A.J. Croce is the overall grand prize winner in the ninth annual International Acoustic Music Awards. He also captured first place in the competition’s AAA/Alternative category for “I Should Have Known.” [To read the full article that includes mention of all the winners, as well as the finalists in the Folk/Americana/Roots category, click on the headline.]
Jewels and Harmony, a collection of 15 hand-picked and beautifully interpreted contemporary folk songs by New Jersey-based folksinger and jewelry designer Mara Levine, was the most-played album on folk radio in January. Her second release includes a moving arrangement of Michael Smith's classic "The Dutchman," as sung by Levine and Si Kahn, and "When I Sing With You," a song that Kahn wrote for the album that features Gathering Time and Joe Jencks on harmony vocals. Those were the top two songs of the month, according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on headline to view charts.]
Although New York City’s demographics are changing, Irish arts and culture have long been a part of its fabric. This was particularly evident January 11-15. That’s when a number of Irish and Irish American folk artists were in the Big Apple to showcase their talents during the 56th annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). {Click on the headline to read a conference recap that also features information on the annual Folquebec showcase and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash's closing keynote.]
Mark Knopfler's Privateering continues to top the Roots Music Report folk radio airplay chart this week, while Greg Brown's Hymns to What Is Left retains the #1 position on the roots country chart. [To view the current Folk and Roots Country Top 50 albums charts, click on the headline.]
Tony Denikos has been named the grand prize winner in the 29th Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest produced by the Songwriters' Association of Washington. The Sykesville, Maryland-based contemporary folk-Americana singer-songwriter was honored during an awards gala on Jan. 7 at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia. Denikos was recognized for his song, “Tip of My Tongue,” which was previously named the first place (Gold) winner in the contest’s Folk/Acoustic category. [To read the article in full, click on the headline.]
Noted folk music writer Scott Alarik may be best known for having covered folk music for The Boston Globe for more than 20 years and as a regular contributor to public radio. However, he also is the author of Revival: A Folk Music Novel that has drawn accolades from a number of luminaries on the contemporary folk scene. Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed some questions to him recently. [To read Kathy's Q & A interview with Scott Alarik, click on the headline.]
With his engaging personality, wonderful wit, soulful and resonant tenor, and solid songwriting and performance skills, Vance Gilbert has been impressing audiences since emerging on the Northeast folk and singer-songwriter scene during the early 1990s. Kathy Sands-Boehmer posed some questions to him recently. [To read Kathy's Quick Q & A with Vance Gilbert, click on the headline.]
Mark Knopfler's Privateering continues to top the Roots Music Report folk radio airplay chart this week, while Greg Brown's Hymns to What Is Left moves into the #1 position on the roots country chart. [To view the current Folk and Roots Country Top 50 albums charts, click on the headline.]
Albums by British guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) and Alberta-born singer-songwriter Corb Lund retained the top spots in the Roots Music Report folk and roots country radio charts last week. Photo of Mark Knopfler by Fabio Lovino. [To view the current Folk and Roots Country Top 50 albums charts, click on the headline.]
Albums by British guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) and Alberta-born singer-songwriter Corb Lund continue to top the Roots Music Report folk and roots country radio charts. Photo of Mark Knopfler by Fabio Lovino. [To view the current Folk and Roots Country Top 50 albums charts, click on the headline.]
Little Blue Egg by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer was reportedly the most-played album on folk radio during 2012, 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. Little Blue Egg also features the year's most-played song, "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key." [To view the Top Folk Albums of 2012 chart, click on the headline.]
Several thousand people are expected to converge on New York City, Jan. 11-15, 2013, for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). Dozens of performers from the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities in the U.S., Canada and several other countries will showcase their talents during the multidisciplinary arts business conference. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will deliver the conference’s closing keynote. [To read a short preview of the conference, click on the headline.]
