The festival will feature more than 50 musical artists and acts performing daily from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Seven stages –including the shady, family-oriented Dulcimer Grove — will offer a diverse array of international, regional and hyper-local performers, daytime workshops, in-the-round sets featuring several artists/acts, and more. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their crafts, while a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase.

This year’s festival headliners are, Gangstagrass (a group whose innovative sound is a fusion of bluegrass and hip hop) John Oates (formerly of the popular Philadelphia-based pop-soul duo Hall & Oates), and virtuosic banjo player Tony Trischka’s EarlJam – A Tribute to Earl Scruggs (in which the acclaimed bluegrass artist and backing band trace the musical story of the American bluegrass legend known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style).

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Adam Ezra Group, Calvin Arsenia, Cajun band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Craig Bickhardt with Aislann Bickhardt, Johnathan Byrd, Ellis Paul, The Faux Paws, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Dom Flemons, John Flynn, John Gallagher, Jr., The Great Groove Band, Alice Howe & Freebo, Jess Klein, A.J. Lee & Blue Summit, Crys Matthews, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Celtic roots ensemble RUNA, The Secret Sisters, Shanna in a Dress, Alexis P. Suter Band, Stephen Wade, Nigel Wearne, and Windborne. A number of talented Canadian artists are on the bill – including Angelique Francis Band, Cassie & Maggie, J.P. Cormier, Dave Gunning, Miss Emily, and Genevieve Racette.

John Flynn, a Delaware-based singer-songwriter and social justice activist & troubadour, has been a frequent performer at the festival and closes it out this year on the Main Stage. “When people ask me how I’m doing I often say ‘better than I deserve.’ They always think I’m joking but I’m really not,” he told AcousticMusicScene.com. “I am so grateful for the chances I’ve been given in this life and that’s kind of how I feel about the Philadelphia Folk Festival. These folks have supported my music from the very beginning, and it’s a real honor to be getting a chance to appear with so many wonderful artists on the final night of this year’s fest.”

Artists Affiliated with Music Artists Cooperative (MAC) and Xtreme Folk Scene Also Slated to Perform

The Philadelphia Folk Festival also will feature performances by members of the Philadelphia Folksong Society’s Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) and from The Xtreme Folk Scene, a Philadelphia-based music community dedicated to supporting dynamic and innovative folk music that pushes the boundaries of tradition and celebrates the fusion of various genres.

The Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) is an initiative designed to support professional musicians who perform regularly in the local area, with many touring nationally as well. Slated to perform on the Lobby Stage on Friday, Aug, 16, between 1-5:30 p.m. are Last Chance, CubiZm, Jefferson Berry & the UAC, Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, Jersey Corn Pickers, Kicking Down Doors, The Hoppin Boxcars, and Meghan Cary. On Saturday morning, Aug. 17, Mara Levine and Gathering Time will perform on the Craft Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and on Sunday morning, Aug. 18, The Honey Badgers and The Edgehill Rounders play the Tank Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Other MAC-affiliated artists set to perform during the festival include Emily Drinker, Aaron Nathans, David C. Perry, Jackson Pines, and Two of a Kind.

The Xtreme Folk Showcase, entitled “Anger, Hope, and Outrage,” will feature performances by Sug Daniels, Anarkkhipov, Persistent Resonators, A Day Without Love, and Matt Pless on the Tank Stage on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Xtreme Folk Scene also presents Xfest, an annual music festival featuring some of the edgiest folk artists in the greater Philadelphia area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents – is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours, as well as a Thursday night Camp Stage kickoff performance for campers only.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival – including stage schedules — and to order tickets, visit folkfest.org.

Nurture the Future is this year’s conference theme. “It was something we felt needed to be communicated as our world is changing every second of the day,” says Jill Kettles, SERFA’s board president. “We aim to uphold the past, mold the present, and project it for future generations; this is not just important but vital.”

