song. A cameraman also appears on stage, but that isn't especially distracting, not least since it was harder to remain invisible in the analog ‘60s. Beyond their performances on the main stage, the band members also appeared in workshops where they collaborated with other singers, like Joan Baez, Almeda Riddle, and Ronnie Gilbert of the Weavers on "Miner's Lifeguard" and "Go Tell Aunt Rhody." The compilation ends with an all-star singalong on "Come and Go With Me to That Land," featuring Peter, Paul and Mary with Baez, Odetta, and Pete Seeger. Presented in Dolby Digital mono, extras include bonus performances and an archival interview with Yarrow. A solid complement to Brown's 2016 documentary 50 Years with Peter, Paul and Mary (VL-3/17), this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)