Albums by The Civil Wars, Jonathan Byrd and Malcolm Holcombe retain the top three spots on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week, while Coyote Grace's Ear to the Ground moves into the #4 position and David Greely's Sud du Sud is #5. [To view the latest Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who also serves as volunteer chairperson for MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, will engage in a live chat on Facebook on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. EST. Fans and aspiring songwriters can join the chat and pose questions to Lauderdale about the contest and songwriting in general by visiting the official page of the contest at the social media site. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
The Newport Folk Festival, which has been held in or near the coastal Rhode Island resort city since 1959, is returning to its original roots as a nonprofit event, along with its older sibling, the Newport Jazz Festival. Both will now be produced under the umbrella of he newly formed Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. George Wein, 85, a pioneer among producers of outdoor festivals, will remain at its helm and, with his staff, continue to steer the folk festival that is set for July 29-31 at Fort Adams State Park. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Banjo player Jessie Baker, formerly part of Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, has joined bluegrass band Sierra Hull & Highway 111. “I’m really excited to be playing with such a talented group of musicians and singers,” said Baker in a prepared statement. “I’ve been a fan of Sierra’s since I saw her onstage with Ricky Skaggs playing “Boston Boy” at my first IBMA FanFest in Louisville, KY. I’m looking forward to being part of Highway 111.” [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Barton Hollow, the debut album by Americana-folk duo The Civil Wars, rose to the #1 spot on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week. Albums by Jonathan Byrd, Malcolm Holcombe, David Greely, and Peter Stampfel and Baby Gramps follow. [To view the latest Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]
Joe Derrane, a Boston-born button accordionist and composer, has been named top traditional artist of 2010 by the Irish Echo, the largest circulation Irish-American weekly newspaper. He is the first to receive this honor twice since its inception in 1993. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
"Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune," a new film about the American troubadour whose music continues to influence and inspire songwriters today, is currently in limited release. Phil's sister Sonny shares some thoughts about her late brother and the documentary about him with AcousticMusicScene.com readers. [To read the article, click on the headline.]
Jonathan Byrd's Waterbug release Cackalack moved into the top position on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week, followed by albums by Clare Burson, The Civil Wars, Peter Cooper and David Greely. [To view the current Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline]
Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) and other artists who share his concern about social justice through their songs will be part of a day-long series of social change music programming at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday, Jan. 22. Dartmouth partners with the Public Domain Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched by Stookey more than 30 years ago to encourage the making and use of music for social change, to present nearly 10 hours of programming in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Hundreds of musicians and music lovers from Connecticut, the rest of New England and beyond are expected to converge on Hartford, Jan 28-30 for the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle (PMN)’s 2011 Winter Gathering. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].
More than 130 acts, from solo artists to full bands, will be selected to showcase at various venues over two nights during the fourth annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May music business conference set for March 25-26 in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community. The deadline for singer-songwriters in all genres to submit showcase applications has been extended until Jan.28. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]
Tim O'Brien's Chicken & Egg tops the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart for the first week of January 2011. Albums by The John Hartford Stringband, Peter Cooper, Jakob Dylan, Joe Pug, Great Big Sea, Sahara Smith, Dan Baker, John McCutcheon and Jonathan Byrd follow. [To view this week's Folk Top 50 albums chart, click on the headline.]
