Pete Seeger, the inspirational American folk music icon, political activist, environmentalist and humanitarian, whose songs helped provide a musical backdrop for many of the historical movements of the past 50-plus years, died on Jan.. 27. He was 94 and had been preceded in death last year by his wife and soulmate of nearly 70 years, Toshi. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Most of the winners in more than 80 categories in the 56th Annual Grammy Awards were announced during ceremonies held prior to the televised event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Jan. 26. To view the list of winners in the American Roots Music Field, click on the headline.
Jubilee by The Deep Dark Woods, a Canadian folk-rock and alt-country band, topped the Roots Music Report folk radio airplay chart last week. The River & The Thread, the latest release from American singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash, moved up to the #1 spot on the Americana/roots country chart. [To view the latest Folk and Americana-Roots Country Top %0 albums charts, which are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission, click on the headline.]
Talented artists from the Canadian province of Quebec and the Scandinavian nations of Sweden and Denmark teamed up for an evening of musical showcases in New York City that was a highlight of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, Jan. 10-14. [To continue reading the article, click on the headline.]
Steven Fromholz, a well-respected Texas singer-songwriter, engaging and witty performer, author, actor, humorist, “singing cowboy,” acclaimed whitewater rafting guide, and one-time poet laureate of the Lone Star State, died Jan. 19 following a hunting accident. He was 68. {To read the full article, click on the headline.]
Winners have been named in the 30th annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest (MASC) presented by the Songwriters’ Association of Washington. The overall top honors were presented during a Jan. 19 awards gala at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia. Preliminary winners in each of 11 separate categories were announced weeks earlier. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]
Memories and Moments by Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott continued to top the Roots Music Report folk radio airplay chart last week, while Texas troubadour Guy Clark's My Favorite Picture of You retained the #1 spot on the Americana/roots country chart. [The Folk and Americana/Roots Country Top 50 albums charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To read them, Click on the headline.]
“Presenting Bluegrass: Engaging a New Audience” was the topic of a special interest professional development session during the 57th Annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference held in New York City, Jan. 10-14, 2014. [To continue reading the article, click on the headline.]
A U.S. federal appeals court in Washington, DC has dealt a serious blow to musicians, the music community and others eager to maintain a level online playing field. On Jan. 14, the three-judge panel struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s rules designed to keep the Internet open to free expression, entrepreneurship and innovation. [To continue reading the article, including a statement from the Future of Music Coalition, click on the headline.]
There will be lots of jamming and singing of socially relevant songs, a series of mini-concerts, and an array of workshops during the People’s Music Network’s 2014 Winter Gathering in New York City, Jan. 24-26. Unity through Diversity is the theme of this year’s annual event, which has taken place in various locales since 1977. [To continue reading this preview, click on the headline.]
Memories and Moments by Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott topped the Roots Music Report folk radio airplay chart last week, while Texas troubadour Guy Clark's My Favorite Picture of You was #1 on the Americana/roots country chart. [To view the latest Folk and Americana/Roots Country charts, which are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission, click on the headline.]
Folk harmony trio Brother Sun's sophomore release, Some Part of the Truth, was the most-played album on folk radio during 2013. The trio -- comprised of veteran touring singer-songwriters Joe Jencks, Greg Greenway and Pat Wictor -- also had the most-played song, Jencks’"Lady of the Harbor," according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. The FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 157,864 airplays from 187 different DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown in parentheses, while label and release dates appear in brackets. They are posted, with permission, on AcousticMusicScene.com. [To view the Top Albums and Songs of 2013, click on the headline.]