SERFA is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International (folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. SERFA (serfa.org) exists to promote, develop and celebrate the diverse heritage of roots and indigenous music, dance, storytelling and related arts in the southeastern United States. It has produced an annual conference since 2008. This is SERFA’s third consecutive year at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

The official showcases take place Friday and Saturday evenings, with each artist/act performing a 15-minute set. Unplugged private showcases follow from 10:40 p.m. to 2 a.m. Also on the agenda are daytime panel discussions and workshops, a Wisdom of the Elders session, a few thematic song circles, open mics, mentoring sessions, an awards presentation, an exhibit hall, communal meals, and plenty of other opportunities to learn, share and network –- including during built-in afternoon breaks in the programming. Informal jams and song circles also are apt to break out in the lobby and outside (weather permitting).

Rachael Sage, Award-Winning, Prolific Singer-Songwriter and Boutique Label Owner to Deliver Keynote Address

Daytime Programming Includes Workshops, Song Circles, Think Tanks, and Mentoring Sessions

Besides the workshops and panel discussions, there will be moderated, interactive “think tanks” on House Concerts and Small Venues and Hey, What’s Your Problem, one-on-one mentoring sessions, several thematic song circles, several thematic song circles, and a Wisdom of the Elders session during the daytime hours.

Wisdom of the Elders and SERFA Awards are Among Conference Highlights

The Wisdom of the Elders conversational panel session provides a structured opportunity for conference attendees to learn from and about veteran leaders in the folk community and for the elders to talk among themselves as well. Participants this year are Scott Berwick, Wayne Erbsen and Taylor Pie.

Berwick has long been active in American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 1000 (the traveling musicians union), has been attending SERFA conferences for the past decade, and has also been involved with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Hudson Valley Folk Guild, and the Ashokan Center, as well as an informal, weekly song circle near his home in upstate New York.

Erbsen has been engaged in traditional American music for more than 50 years as a musician, recording artist (with nearly 20 albums to his credit), professor at Warren Wilson College and the University of North Carolina at Asheville, author and publisher (who has written and published 40 books), and a public radio DJ.

A Tennessee-based traveling folk minstrel and Americana artist, Taylor Pie (Susan Taylor) helped form the Pozo Seco Singers with Don Williams in the early 1960s and has been a solo singer-songwriter and musician since the folk group disbanded. Many notable artists have covered her songs, while Pie was inducted into the Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. Along with her friend Kathryn Harrison, she launched PuffBunny Records in 2007 to share her music and that of other artists she admires. Taylor Pie, who now handles A &R for the label, also stars in Nobody Famous, an award-winning music documentary that was screened during the 2022 SERFA conference.

Menius, who currently hosts “The Revolution Starts Now” on Hillsborough, NC-based WHUP, has hosted radio shows on four stations since 2007. The first executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), from 1985-1990, Menius also served as Folk Alliance International’s initial board president in 1990 and manager from 1991-1996, prior to serving as associate director of MerleFest for a decade and then as executive director of Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky and The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC. He’s also produced concerts, festivals and conferences and worked as a fundraiser, marketing director, emcee, stage manager, and writer.

Dom Flemons, an Arizona native and Chicago area-based musician who has earned the moniker “The American Songster” since his repertoire covers more than 100 years of American roots music, records for Smithsonian Folkways. He is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife, and rhythm bones), music scholar, actor, slam poet, record collector, and the creator, host and producer of American Songster Radio Show on WSM in Nashville, Tennessee. Earlier this year, he was named the grand-prize winner as well as first place honors for Best Folk/Americana Roots Album (for American Wildfire) in the International Acoustic Music Awards. In 2020, he received the prestigious United States Artists Fellowship Award in the Traditional Arts category. Two years later, he received a degree as Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater Northern Arizona University and was the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony or the Class of 2022. Flemons was a founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, a Grammy Award-winning African-American old-time string band.

Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (jamkids.org) is the nonprofit parent organization for more than 50 afterschool programs for children ages six and up. JAM provides communities with the requisite tools and support to teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music. Its program model introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region and provides youth with opportunities to learn traditional music with their peers from local teaching artists and to perform in their communities and regionally.

