Even as the state is reeling from the onset of Hurricane Helene today (wishing everyone a safe recovery from the storm!), so too is the International Bluegrass Music Association descending on Raleigh, North Carolina, for the 35th installment of its […]
When Nanci Griffith died just a little over three years ago — on August 13, 2021 — many hearts were broken. We knew we had lost a woman who loved fiercely, sang tenderly, told stories of women embracing their power, […]
To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway: If you are lucky enough to have experienced AMERICANAFEST, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for AMERICANAFEST is a moveable feast. This week’s column features three takes on […]
Songwriters reappear (Milo Binder) and reinvent (L.C. Franke) and keep on rollin’ (Johnny Irion). A bluegrass mainstay (Rhonda Vincent) puts her own stamp on classics with some high-profile guests. And a couple of personal favorites from decades past (Continental Drifters, […]
When Folk Alliance International (FAI) convenes for its 37th gathering in 2025, it will be occupying space in Montreal, QC, Canada. The annual conference will be held February 19-23, 2025, and is set to be one of the organization’s largest […]
Before I get to my usual three album campaigns, I wanted to highlight two crowdfunding campaigns of a more personal nature. Both involve roots musicians with recent health concerns using GoFundMe to crowdfund not an album, but the ability to […]
The fine folks at the Americana Music Association have curated another stellar lineup of roots artists for the the 24th annual AMERICANAFEST extravaganza in Nashville, September 17-21, 2024. As with previous years’ previews, most of the more recognizable performers are […]
Silkroad Ensemble has announced this week that it will be taking its new program “American Railroad” to ten cities this fall on a sort of whistle-stop tour (figuratively speaking), packed to boxcar ceiling with train songs. Granted, the ensemble won’t actually […]
Walk along most streets in Greenwich Village these days, and you’re more likely to see banks, high-end clothing shops, and upscale restaurants than small clubs full of folk singers or jazz musicians. In the late 1950s through the late 1980s, […]
This week’s column focuses on two festivals, Bumbershoot and Appaloosa Music Festival. While at opposite ends of the country, both are held on Labor Day weekend. Appaloosa is hosted by the band Scythian, which formed in 2002 after brothers Alexander […]
