A 13-song compilation of material recorded at the 1959, 1963, 1964, and 1966 Newport Folk Festival; it would have been nice if they'd been able to document what year each song was recorded. In any case, Live at Newport, 1959-1966 does reflect Judy Collins' artistic growth during this period, from an interpreter of strictly traditional fare to more contemporary material by Bob Dylan, Richard Farina, and others. Highlights include her versions of "Turn, Turn, Turn," "Blowin' in the Wind," "Hey, Nelly Nelly," "Get Together," "Hard Lovin' Loser," and "The Great Silkie," which has the same melody the Byrds used for "I Come and Stand at Every Door" on their Fifth Dimension album. All of the songs are previously unreleased, except "The Greenland Whale Fisheries," a duet with Theodore Bikel; on some tracks, Collins is accompanied on upright bass by Bill Lee, and on second guitar by Steve Mandell or Eric Weissberg. With good sound, a nice if not essential addition to the Collins catalog. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
I was at Newport in 1963 and 1966 and heard Judy sing these songs live. She is an icon of this era of music. This album is a must for all who lived and loved this era.