Bluegrass Label Pinecastle Records Reemerges

Pinecastle Records, a major player in bluegrass music for the past two decades, shut down in February. Its owner and president, Orlando, Florida businessman Col. Tom Riggs, was experiencing serious health issues, and his family opted to close the label and focus on his health. This left artists in limbo, with their recordings quickly going out of print. Earlier this month, Dr. Lonnie Lassiter, a bluegrass music lover and friend of the Riggs family, assumed ownership of the label and tapped two of its former executives – Ethan Burkhardt and Matt Hood – to head up the new venture. [To read the entire, article, click on the headline.]

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Philadelphia Folk Festival Features an Eclectic Mix of Music

The Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Now in its 49th year, the festival takes place at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, Aug. 20-22. A special concert, exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders, is set for Thursday night, Aug. 19. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 08-06-10

Red Horse -- the debut album of the trio of the same name that features Red House recording artists Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky -- now holds the top slot on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart. The Folk Top 50 is posted here with permission. [To view the current Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, click on the headline.]

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Mitch Jayne of The Dillards, 1930-2010

Mitch Jayne, bass player and front man for the influential bluegrass band The Dillards, passed away Aug. 2 after being diagnosed with cancer recently. Although The Dillards toured and recorded for decades, helping to expose the world to the music of the Ozarks, they are best known for their recurring appearances on CBS-TV’s “The Andy Griffith Show,” in which they played The Darling Boys, a family of mountain musicians. The Dillards were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame last year. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 07-30-10

Albums by Tim O'Brien, Red Horse (the new trio comprised of Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky), and Crooked Still remain in the top three spots on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week. Releases by Mollie O'Brien & Rich Moore and Sally Spring climbed into the #4 and #5 positions, respectively. The Folk Top 50 is posted here with permission. [To view the current Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, click on the headline.]

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Werner & Gilbert Headline Huntington (NY) Folk Festival, Aug. 7

AcousticMusicScene.com will have a major presence at the Fifth Annual Huntington Folk Festival that takes place on Saturday, August 7, in Huntington, New York. Singer-Songwriters Susan Werner and Vance Gilbert co-headline the free event that extends from 1 p.m. into the late evening at Heckscher Park, Main Street (Route 25A) and Prime Avenue. Prior to the 8:30 p.m. concert by Werner and Gilbert on the Chapin Rainbow Stage, unplugged showcases and song swaps will take place from 1-6:30 p.m. under or near canopy tents hosted by AcousticMusicScene.com and Richard Cuccaro’s monthly listings guide Acoustic Live! in NYC & Beyond. The Green Palate Open Mic also will have a presence. [To read the article and view the festival schedule, click on the headline.]

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Showcase Application Deadline Nears for SWRFA Conference

August 3 is the deadline for artists to submit applications for official showcases during the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) Conference, which takes place at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown (formerly the Radisson) in Austin, Texas from Sept. 30-Oct. 3. A series of 15-minute official showcase slots are slated for Friday and Saturday nights. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Long Island Musicians Pay Tribute to Harry Chapin, Aug. 9

On Monday evening, August 9, many talented Long Island musical artists will gather at East Meadow, New York’s Eisenhower Park to present a concert and food drive in tribute to the late singer-songwriter and anti-hunger activist Harry Chapin -- playing his songs for the cause to which he dedicated himself. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 7-23-10

Albums by Tim O'Brien, Red Horse (the new trio comprised of Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky), and Crooked Still continued in the top three spots on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart last week. Releases by The John Hartford Stringband and Donovan climbed into the #4 and #5 positions, respectively. The Folk Top 50 is posted here with permission. [To view the current Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, click on the headline.] Editor's Note: This chart is being posted here later than usual since I just returned last night from the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where AcousticMusicScene.com joined with Tribes Hill to host late-night song swaps under a big white tent.

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AcousticMusicScene.com and Tribes Hill to Host Song Swaps & More at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, July 22-25

AcousticMusicScene.com will host pre-arranged song swaps during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, July 22-25. The festival takes place at Dodds Farm on Route 7D in Hillsdale, New York, located in the foothills of the Berkshires, near the tri-state corner of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For the third year in a row, AcousticMusicScene.com joins with Tribes Hill (a nonprofit organization uniting musicians of the Hudson Valley region and their patrons in support of a music community coming together to celebrate human experience through song) to jointly present late-night song swaps during Falcon Ridge. Dinner-break sing-alongs & jams and an informal Thursday afternoon session on PR for independent recording artists also are slated. [To read the entire article, including a schedule of activities, click on the headline.]

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Application Deadlines Near for NERFA Conference Showcases

Artists interested in applying for formal and/or tricentric showcases during the 16th annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference have until Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, respectively, to do so. The annual conference, which drew nearly 700 people last year, is slated for Nov. 11-14 at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, NY. [To view the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 07-16-10

Albums by Tim O'Brien, Red Horse (the new trio comprised of Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky), and Crooked Still retain the top three spots on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart this week. Releases by Sally Spring and Mary Chapin Carpenter are in the fourth and fifth positions. The Folk Top 50 is posted here with permission. [To view the current Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, click on the headline.] Editor's Note: Next week's chart will be posted late since I will be attending -- and hosting late-night song swaps at -- the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

Continue ReadingRoots Music Report Folk Radio Chart, 07-16-10