The first authorized biography of Pete Seeger will air on PBS television stations, February 27. Entitled Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, the documentary by three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jim Brown is part of the American Masters series of primetime specials delving into the lives, works and creative processes of some of our cultural icons. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
As the title of her new album suggests, Rhonda Vincent appears to have a Good Thing Going. The bluegrass singer and mandolinist, who also plays the guitar and fiddle, was again named as Entertainer of the Year, while her band, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, took Vocal Group of the Year honors during the 34th Annual Bluegrass Awards presented by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) earlier this month at its 25th national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
The Roots Music Association will host its inaugural convention, radio seminar and music festival -- Music United ’08 -- June 27-29, at the Alfazar Shrine Conference Center in San Antonio, at the edge of the Texas Hill Country. Early-bird registration fees for those who register by March 28 are $125 for the full conference and $50 for the radio seminar only on Saturday, June 28. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Winners in the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy, were announced both prior to and during ceremonies in Los Angeles on February 10. [To see a list of winners in categories of interest to acoustic music fans, click on the headline.]
The Americana Music Association is now accepting showcase applications from artists interested in performing during the 2008 Americana Music Festival and Conference to be held Sept. 17-20 in Nashville, Tennessee. A showcase application form can be downloaded at www.americanamusic.org. Conference registration forms and other information also are posted on the site. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Several Long Island-based acoustic musicians marked important milestones in January. Phil Minissale, the Long Island Blues Boy, turned 21. Denise Romas, who has been part of the local acoustic music scene for years, released her debut album. And Gathering Time – an acoustic trio featuring Glen Roethel, Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong – performed live in the studio at WFDU in Teaneck, New Jersey. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
"The nights were long and cold and scary; can we live through February?" That's a question posed by Dar Williams in her song "February" from her 1998 release, Mortal City. Indeed, we can. Although it may be bitter cold out at times, Long Islanders can find plenty of good, live acoustic music indors to help warm our hearts and souls. In addition to a number of talented local artists, you are bound to love the sound that the gifted and eclectic young Canadian duo known as Twilight Hotel (a highlight of both the 2007 Shelter Valley Folk Festival in Ontario and the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase at NERFA in Monticello last fall) makes in Babylon on Valentine's Day, while talented New England-based singer- songwriters Greg Greenway and Danielle Miraglia visit our shores on Feb. 1 and 16, respectively. More than 50 concert , coffeehouse, open mic and jam session listings for the month follow, along with a few set for early March. [Click the headline to view the calendar, which is updated several times during the month.]
Balloting in the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards ended on Friday, Jan. 25. The award winners in more than a dozen categories will be named during a Feb. 20 awards program on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee that runs through Feb. 24. The awards program will be broadcast live over XM Satellite Radio. A listing of the nominees in 11 categories appears below. In addition to these categories, in which votes were cast by Folk Alliance members, Song of the Year and Album of the Year awards will be presented based on airplay reports. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Five longtime hosts of folk radio programs have been nominated for Folk DJ of the Year in the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards. The honoree will be named during a Feb. 20 awards program on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee that runs through Feb. 24. The awards program will be broadcast live over XM Satellite Radio. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].
For nine days in early February, the San Francisco Bay Area will be a
[To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Where is arts marketing going, and how can the presenting field lead the way? That question and more were addressed during one of the numerous informative super sessions and burning issues forums held during the 51st Annual Members Conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters that took place in New York City, Jan. 11-15. The session was directed primarily towards toward those who market larger performing arts and cultural centers, many associated with colleges and universities. However, much of the presentation is pertinent for those promoting smaller venues and coffeehouses, house concerts, folk music societies and festivals – including the notion that personal referrals and social networking are key to building audiences. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].
Singer-Songwriter John Stewart, best known for his seven-year stint with the Kingston Trio and for penning the hit song “Daydream Believer," has died at the age of 68. With his family by his side, Stewart passed away on Jan 19 at the same
