Long Island AcoustiCalendar for October-Mid-November 2008

More than 125 concerts, open mics and jam sessions slated for October through mid-November 2008 appear in this installment of the Long Island AcoustiCalendar. In addition to a lot of talented homegrown talent, touring artists of note visiting Long Island include Freebo (Oct. 3), Eilen Jewel (Oct. 5), Iain Campbell Smith, Lucy Kaplansky, John Sebastian and David Grisman (Oct. 11), Magpie (Oct. 17), Lara Herscovitch (Oct. 18), Chad & Jeremy and Paul Geremia (Oct.24), Livingston Taylor (Oct. 25), Susan Werner (Nov. 1), Terence Martin (Nov. 2), Jud Caswell and Ken Whiteley (Nov. 7), Mary McCaslin and Mustard’s Retreat (Nov. 9), and Shawn Colvin (Nov. 14). [To see the detailed calendar listings, click on the headline.]

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Founding Members of New Lost City Ramblers Honored

Tom Paley and John Cohen, two of the founding members of the influential New Lost City Ramblers, were the first-ever dual recipients of the Brown Jug award in recognition of their significant contributions to bluegrass and old-time music in the Northeast United States. The two were honored during the 11th Park Slope Bluegrass & Old-Time Jamboree in Brooklyn, New York earlier this month. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Folk Festivals Slated During Columbus Day Weekend

Folks in and around Denver, Colorado and Taunton, Massachusetts have an opportunity to discover and hear some good folk, blues and roots music over the Columbus Day Weekend. The Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver presents its 17th Annual HarvestFest, Oct. 10-12, while the 2nd Annual Taunton River Folk Festival takes place Oct. 10-13. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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IBMA’s ‘World of Bluegrass’ Returns to Nashville

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)'s annual "World of Bluegrass" returns to Nashville, Sept. 29-Oct. 5. Featured events include a four-day IBMA Business Conference, a three-day Bluegrass Fan Fest, and the 19th International Bluegrass Music Awards Show. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Americana Music Association Presents Honors and Awards

Levon Helm was named Artist of the Year, while Alison Krauss & Robert Plant were named Duo/Group of the Year and their critically-acclaimed Raising Sand was tapped as Album of the Year during the Americana Music Association's 7th Annual Honors & Awards Show at Nashville's Historic Ryman Auditorium last night. Americana Music Association members also voted Buddy Miller (who led the band for the three-hour program) as Instrumentalist of the Year, Mike Farris as New Emerging Artist of the Year, and "She Left Me for Jesus" by Hayes Carll and Brian Keane as Song of the Year. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Seminars in Chicago & NYC to Explore the Future for Musicians

“What’s the Future for Musicians?” That’s both the focus and title of seminars in Chicago (Monday, Sept. 22) and New York City (Monday, Oct. 6) that will explore crucial issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law. The seminars are presented by the Future of Music Coalition, a national nonprofit education, research and advocacy organization, in conjunction with the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and the Public Theater in New York. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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‘Westchester’s Greatest Hits’ to be Sung, Sept. 28

Tribes Hill, a lower Hudson Valley collective of singer-songwriters, musicians and their patrons, will celebrate and pay tribute to some of Westchester County, New York’s finest regional artists with a special concert at Tarrytown Music Hall. Entitled “Westchester’s Greatest Hits,” the concert, slated for Sunday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m., will feature talented musicians from the region performing songs that were written or made famous by current or former Westchester County residents. Headlining the show will be Westchester’s own Sloan Wainwright and Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. Tickets, priced at $20, are available for purchase at the venue or online at www.tarrytownmusichall.org. “Our objective is to educate our community about the rich musical heritage of Westchester in a fun and entertaining way while, at the same time, introducing the region to talented musicians living in their own backyard, many of whom they may not be aware of,” says Rick Rock, Tribes Hill’s executive director. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Celtic Classic Returns to Bethlehem, PA in Late September

Throngs of people are expected to converge on Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 26-28, for the 21st annual Celtic Classic. The Tannahill Weavers (Scotland) Presented by the nonprofit Celtic Cultural Alliance, the free event is a celebration of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures and heritage.  Its six stages of continuous entertainment will feature performances by The Tannahill Weavers, Teada, The Elders, Bodega, Seamus Kennedy,  Charlie Zahm, Clandestine, Malinky, Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers, Cantrip, Prydein,  Slide, The Town Pants, button accordionists David Munnelly and John Whelan and their bands, as well as Irish and Highland dancers.

[To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Long Island AcoustiCalendar for September-Early October 2008

With the advent of fall, live music on Long Island moves back indoors and many of the region's monthly folk and acoustic music concert series start anew. The Folk Music Society of Huntington launches its 40th anniversary season. Acoustic Long Island in St. James debuts a new format. The Fifth Annual Port Jefferson American Music Festival features a number of acoustic artists. And in Brooklyn, the 11th Annual Park Slope Old-Time & Bluegrass Jamboree features a day and a half of workshops, jamming and concerts of traditional American music. More than 100 concerts, open mics and jam sessions slated for September through early October 2008 appear in this installment of the AcousticMusicScene.com's Long Island AcoustiCalendar. [To see the detailed calendar listings, click on the headline.]

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Folk Alliance Regional Conferences Fall Into Place

The 21st Annual International Folk Alliance Conference is slated for next February 18-22 in Memphis, Tennessee, while regional conferences of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance) are shaping up for this fall. The conferences provide useful and enjoyable learning and networking opportunities, not to mention plenty of fine listening and performing opportunities for artists, presenters, agents and managers, folk DJs, folk societies and clubs, media, and others actively engaged in the folk music field; they are not intended for casual folk fans. Booking gigs is the primary objective of some performers who attend these annual conferences, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those who they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about forging connections and building an acoustic community. Although artist showcases and educational workshops and panel discussions are common to all of them, the regional conferences hosted by Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West), Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), and the new Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) all have their own tenor and style. [To read the entire article, which includes information on each of the regional conferences, click on the headline.]

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World United Music Festival & Radio Conference, Nov. 14-16

The Roots Music Association’s inaugural convention, radio seminar and music festival, originally slated to take place earlier this summer, has been rescheduled for the fall. Renamed the World United Music Festival and Radio Conference, the three-day event will take place November 14-16 at a 500-acre site in San Marcos, Texas, located between Austin and San Antonio. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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