News Capsules for the Acoustic Community
Bob Shane, the last original member of The Kingston Trio, died on January 26 – just a few days shy of his 86h birthday. Along with his bandmates, Shane, a singer and guitarist, helped to spur the folk revival of the late 1950s -1960s. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Young singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and tributes & shout-outs to basketball great Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash earlier that day, dominated the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards telecast on Sunday, January 26. However, a number of coveted Grammy Awards also were presented by The Recording Academy in the American Roots Music Field and others during a premiere ceremony at Los Angeles’ Staples Center that streamed live on Grammy.com hours prior to the televised awards show on CBS. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
The Small Glories, Amythyst Kiah and Mavis Staples were among the recipients of International Folk Music Awards presented Wednesday, Jan. 22, on the opening night of the 32nd annual Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana that continues through Jan. 26.. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
David Olney, a revered folk and Americana singer-songwriter, died after suffering an apparent heart attack on Saturday night, Jan. 18, while onstage at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. During a musical career that spanned more than four decades, Olney, 71, recorded and released more than 20 albums and had his songs covered or co-written by such other notable artists as Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, and Linda Ronstadt. [To continue reading this article and to view a few videos, click on the headline.]
Nominees in 84 categories have been named for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards to be presented by The Recording Academy on Sunday, January 26, 2020. Yola and I’m With Her lead the nominees for awards in the American Roots Music Field with three and two nominations, respectively. Those awards will likely be presented prior to the live broadcast airing on CBS television stations that evening from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. [To continue reading this article and see the list of nominees in the American Roots Music Field, click on the headline.]
Some 700 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs, and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music are expected to converge on the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, Connecticut, Nov. 7-10, 2019 for the 25th Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will again have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps in addition to its popular Midnight Hoot at the close of the conference’s first day. [To continue reading this article previewing the conference and including the complete AcousticMusicScene.com showcase lineup, click on the headline.]
John Cohen, a founding member of the influential folk group the New Lost City Ramblers, died on Sept. 16, 2019. Cohen, 87, also was a musicologist, photographer and filmmaker. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Singer-Songwriter John Prine was the big winner in The 2019 Americana Honors & Awards that were presented on Wednesday, September 11 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. His 2019 release, The Tree of Forgiveness, was named Album of the Year, while “Summer’s End” was voted Song of the Year. [To continue reading this article and learn about all of the award winners, click on the headline.]
The 2019 Americana Honors & Awards will be presented on Wednesday, September 11 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Hosted by The Milk Carton Kids and featuring an all-star band led by Buddy Miller, the awards ceremony is the highlight of the 20th annual AmericanaFest –- a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is put on by the Americana Music Association. A live video stream of the show will be webcast via NPRMusic.org starting at 6:30 p.m. CDT. [To continue reading this article -- which includes a listing of all of the nominated artists and Lifetime Achievement Awards honorees -- click on the headline.]
180 artists /acts from 22 countries and a wide array of genres have been jury-selected to perform in Official Showcases during the 32nd annual Folk Alliance International Conference that is slated for Jan. 22-26, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. [To continue reading this article -- including a listing of all 180 Official Showcase artists and acts -- click on the headline.]
More than 40 artists/acts have been selected for juried formal and semi-formal showcases during the 25th annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference, slated for Nov. 7-10, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stamford, CT. [To continue reading this article, click on he headline.]
Six singer-songwriters have been named as winners in the 2019 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. They were chosen by a panel of judges from among 32 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 25 and 26 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Winners were also named in the Songwriter Serenade that took place elsewhere in Texas earlier this month. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