Taylor Caffery, the longtime host of “Hootenanny Power” on WRKF in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the recipient of this year’s Kari Estrin Founding President’s Award. His weekly radio show incorporates musical styles and cultural influences from Caffery’s five decades on radio that began when he hosted his first show while in the U.S. Navy and continued with his college radio station KCSL. To that musical gumbo, he mixes in new discoveries from Folk Alliance International and SERFA conferences.

Dozens of Artists to be Featured in Official and Guerilla Showcases

Slated to present official showcases on Friday evening, May 10 are (in order of appearance) Sue Horowitz, Chris Haddox, Ron Fetner, A Tale of Two, Dustin Gaspard, Nicholas Edward Williams, Helene Cronin, and Admiral Radio. Saturday’s official showcase lineup features Jess Klein, Wes Collins, Bett Padgett, Cast Iron Bluegrass, Ruth and Max Bloomquist, Stone & Snow, Couldn’t Be Happiers, and Ordinary Elephant.

Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist that features one song from each of the official showcase artists.

Following the official showcases on Friday and Saturday, as well as an open mic on Thursday, late-night guerilla showcases will take place in various meeting rooms for several hours. AcousticMusicScene.com, which has had a presence at SERFA conferences since 2011, will host a couple of late-night song swaps and a midnight hoot (featuring more than two-dozen artists/acts – each performing one song) on Thursday, May 9, overnight. The AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot is a pre-arranged round-robin song swap that is intended to provide concert and festival presenters, folk DJs and others with an opportunity to get a small sampling of the music of a lot of artists in a short period of time on the conference’s opening night. It also enables artists to enjoy and each other’s company and music before the conference really gets into full swing on Friday.

Here’s the AcousticMusicScene.com Showcase schedule:

10:40 Brooklyn in the House: Carolann Solebello and Pat Wictor

11:00 Long Island Sound: Hank Stone and Jim Whiteman

11:30 Midnight Hoot, Part 1 (one song each):

Antonio Andrade, Max & Ruth Bloomquist, Dan & Faith, Katie Dahl, Annie Stokes

12:00 Midnight Hoot, Part 2 (one song each, not necessarily in this order)

Taylor Pie, The Farmer & The Crow, Amy Speace, Annie & Rod Capps, Marc Douglas Berardo, Karyn Oliver, Lindsay Whiteman, Miles & Mafale, Rachael Sage, Emma Frances, Nicholas Edward Williams, Noah Zacharin

1:00 Midnight Hoot, Part 3 (one song each, not necessarily in this order)

Jon Shain & FJ Ventre, Erin Ash Sullivan, Robert Bidney, Rob Lytle, Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus, Meg Braun, Alice Hasen, Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean, Couldn’t Be Happiers, Reckless Saints, Siena Christie

Here’s a complete listing of the nominees in the American Roots Music Field:

Best Americana Album:

• Brandy Clark — Brandy Clark
• The Chicago Sessions — Rodney Crowell
• You’re The One — Rhiannon Giddens
• Weathervanes — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• The Returner — Allison Russell

Best Americana Performance:

• “Friendship” — The Blind Boys of Alabama
• “Help Me Make It Through The Night” — Tyler Childers
• “Dear Insecurity” — Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile
• “King of Oklahoma” — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• “The Returner” — Allison Russell

Best American Roots Performance:

• “Butterfly” — Jon Batiste
• “Heaven Help Us All” — The Blind Boys of Alabama
• “Inventing The Wheel” — Madison Cunningham
• “You Louisiana Man” — Rhiannon Giddens
• “Eve Was Black” — Allison Russell

Best American Roots Song:

• “Blank Page” — Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War and Treaty)
• “California Sober” — Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings featuring Willie Nelson)
• “Cast Iron Skillet” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit)
• “Dear Insecurity” — Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile)
• “The Returner” — Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

Best Bluegrass Album:

