Grammy Nominees of Note

Winners of the 49th annual Grammy Awards will be announced in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Listed below are the nominees in the folk, bluegrass and Americana categories.

Best Bluegrass Album:

The Grascals, Long List of Heartaches

Jim Lauderdale, Bluegrass

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Instrumentals

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Live at the Ryman

Rhonda Vincent, All-American Bluegrass Girl

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album:

Jackson Browne, Solo Acoustic Vol. 1

Rosanne Cash, Black Cadillac

Guy Clark, Workbench Songs

Bob Dylan, Modern Times

Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris, All the Roadrunning

Best Traditional Folk Album:

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, I Stand Alone

Odetta, Gonna Let It Shine

Linda Ronstadt & Anne Savoy, Adieu False Heart

Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

Ralph Stanley, A Distant Land to Roam [For complete listing, click on title in red]

Continue ReadingGrammy Nominees of Note

Americana, Bluegrass & Roots Festivals Springing Up

Many fans of bluegrass, roots and Americana music will be heading to Driftwood, Texas and Wilkesboro, North Carolina in April for major festivals.

The 20th Annual Old Settler’s Music Festival, slated for April 19-22 at the Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas is not as well-known outside the state as some other festivals in the Austin area – and that’s part of its allure. Old Settler’s Music Festival also takes place during what’s usually the height of Texas Hill Country’s wildflower season, although few bluebonnets were in bloom last year due to earlier drought conditions. [Click on title in red to see the entire article]

Continue ReadingAmericana, Bluegrass & Roots Festivals Springing Up

Experience the British Folk Scene

American listeners can hear some fine folk and acoustic music from across the pond streaming online and archived on the Web sites of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

“The Mike Harding Show” on BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding, a talented folk artist in his own right, hosts a fine weekly folk programme on Wednesdays at 8-9 p.m. (London-time) that is audio-archived for a week, along with past playlists, at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/harding/. Coming up on his show: (Feb. 7) Highlights of the Folk Awards 2007, during which Pentangle and Danny Thompson received Lifetime Achievement Awards, the band Bellowhead won several awards, Seth Lakeman was named Folk Singer of the Year, Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick took Best Duo honors, and 25-year-old mandolinist Chris Thile (formerly of Nickel Creek) was named Musician of the Year; (Feb. 14) Eddi Reader, a Scottish singer-songwriter; (Feb. 21) general show; and (Feb. 28) Nic Jones, an influential figure of the 1970s British folk scene. [Click article title in red to read more.]

Continue ReadingExperience the British Folk Scene

Long Island AcoustiConcerts of Note – February 2007

While a winter chill fills the air, there's no shortage of hot acoustic music acts on Long Island -- both visiting and home-grown -- to help warm your souls.

Although more listings appear in the AcoustiCalendar (LI, NY), here are a few highlights for February 2007:

Pat Wictor and David Jacobs-Strain - Sunday, February 18 at 2 p.m.
University Café, Stony Brook


Danielle Miraglia - Wednesday, February 21 at 8 p.m.
Acoustic Long Island series at Cool Beanz Coffee House, St. James

({For more information, click the title in red]

Continue ReadingLong Island AcoustiConcerts of Note – February 2007

Scottish Folk & Fiddles Featured at Arts Presenters Conference

Among the musical highlights of the recent Association of Performing Arts Presenters 50th Annual Members Conference in New York was a series of showcases by contemporary musicians from Scotland. The last time I heard so much good live Scottish folk music was at the Edinburgh Folk Festival in 1981, and come to think of it, not all of that music was Scottish and fiddling was not as prominently featured. “The [Scottish folk music] scene is quite healthy; there are a lot of young people playing great music throughout Scotland [To see the entire article, click the title in red]

Continue ReadingScottish Folk & Fiddles Featured at Arts Presenters Conference

Eric von Schmidt, 1931-2007

Eric von Schmidt, an influential figure on the Boston-Cambridge, Mass. and east coast folk scene during the 1960s, died peacefully in his sleep on Feb. 1 at age 75. The folk-blues guitarist and singer-songwriter had struggled to regain his health after suffering a stroke last August. [Click the title in red to see the entire article]

Continue ReadingEric von Schmidt, 1931-2007

Registration Open for 8th Annual Americana Music Conference

The 2007 Americana Music Conference is slated for Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, in Nashville, Tennessee. The festivities get under way with a night of music showcases around the city. Panel discussions, a trade show, lunches and other daytime activities are being planned at the Nashville Convention Center for Thursday through Saturday, while the evenings will be filled with artist showcases and parties. The 6th Annual Americana Honors & Awards will be held at the Ryman Auditorium on Thursday evening, Nov. 1.
[To see the entire article, click on the title in red]

Continue ReadingRegistration Open for 8th Annual Americana Music Conference

The Grascals: Expanding Bluegrass’ Horizons While Remaining True to Its Roots

By Michael Kornfeld

The Grascals - reining International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the YearDuring their short time together as a band, Rounder recording artists The Grascals have accomplished quite a bit. The Grascals are the reining International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the Year, having been named the IBMA Emerging Artists of the Year in 2005. The group made its Grand Ole Opry debut in ... [Click the title in red to see the entire article]

Continue ReadingThe Grascals: Expanding Bluegrass’ Horizons While Remaining True to Its Roots

Engaging Next Generation Audiences

Among the wide array of workshops and burning issues forums during the Association of Performing Arts Presenters 50th Annual Members Conference in New York was a so-called super session on "Engaging The Next Generation" with Rebecca Ryan, founder and CEO of Next Generation Consulting.

Although Ryan’s remarks focused on trends, facts and strategies for getting younger people involved in arts leadership, the research her team conducted with the Arts Council of Indianapolis sheds important light on positioning -- what venues and acoustic music presenters throughout the country can do to better reach those in the 20-40 age-range, assuming there’s an interest in doing so. [Click on the title in red to see the entire article]

Continue ReadingEngaging Next Generation Audiences