Folkways

Last Sunday evening the two young ladies of 47 Mt. Auburn St. removed the tables and hid the cups to make rooms for some 150 chairs and a platform for folksingers Bill Wood and Joan Baez. From the management's point of view, the evening was a success--standing room only and only one visit from Cambridge's Finest. And from the audience's somewhat partisan point of view the evening was great.

Bill Wood has captured what he refers to as a "clean cut" following as a result of his Balladeers show on WHRB. (Where it not for the button-down collar on his brightly blue shirt he could have passed for a fugitive from Grand Ole Opry.) Miss Baez with her long black hair and soft brown eyes has a following more prone to beards and souls and such. But both singers share a professional stage presence and a delightful sense of humor. They combined to present an evening of folksongs "legitimate and illegitimate" that was always enjoyable and oftimes moving.

The most howling moments of the night occurred during the "illegitimate" folksongs, particularly when Miss Baez belted her way through some rock and roll with a bemused pleasure. Although Bill Wood's sense of humor is somewhat less forceful (a combination Maine farmer and West Virginia home-brewer), it is just about as effective in the long run, which is going some.

The greater and more memorable part of the concert, however, was dedicated to the technically more legitimate folk-song. In this realm, and particularly in several blues numbers, Bill demonstrated some fine guitar playing. For good measure, he included some calypso songs complete with audience participation ("ooonh!"). He has a pleasant voice, but it was rather overshadowed by Miss Baez's in several of their duets. Her legitimate folksongs were as exciting as her illegitimate songs were funny. Without trying to define just what it is that makes a folksinger better than the usual, finer than professional, suffice it to say that she can communicate a rare and beautiful sadness.

It is thus pleasant to learn that Miss Baez will return to 47 Mt. Auburn St. on Sunday evenings beginning March 15. It would be nice to know that Bill Wood would drop by also.