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Ellis Paul

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Club Passim's 47 @ 47 Anniversary Celebration

Richard Thompson, Tom Rush, Dar Williams, Ellis Paul
and Others Celebrate 47@47, Passims 47th Anniversary

Richard Thompson, Dar Williams, Tom Rush and Ellis Paul will join a host of artists to mark the 47th
anniversary of Club 47 and benefit its successor, the nonprofit Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center. 47@47 will be a three-day celebration with performances, stories and images from 47 years of Passims history. The celebration will take place May 19-21, 2005 and will feature two concerts at Harvards Sanders Theatre and a free concert on Cambridge Common, co-sponsored by the Cambridge Arts Council.

Passim will honor Robert L. Jones, producer of the Newport Folk Festival, at the Second Living Legends Award Concert on May 20. Bob ones performed at Club 47 in the 1960s and was instrumental in creating links between music clubs, coffeehouses and folk festivals.

Early on, it was hard to imagine folk music would mean so much to so many. Bob was such an important part of the early days and from his shows at Club 47 to producing the Newport Folk Festival, Bob has
continued to keep folk music in front of a large audience, said Betsy Siggins, executive director of Passim. Were thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Bob and recognize his contributions, which have
been invaluable in keeping folk music alive.

47@47: A Three Day Celebration
Thursday, May 19, Sanders Theatre: 47x47, A Retrospective

The event will showcase alumni representing four decades of Club Passims history. Hosted by Tom Rush, the concert will feature performances from Tom, Lori McKenna, and Ellis Paul, among others.

Friday, May 20, Sanders Theatre: the Second Living Legends Award Concert
This performance will honor Robert L. Jones. Hosted by Jim Rooney, the concertwill feature Richard Thompson, Geoff Muldaur, Ollabelle, Dar Williams and others.

Saturday, May 21, Cambridge Common: Festival 47 -- A Concert For Cambridge

To thank the community, Passim will host a free music festival on theCambridge Common, co-sponsored by the Cambridge Arts Council. The concert will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a childrens performance and continue with performances from Chris Smither, the Resophonics, Jim Kweskin, Jake Armerding, Rachael Davis, The Benders, Christopher Williams, Sarah Borges and The Loomers.

Both shows at the Sanders Theatre will begin at 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices for Thursday are $35, $50 and $100 (the $100 ticket includes a post-event VIP reception at Club Passim.) Friday ticket prices are $50, $100 and $250 (the $250 ticket includes a VIP reception with Bob Jones at Sanders Theatre.) Tickets for the shows are available starting Wednesday, March 9, 2005 through the Sanders Theatre Box Office or by calling 617-496-2222. For more information or online ticket sales, visit www.fas.harvard.edu/~memhall/sanders.html

Why Celebrate a 47th Anniversary?

47 may seem like a strange anniversary to celebrate, but for Passim, it makes sense. The venue began as Club 47 in 1958 and produced a generation of performers, record producers, festival organizers, and
managers who remain a great influence on todays music industry. Club 47 was one of the most influential clubs of its kind during the 1960s folk boom. Many legendary artists started at Club 47 and Passim before going on to play larger venues, including Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Jimmy Buffett, Taj Mahal, Patty Larkin, Jackie Washington and Suzanne Vega, among many others.

Club 47 was an extremely cool little folk club on Mount Auburn Street that was, as chance would have it, only a block from my dorm room, said Tom Rush. While some (my parents) might have argued that it
contributed to my delinquency, for me it brought a whole realm -- many realms in fact -- of music alive, music that becamethe focus of my life.

Passim Today: A non-profit mission

Today, Club 47 is known as Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the cultivation and preservation of folk music. Passim runs four programs, including:Club Passim, the oldest operating folk club in the nation, continues to bring in the best established and emerging musicians in an intimate setting. Club Passim produces over 400 concerts a year. Culture for Kids, a free educational program targeted to low-income youth brings children from all backgrounds together to learn about
world cultures and the diversity of the music world though song, dance, crafts, traditional foods and singing.
Passim School of Music, one of the only schools in New England to focus explicitly on folk music offers
classes in guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, voice, songwriting techniques, and world music instruments.
The New England Folk Music Archive Project - With hundreds of photos, recordings, and pieces of memorabilia, the Passim Archive is creating a permanent record of the folk music scene centered in Harvard Square from 1958 to the present. This archive will serve as
a resource to students, beginning musicians and scholars.

While celebrating the history of the Cambridge folk music phenomenon, 47@47 is also a benefit to raise
critically needed funds that will allow the Passim Center to expand. Within the next few years, Passim needs to renovate its current space to include these educational programs in a permanent and publicly accessible setting and become a true center of education, research and performance.

Folk music is part of our national history and Passim was and is an important cultural venue for folk music. But as a non-profit, we constantly struggle for money, continued Siggins. Our 47th benefit is an opportunity to celebrate history while raising awareness of Passims rich heritage and raising badly needed funds that will allow us to pass along the tradition of yesterdays, todays and tomorrows musicians.

The performers for the three-day festival are donating their time and talent to this cause, and the funds raised by the events will benefit the Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center.

About Passim

Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to the cultivation and preservation of folk music. Through its diverse programming  Club Passim, Passim School of Music, Archive Project, and Culture for Kids Passim Center reaches out to people of all ages, backgrounds, and communities. For 47 years in the heart of Harvard Square, the Passim Center has been a cornerstone of the arts community of New England, fostering both performers and audiences
alike.