Created by Sonny Ochs at NERFA in 2010, “Wisdom of the Elders” brings together three respected members of the folk community to share their experience and perspectives.  This month we go back to the archives for a panel discussion centered around the New England folk scene, recorded on November 9, 2013 at the 19th Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference, held at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York.Guests:

Bob Jones - From starting as a volunteer in the early 1960s at the Newport Folk Festival, to being hired by George Wein in 1965, to helping convince Wein to resurrect Newport in 1985 and becoming it’s producer, Bob Jones helped shape both the folk and jazz communities by presenting both stars and giving a stage to unknowns.   He passed away in August of 2023. 

Betsy Siggins - A key figure of the New England folk scene of the 1960s, Betsy was a founding staff member of the legendary Club 47, and after the club closed in 1968 she worked for several non-profit organizations  including the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife.  She was lured back to Club 47s successor, Passim, and from 1997 to 2009 she served as the clubs Executive Director. She founded FOLK New England in 2009 to present and present the ongoing cultural legacy of the New England folk scene.

Jim Rooney - a pioneer in the the genre that has become know as American, Jim was a fixture on the Boston folk scene and served as a director and talent coordinator of he Newport Folk Festival.  As a musician, Jim has released a number of solo albums over the years and has produced albums for artists such as John Price, Iris Dement, Hal Ketchum, and Nanci Griffith’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms” which earned Jim a Grammy Award for production.

The discussion was hosted by series creator Sonny Ochs along with the late Scott Alarik, an author, journalist, folksinger, radio programmer, activist, and folksinger. Scott passed away in December 2021.