• Radio John: Songs Of John Hartford — Sam Bush
• Lovin’ Of The Game — Michael Cleveland
• Mighty Poplar — Mighty Poplar
• Bluegrass — Willie Nelson
• Me/And Dad — Billy Strings
• City Of Gold — Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Best Folk Album:

• Traveling Wildfire — Dom Flemons
• I Only See the Moon — The Milk Carton Kids
• Joni Mitchell At Newport (Live) — Joni Mitchell
• Celebrants — Nickel Creek
• Jubilee — Old Crow Medicine Show
• Seven Psalms — Paul Simon
• Folkocracy — Rufus Wainwright

Best Contemporary Blues Album:

• Death Wish Blues — Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
• Healing Time — Ruthie Foster
• Live In London — Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Blood Harmony — Larkin Poe
• LaVette! — Bettye LaVette

Best Traditional Blues Album:

• Ridin’ — Eric Bibb
• The Soul Side of Sipp — Mr. Sipp
• Life Don’t Miss Nobody — Tracy Nelson
• Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge — John Primer
• All My Love For You — Bobby Rush

Best Regional Roots Music Album:

• New Beginnings — Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
• Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
• Live: Orpheum Theater Nola — Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
• Made In New Orleans — New Breed Brass Band
• Too Much To Hold — New Orleans Nightcrawlers
• Live At The Maple Leaf — The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

Also of Note: Among the nominees for Best New Artist are The War and Treaty. Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia received nominations in three categories: Best Global Music Performance (for “Pashto”), Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (for As We Speak) and Best Instrumental Composition (for “Motion”). Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love,” Brandy Clark’s “Buried” and Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse” are among those in the running for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song (along with co-writers Geno Seale, Jessie Jo Dillon and Dan Wilson, respectively). Childers’ “In Your Love” also is vying for Best Music Video, while his Rustin’ In The Rain is among the nominees for Best Country Album. Clark’s Shucked is in the running for Best Musical Theater Album. “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves is in the running for both Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, while Bryan’s self-titled album vies for Best Country Album.

The Recording Academy (grammy.com) represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards.

Chosen to present 30-minute sets on full-production stages with lighting and sound before presenters, agents, managers, media, artists, and other music professionals during the music business conference were Adrian + Meredith, Afrikana Soul Sister, Alice Hasen & The Blaze, Alicia Toner, Alysha Brilla, Amy Lavere, Amy Speace, Andrea Von Kampen, Angelique Francis, Anna Ekborg, Anya Hinkle featuring Billy Cardine, Aysanabee, Bailey Bigger, Barnaby Bright, Ben Sures, Berk Jodoin, Bobby Alu, Brad Reid Quartet, Brek, Bruce Molsky, Bruno Capinan, Buffalo Rose, Canyoon City, Cary Morin Duo, Casii Stephan, Celeigh Cardinal, Charly Lowry, Charm of Finches, Chatham Rabbits, Damoizeaux, Dan Navarro, Delbert Anderson Trio, Digawolf, Dom Flemons, Elexa Dawson, Eljuri, Emily Nenni, Emma Langford, Ernest Aines, Falls, Fanny Lumsden, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian Flagship Romance, Fortunate Ones, Fourwinds, Gangar, Genevieve Racette, Gina Chavez, Gordie McKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Hanne Kah, Harry Manx, Heather Pierson Duo, Holly Arrowsmith, Humbird, Ian Sherwood, Iona Fyfe, Jack Klatt, Jaimee Harris, Jake Blount, Jancie Jo Lee, Jason Lang: Homage to Penny Lang, Jennifer Knapp, Jenny Mitchell, JigJam, Jim and Sam, Jim Stevens, Jobi Riccio, Joe Jencks, Joy Clark, Karan Casey, Kelley Hunt, Kellie Loder, Kitty MacFarlane, Kris Drever, Lady Nade, Larry & Joe, Le Diable a Cinq, Le Winston Band, Les Arrivants, Les Hay Babies, Les Rats D’Swompe, Les Tireux D’Roches, Little Misty,Lon, Los Arcos Hermanos Pena, Matthew Fowler, Melisande [Electrotrad], Memphissippi Sounds, Mike Biggar, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Monique Clare, My Son the Hurricane, Nadia Larcher with Ensemble Iberica, Nani (Noam Vazana), Nat Myers, Nefesh Mountain, Nigel Wearne, Northern Resonance, Okcello, Ordinary Elephant, Oshima Brothers, Phoebe Hunt, Pipo Romero, Queen Esther, Quote the Raven, Rainbow Girls, Raine Hamilton String Trio, Rakish, Ray Bonneville, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Ron Artis II, Royal Wood, Rum Ragged, Sawyer Fredericks, Seth Walker, Shane Hennessy, Shane Pendergast, Silver Wolf Band, Siomha, So Long Seven, Sophie Lukacs, Spence LaJoye, Steve Poltz, Sussex, Suzie Ungerleider, Talibah Safiya, Talisk, Taylor Rae, , Terra Spencer, The Arcadian Wild, The Armagh Rhymers, The Black Feathers, The Brother Brothers, The Burney Sisters, The Contenders The Faux Paws, The Fretless, The Heart Collectors, The Henry Girls, The Magpies, The McDades, The Rough & Tumble, The Small Glories, Tish Hinojosa, Twin Flames, Veronica Valerio, Waahli, and Wallis Bird.

