Greg Trooper, Singer-Songwriter, 1956-2017
Singer-songwriter Greg Trooper died Jan. 15, two days after his 61st birthday and less than two years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Trooper, who released 13 albums over the span of 30 years, also had his songs recorded by many artists. Among them were Billy Bragg, Steve Earle (who recorded “Little Sister”), Vince Gill, Lucy Kaplansky, Robert Earl Keen, Maura O’Connell and Tom Russell.
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Top Albums and Songs of 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)
Folk-harmony trio Brother Sun had the most-played album (Weights & Wings) on folk radio during 2016, while Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the most-played song (“Woody’s Landlord”), according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. Bob Dylan was the year’s most-played artist.
[The 2016 year-end FOLKDJ-L top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Top Albums and Songs of December 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)
Hudson Harding Sampler, Vol. 11: Happy Holidays, a compilation CD distributed by radio promoter Erik Balkey, was the most-played album on folk radio during December 2016. Dar Williams’ “Christians and the Pagans” tied with John McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” as the month’s most-played song. So say charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio.
[The top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Arts Presenters, Performing Artists Gather in NYC in January
Several thousand people are expected to converge on New York City, Jan. 6-10, 2017 for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). Now in its 60th year, the global performing arts marketplace and conference will feature more than 1000 showcases (including a few-dozen featuring folk and roots music artists), nearly 400 exhibitors, networking opportunities galore, daily plenary sessions and keynote speakers, and a wide array of professional development workshops and forums. Four plenary sessions will live stream free, while Wavelengths: APAP Global Music Pre-Conference is open to the public as are some of the ticketed showcases at venues throughout the city.
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Showcase Application Deadline Nears for 2017 SERFA Conference
February 1 is the deadline for receipt of applications from artists seeking official showcase opportunities during the 2017 Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference, slated for Wednesday-Sunday, May 17-21, at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Black Mountain and Asheville. An extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, networking, and educational sessions, the conference attracted 250 people last spring.
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2017 Kerrville New Folk Competition Opens for Entries
Entries are now being sought in the 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, 2017, during the first weekend of the 46th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country. The first 800 entries received by February 28 will be accepted, and 32 finalists will be named in April.
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South Florida Folk Festival Set for Jan. 28-29
Suzy Bogguss and Victoria Vox headline the 2017 South Florida Folk Festival. Presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club, the festival takes place Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 28-29. More than 40 musicians will perform on two stages at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (3109 E. Sunrise Boulevard, just west of A1A) over the weekend.
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2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards Presented
With trophies for Solo Artist of the Year and Contemporary Album of the Year (Empty Train), David Francey was the top winner in the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards. The expressive Scotland-born and Ontario-based singer-songwriter and three-time Juno Award-winner was among 72 artists and groups from ten provinces and two territories who vied for awards in 19 categories that were presented during a bilingual gala event at Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre on Dec. 3.
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Top Albums and Songs of November 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)
Hannah Shira Naiman, a clawhammer banjo-playing singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, had the top album (Know The Mountain) on folk radio during November 2016, while southern Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the most-played song (“Woody’s Landlord”) for a second consecutive month. Leonard Cohen, the acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist, who died Nov. 7 at age 82, was the month’s most-played artist. So say the airplay charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio.
[The monthly Top Albums and Songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 Airs on PBS Television Stations
Performance highlights from this year’s Americana Honors & Awards show in Nashville will be broadcast on Austin City Limits. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2016 premieres Nov. 19 on PBS stations across the U.S. Check your local TV listings for dates and times.
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