From the coffeehouses of Greenwich Village to the stage of Woodstock, folksingers became a powerful cultural force in the 1960s, Mixing music and politics, tradition and innovation, romance and righteousness, these men and women were outspoken voices for their generation, each with a story to tell.

The Bleecker Street Tapes -- a collection of intimate profiles and essays by veteran music journalist Bruce Pollock, a Village resident and clubgoer during its heyday -- documents folk music's evolution from passing the hat to topping the charts.

Profiles include

Dave Van Ronk

Phil Ochs

Richie Havens

Tuli Kupferberg

Melanie

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Eric Andersen

Peter, Paul & Mary

Roger McGuinn

John Sebastian

Peter Tork

Maria Muldaur

Loudon Wainwright III

Janis Ian

The Roches

Harry Chapin

Suzanne Vega

Don McLean

Leonard Cohen