Besides the juried official showcases and lots of private showcases, there will be a wide array of workshops and panel discussions, mentoring and peer sessions, keynoters, the International Folk Music Awards, a large exhibit hall, receptions and networking opportunities galore.

The theme of the 2023 conference, the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community, is Facing the Future: Sustainability in Folk Music. “As we emerge from the survival mindset of the early 2020s, our attention turns to the horizon and the challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead for our industry and community,” according to the Kansas city-based nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion. “Together, we’ll explore the intersection of individual excellence and collective strength and work to understand what must be dismantled and what must be built.”

For more information on Folk Alliance International and its annual conference, for which the advanced registration deadline is October 31, visit folk.org.

Editor’s Note: I am a member of the the Folk Alliance International board of directors but was not involved in the selection of official showcase artists.

The regional events provide useful and enjoyable learning and networking opportunities, not to mention plenty of listening and performing opportunities for artists, presenters, agents and managers, DJs, and others engaged in the folk music field. Booking gigs is a primary objective of some performing artists who attend these annual conferences, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those who they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, these conferences are much more than that – they are really about forging connections and building community.

FARM Gathering in Illinois to Feature 14 Official Showcase Artists/Acts

The 14 artists/acts slated to perform during Official Showcases at the 2022 FARM Gathering on the evenings of October 21 and 22 are (listed alphabetically by last name or group name) Basset, Buffalo Rose, Sienna Christie, Djangophonique, Gina Forsyth, Ben Gage, Tim Grimm, House of Hamill, Jordan Hamilton, Donna Herula Trio, Spencer LaJoye, Annie Mack, Steam Machine, and Rupert Wates. Named as alternates were Tret Fure and Kelly Hunt featuring Stas Heaney. They were chosen from among nearly 170 entries. The FARM Gathering extends from October 20-23 at Doubletree Lisle Naperville in Lisle, Illinois -– near Chicago. Conversations and workshops during this year’s gathering will focus around themes of inclusion through song, storytelling, and community building. Grammy Award-winner Dom Flemons, The American Songster, will deliver a keynote address. While last year’s conference took place solely online, the 2022 Gathering will feature a combination of in-person and virtual content. For more information, visit farmfolk.org.

SWRFA Taps 16 Artists/Acts for its Official Showcases in Austin, Texas

SWRFA will host eight official showcases on Friday night, September 23 and another eight on Saturday night, September 24. The showcasing artists are listed below in order of performance (subject to change if needed). Sept. 23: Jean Rohe, David Starr, Karyn Oliver, Noah Zacharin, Deidre McCalla, Grace Morrison, Javier Jara, and Violet Bell. Sept. 24: Vanessa Lively, Erin Ivey, George Ensle, Shanna in a Dress, Abigail Lapell, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Natalie Price, and Justin Farren. The Official Showcases will be held in the ballroom at the Holiday Inn-Midtown in Austin, Texas. In addition, an Alternates Official Showcase featuring Alicia Stockman, Beth//James, Ryan Biter, Leeann Atherton, Jason Erie, and Wild Ponies will take place in another room at the hotel following a pool party on Thursday night, September 22. The 23rd Annual SWRFA Conference extends from September 21-25. For more information, visit swfolkalliance.org.

