News – U.S. National

Odetta Honored at Special Lifetime Tribute & Concert

Luminaries from the folk music world honored living legend Odetta, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, with a special tribute and concert on March 24.

Odetta The World Folk Music Association’s 22nd Annual Benefit Concert, held at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College, honored the singer of folk, blues, jazz and spirituals, whose voice helped spark the flames of social justice and freedom during the height of the civil rights movement.  [To read the entire article, click on the title in red].

AcousticMusicScene.com Creators “Booked”

A song from Glen Roethel’s forthcoming release is chosen to appear in the new Unity songbook -- Special Services and Chants, Volume 2 -- that is due out in June… Michael Kornfeld, editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, is a panelist at the 67th Annual IBS International Radio, TV, Webcasting & Podcasting Conference… [For more details, click on the title in red].

Folk Alliance Award Winners Named

Winners of the 2nd Annual Folk Alliance Awards were recognized during an awards ceremony at the just-concluded 19th Annual North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance International Business Conference in Memphis, Tenn. And the winners are… Folk DJ: Gene Shay, WXPN (Philadelphia) Song of the Year: “Seems So Real,” Chris Smither Traditional Release of the Year: Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome – The Seeger Sessions Contemporary Release of the Year: Wailin’ Jennys, Firecracker [To see the full list of winners, click on the tile in red].

Deadlines Loom for Two Songwriting Competitions

March entry deadlines for both the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival Songwriting Contest and the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Contest for Emerging Songwriters are fast approaching. Both contests are associated with festivals taking place in late spring. [To see the entire article, click the title in red].

Grammy Award Winners Named

Among the winners of the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, announced during ceremonies at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 11, were:

Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Instrumentals (Skaggs Family Records)

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: Bob Dylan, Modern Times (Columbia)

Best Traditional Folk Album: Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions (Columbia)
[Click title in red to see the entire posting]

Grammy Nominees of Note

Winners of the 49th annual Grammy Awards will be announced in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Listed below are the nominees in the folk, bluegrass and Americana categories.

Best Bluegrass Album:

The Grascals, Long List of Heartaches

Jim Lauderdale, Bluegrass

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Instrumentals

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Live at the Ryman

Rhonda Vincent, All-American Bluegrass Girl

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album:

Jackson Browne, Solo Acoustic Vol. 1

Rosanne Cash, Black Cadillac

Guy Clark, Workbench Songs

Bob Dylan, Modern Times

Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris, All the Roadrunning

Best Traditional Folk Album:

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, I Stand Alone

Odetta, Gonna Let...

Eric von Schmidt, 1931-2007

Eric von Schmidt, an influential figure on the Boston-Cambridge, Mass. and east coast folk scene during the 1960s, died peacefully in his sleep on Feb. 1 at age 75. The folk-blues guitarist and singer-songwriter had struggled to regain his health after suffering a stroke last August. [Click the title in red to see the entire article]

Registration Open for 8th Annual Americana Music Conference

The 2007 Americana Music Conference is slated for Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, in Nashville, Tennessee. The festivities get under way with a night of music showcases around the city. Panel discussions, a trade show, lunches and other daytime activities are being planned at the Nashville Convention Center for Thursday through Saturday, while the evenings will be filled with artist showcases and parties. The 6th Annual Americana Honors & Awards will be held at the Ryman Auditorium on Thursday evening, Nov. 1.
[To see the entire article, click on the title in red]

SONiA’s “Won’t Let Go” Generates Buzz

"Won't Let Go," a beautiful song that Baltimore-based singer-songwriter Sonia Rutstein penned for her father has been named Song of the Year for 2006 by earBUZZ.com, an e-commerce site for indy artists. [To read the short article in its entirety, click on the headline.]

Winners Named in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards

Winners in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards were announced Jan. 30. Among the album category winners are: Americana – Kristy Kruger Folk/Singer-Songwriter – Dan Bern World Traditional – The McDades Among the song category winners are: Americana – Melissa McClelland Folk/Singer-Songwriter – (tie) Jonah Smith, The Guggenheim Grotto World Traditional – Inca Son

Acoustic Artists to Showcase Talents for Arts Presenters

The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, which bills itself as “the nexus for the performing arts community,” holds its 50th Annual Member Conference Jan. 19-23.  More than 4,000 performing arts professionals are expected to converge on New York City for the event that features a wide array of professional development workshops and forums, an exhibition hall, and lots of networking. More than 1,000 artist showcases also are slated — including dozens by performers from the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries. Although registration is open only to members, AcousticMusicScene.com will be there and will report on select highlights of the conference in late January.

Joan Baez to Receive a 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) will present a 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award to singer-songwriter and social activist Joan Baez at an invitation-only ceremony during GRAMMY week in February. During a career spanning more than 45 years, Baez has released more than 30 albums and inspired a generation of female singer-songwriters. In addition to scoring hits with her own compositions like “Diamonds and Rust” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” the soprano with a three-octave vocal range also has drawn accolades for her interpretations of songs by the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, among others.