The Alternate Root Goes to Print, Aug. 15, 2011
While other music magazines have ceased publication or switched to online-only formats in recent years, the publishers of the online American roots music magazine, The Alternate Root (www.thealternateroot.com), which, like AcousticMusicScene.com, began online operations in 2007, will launch a quarterly print edition on Aug. 15, 2011.
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‘Legends of Folk: The Village Scene’ Airs on PBS Stations in August
Well-known figures in folk music perform their best-loved songs in the new PBS documentary, Legends of Folk: the Village Scene. Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary fame hosts the special celebrating the folk era in New York City’s Greenwich Village – the epicenter of the folk, folk-rock and singer-songwriter movements during the 1960s. The special program premieres on PBS television stations in August. Check your local listings for air dates and times in your area.
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Bill Morrissey, Singer-Songwriter of the Common Folk, 1951-2011
A private memorial service took place in New Hampshire on Friday, July 29, for Bill Morrissey, a Grammy-nominated, nationally touring folksinger-songwriter, for whom the granite state was home and its small-town life the inspiration behind much of his material. Morrissey died at age 59 of complications of heart disease in Georgia on July 23 while on tour.
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Bluegrass Fiddler Kenny Baker Dies at 85
Funeral services are being held today (July 12) in Letcher County, Kentucky for master fiddler Kenny Baker, who played with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys for many years and was subsequently part of a fiddle-dobro duo with Josh Graves for more than 20 years (1984-2006). Baker died July 8 at 85, following a stroke.
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Six 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners Named
Six songwriters have been named as winners in the 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Mai Bloomfield (Venice, CA), Megan Burtt (Denver, CO), David Moss (Austin, TX), Cassie Peterson (Nashville, TN), Grace Pettis (Harrisonburg, VA) and AJ Roach (Brooklyn, NY) were selected by a panel of judges from among 32 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 28 and 29 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival.
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Hazel Dickens, a Pioneering Woman in Bluegrass Music, 1935-2011
Hazel Dickens, a trailblazer for women in bluegrass music, who captivated audiences with her high, lonesome vocal style and was widely recognized for her contributions to music and for championing the cause of coal miners and working people, died on April 22 . She was 75.
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2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named
Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among 800 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform their two submitted songs during the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 28 and 29, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival.
[To read the article and see who the finalists are, click on the headline.]
Number of Grammy Award Categories Reduced for 2012
The number of categories in the American Roots Music field for the 54th Grammy Awards next year have been reduced as part of a restructuring announced today by The Recording Academy.
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Carlton Haney, Bluegrass Festival Promoter and Booking Agent, 1928-2011
Carlton Haney, who launched the first multi-day bluegrass music festival with camping, the second prominent magazine focused on the genre, and served as a booking agent for Bill Monroe and others, died on March 16 at a hospital in Greensburg, North Carolina, following a stroke earlier in the month. He was 82.
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Jack Hardy, Singer-Songwriter and Fast Folk Founder, 1947-2011
Jack Hardy, a singer-songwriter who played a pivotal role in the New York folk/songwriting scene for several decades and influenced and inspired many other songwriters, died on March 11. His death at age 63 sent shockwaves through the folk community, with many posting short remembrances and tributes on Facebook -- the social networking platform.
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2011 International Folk Alliance Conference Gets Under Way Today
Some 2,000 performers, presenters and others engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music are converging on Memphis, Tennessee for the 23rd International Folk Alliance Conference, February 16-20.
[To read the article and learn where you can hear live performances from the conference on the radio and online, click on the headline.]
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray LaMontagne, Pete Seeger, Bela Fleck Are Among the Winners in the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray LaMontagne, Pete Seeger and Bela Fleck were among the winners in more than 100 categories, most of whom were announced during ceremonies prior to the live broadcast from the Staples Center.
[To see a listing of winners in select categories, click on the headline.]
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