This recording is from the personal collection of the poet Mel Weisburd, who during the 1950s was the editor of the influential journal of California poetry, Coastlines. Accounts of California poetry of the time now increasingly identify the group of poets associated with the journal (a circle dubbed the "Coastliners" by Weisburd) as an important alternative to the more visible Beat communities of San Francisco and Venice. Weisburd avidly sought to document the poetry activity of Los Angeles in the 50s, which recorded a number of legendary happenings and readings. This recording is a re-broadcasting of the Weavers, a folk music band, of which Pete Seger was a member, performing at Carnegie Hall, on Christmas Eve, 1955. This was a sold-out concert and was their reunion show after they disbanded in 1952 due to the backlash of being blacklisted during the McCarthy era. They released an LP (recording #VRS9010) of the Carnegie Hall show in 1957 with Vanguard Records, an independent record label who
had the courage to break with the entertainment industry and record blacklisted performers, including the Weavers. The latter half of the reel is a recording of stand up comedian Mort Sahl. He was born in Canada, but moved to Los Angeles and went to Belmont HS. After a stint in the Marines, he attended Compton College and later USC. He is said to have invented modern stand-up comedy, and helped host the Academy Awards in 1959.
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