Since Tom Rush’s 1962 debut as an unknown folk-blues musician on the Boston/Cambridge music scene, he has established himself as a consummate performer and singer-songwriter well-known for his “golden ears” in discovering new talent (he was the first to record songs by then-unknowns James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell).

To mark his five-decade career anniversary, Tom chose to revive his much-missed annual “Club 47 Series” (named after the Boston coffeehouse that was the city’s early folk HQ). He organized a holiday concert at Boston Symphony Hall last December, performing his own set and hosting old friends (fellow Appleseed artists David Bromberg and Jonathan Edwards, Buskin & Batteau) and new (Dom Flemons of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops string band) as featured performers and as backing musicians for himself and each other.

The sounds and sights of this historic and delightful concert at now available on Tom’s new 2-disc live CD/DVD, Celebrates 50 Years of Music. On the 13-song CD and 17-song DVD, Tom displays his intimate, conversational baritone vocals, adept guitar-work, relaxed charm and droll humor in a program encompassing all phases of his career – the folk-blues of “Drop Down Mama,” a rocking “Who Do You Love,” his best-known composition, “No Regrets” (a hit in four different genres as recorded by other artists), the definitive version of Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going,” and recent originals “Hot Tonight” and “What I Know,” among other signature songs.

In the inclusive “Club 47 Series” spirit, Tom is backed by a stellar house band that includes many of his guests when they’re not in the spotlight themselves. David Bromberg steps out front on the acoustic “Statesboro Blues” and the raucous shuffle “Tongue” (a bonus track on the DVD). Jonathan Edwards contributes a heartfelt rendition of the ’60s anthem, “Get Together,” and the title song from his most recent CD, “My Love Will Keep.” There’s a hilarious song on the DVD called “Jews Don’t Camp” by New England-based folk veterans Buskin & Batteau, who also perform the delicate “Lancelot’s Song (Guinevere)” on the CD. The “new guy,” singer and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, makes himself at home on the old-timey “Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” and Jimmie Rodgers’ “My Little Lady.”

DVD bonus features include interviews with Tom and behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, as well as the four extra songs and onstage banter. When you listen to and watch and laugh and sing along as Tom Rush Celebrates 50 Years of Music, the vibrant spirit of contemporary folk music will be reaffirmed. And don’t miss for Tom’s fall tour!