This Harvard Square club is a longtime haven for folk musicians : World Cafe : World Cafe Words and Music Podcast : NPR

Matt Smith, Club Passim’s managing director

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Matt Smith, Club Passim’s managing director

George Murphy/WXPN

Cambridge, Mass., is full of grand academic buildings. It’s a place that oozes prestige, grandeur and history.

But nestled in an alley in Harvard Square, down some stairs and so unassuming that you might walk by without even realizing it was there, is a legendary music venue as important as any of Cambridge’s stately halls.

Club Passim has been a sanctuary for folk music for over 60 years. Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan and arguably any major folk musician you can think of have all performed at this intimate venue.

To kick off our Sense of Place: Boston series, we talked with Club Passim’s managing director, Matt Smith, to find out how this modest club became a cornerstone of Boston’s music scene.

Smith and World Cafe host Raina Douris on the stage of Club Passim.

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Smith and World Cafe host Raina Douris on the stage of Club Passim.

George Murphy/WXPN

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.

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