Jeff Ellis of Huntington, West Virginia; Jacob & Lily of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Kangero of Brooklyn, New York; Kelleigh McKenzie of Rosendale, New York; and Rose Polenzani of Somerville, Massachusetts were named as winners of the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, presented by Folk Alliance. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Folksinger Michael Johnathon’s WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour has established a new partnership with Clearview Cinemas — WoodSongs at the Movies — that will bring the weekly program to big screens throughout the New York metropolitan area, preceded by 30-45-minute live sets by regional artists. Showtime is Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m., beginning Oct. 22. AcousticMusicScene.com has signed on to present artists at Clearview’s 62nd and Broadway Cinema in Manhattan.
[To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
The international finals of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, presented by Folk Alliance, take place on Saturday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m., at the Cultural Center in Charleston, West Virginia -- home to the internationally broadcast “Mountain Stage†radio and TV show that has showcased more than 2000 artists since its inception in 1983. Performing artists include this year’s early-bird finalists Maureen Andary of Washington, D.C. and Robby Hecht of Nashville, Tennessee; general round finalists Jacob & Lily of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kelleigh McKenzie of Rosendale, New York, and Rose Polenzani of Somerville, Massachusetts; plus the following regional winners: Tanya Davis of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Steve Dawson of Chicago, Illinois; Jeff Ellis of Huntington, West Virginia; Kangero of Brooklyn, New York; Boris McCutcheon of Ojo Sarco, New Mexico; and Sarah Sample of Seattle, Washington. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Dailey & Vincent, who released their debut CD earlier this year, captured the most awards during last night’s 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee. The group, whose leaders (Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent) apprenticed for years under Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs, was named Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year, while its self-titled debut on Rounder Records was named Album of the Year and “By the Mark†was named Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year. In addition, Dailey was named Male Vocalist of the Year, while Vincent was among the featured artists on the Recorded Event of the Year – Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother (Swift River Music). [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
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.]
“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.]
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.]
Throngs of people are expected to converge on Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 26-28, for the 21st annual Celtic Classic. 
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.
