In Tribute to the Bob Dylan biopic film ‘A Complete Unknown’ . . .

 George Wein on Dylan taking Over Newport Folk Festival

George Wein, founder and producer of the Newport Folk Festival, tells the story of Bob Dylan's pivotal role as the "Crown Prince" of the Festival in the years leading up to his epic and transformative electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and the effect that the performance had on the Festival itself. In this interview filmed in 2018, we get a full picture of the folk music revival, which was led by Pete Seeger, and how Dylan's performance upended all that Seeger had built over many years. George Wein, who also created and produced the Newport Jazz Festival until his passing in 2021, also co-created and co-produced the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The impact that George had on so many genres of music -- all of which were a joy to him -- was and is indelible. George was also a highly accomplished professional musician who performed and toured until shortly before his passing.

Of course the context only make sense if you consider it in relationship to the Newport Folk Festival itself as his first single was indeed an electric band playing on ‘Mixed Up Confusion’ and B-side 'Corinna Corinna’ which although it sounded like an acoustic song was in fact electric at first here and it was the poor old folkies who struggled to keep up.

Boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same eh, Pete!? 

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