Pete Seeger: The Power of Song is a fairly conventional, albeit very interesting, biography of the eponymous folk singer. Following a fairly straightforward chronology, the film uses archival photos, performance clips, and interviews to provide an overview of Seeger’s life and the importance of his work. Because Seeger’s main body of work began in the 1940s, plenty of performance footage exists and The Power of Song provides plenty of examples from various stages of Seeger’s career.

The strength of the film resides in the interviews. Because Seeger and many of his contemporaries are still alive, the filmmakers were able to interview a wonderful array of people, including his family, those he performed with, such as Ronnie Gilbert, Joan Baez and Mary Travers, and those he influenced, such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Natalie Maines.

Pete Seeger comes across the way many people would expect: committed to his values, dedicated to his music, and beloved by his family and friends. The downside to this is that the film offers few if any surprises. Seeger’s life was very public and much of it became the stuff of legend which also leaves the film little to reveal.

The value of Pete Seeger: The Power of Song probably lies down the road when the facts of his life fade from memory and when Seeger and his contemporaries pass on. Future generation will be fortunate that the filmmakers decided to make this film when they did as it will proved to be a great document of this important socially conscious musician.