Rich Warren Named Folk Broadcaster of the Year

Rich Warren, longtime host of The Midnight Special, was named as Folk Broadcaster of the Year during the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards, held on Feb. 20, the opening night of the 2oth Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee. Balloting was by members of the North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance. The Midnight Special, which Warren has hosted for nearly 25 years, originates from the studios of WFMT (98.7 FM) in Chicago, Illinois, where it airs Saturdays from 9 p.m. to midnight (ET) and also streams online. A two-hour national edition of the popular show is syndicated at various times on dozens of radio stations across the country and also airs on XM Satellite Radio’s channel 15 (The Village). [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Folk Alliance Awards Presented in Memphis

Winners of the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards were recognized during an awards ceremony on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference that drew nearly 2,000 people to Memphis, Tennessee, February 20-24. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Pete Seeger: The Power of Song Airs on PBS, Feb. 27

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.]

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Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Win a Bevy of SPBGMA Awards

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.]

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Roots Music Association Slates Inaugural Convention & Festival

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.]

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2008 Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville: Registration & Showcase Application Forms Now Available

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.]

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LI-Based Acoustic Artists Mark Milestones in January

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.]

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Long Island AcoustiCalendar for February 2008

"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.]

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Folk Alliance Awards to be Presented Feb. 20

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.]

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Folk Alliance to Name Top Folk DJ

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].

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San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival, Feb. 1-9

For nine days in early February, the San Francisco Bay Area will be a Mecca for fans of bluegrass and old-time music.  Thirty shows featuring 57 bands and artists are planned at 17 small Bay Area venues between February 1 and 9 as part of the Ninth Annual San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival.  The festival also will include a number of free jam sessions at various locations, two-days of  screenings of bluegrass and old-time films at San Francisco’s Red Vic, kids shows, and a variety of Sunday afternoon workshops with personalized instruction from some of the festival’s performers at the Verdi Club.

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

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