A Bit About FAI, NERFA and Other Regional Affiliates

Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA.org), which draws the largest number of people to its annual conferences of any FAI region, will announce its juried Formal Showcase artists in August. Its conference is slated for November 10-13 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, with Formal Showcases at the legendary Stone Pony. A hybrid event, much of the NERFA conference will also be livestreamed. Although NERFA is no longer accepting applications for its in-person formal showcases, conference attendees (in-person and virtual) may still apply for virtual showcases until August 15. Artists must be registered for the conference in order to do so.

Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) has opted not to host a conference this year, while Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) annual conference attendees converged on Black Mountain, North Carolina in May and will again.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) — which hosts its 35th annual conference, February 1-5, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri — is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen and engage the global folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through preservation, presentation and promotion. Its conference theme is Facing the Future: Sustainability on Folk Music.

Editor’s Note: I serve on the boards of directors of both Folk Alliance International and NERFA and am a past president of NERFA. I have been a workshop presenter, moderator and/or mentor at FAI, FARM virtual, FAR-West, NERFA and SERFA conferences and will be participating in this year’s SWRFA conference. I am not involved in the selection of juried showcase artists, although I host late-night showcases under the banner of AcousticMusicScene.com at conferences.

Streaming online from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET at Clearwaterfestival.org, as well as on the nonprofit environmental organization’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, the virtual festival will feature a wide array of musical performers, storytellers and activists. Participating artists include Scott Ainslie, David Amram, David & Jacob Bernz, Blind Boys of Alabama, Marla and David Celia, The Chapin Sisters, Tom Chapin, Guy Davis, Emma’s Revolution, Dom Flemons, Fred Gillen, Jr., Lyn Hardy & Ruth Ungar, Reggie Harris, Jaeger & Reid, Hubby Jenkins, The Johnson Girls, Diana Jones, Lucy Kaplansky, Geoff Kaufman, Larry Long, Magpie, Mike & Ruthy of The Mammals, John McEuen, John McCutcheon, Alastair Moock, Mustard’s Retreat, Holly Near, Rik Palieri, Tom Paxton, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Tom Rush, Joanne Shenandoah, Chris Smither, Noel Paul Stookey, The Storycrafters, Livingston Taylor, Happy Traum, Matt Turk, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Sloan Wainwright, Don White, Josh White Jr., and Paul Winter, among others.

A number of folk radio DJs will serve as emcees. These include Jimmy Buff (Host of Jimmy Buff Loves You on WKNY Radio Kingston in upstate New York), Wanda Fischer (host of the long-running Hudson River Sampler on WAMC in New York’s Capitol Region), Sonny Ochs (host of Folk Music & Other Stuff on WIOX in New York’s Catskills Region and on Folk Music Notebook), Ron Olesko (creator of Folk Music Notebook, a 24-7 online music channel and longtime host of Traditions on WFDU in Teaneck, NJ), Rik Palieri (host of Folk Talk with Rik Palieri on WBTV in Burlington, VT and also on Folk Music Notebook), John Platt (host of Sunday Supper on WFUV in New York City and creator of the New Folk Initiative online portal) and Bob Sherman (longtime host of Woody’s Children that now precedes Platt’s Sunday Supper on WFUV).

Although the virtual festival is free, donations will be gratefully accepted. Funds raised will help keep the sloop Clearwater afloat and support the ongoing educational programs and environmental work of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.– a nonprofit, member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others more than 40 years ago to clean up, preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries.

A recording of Clearwater’s The Great Hudson River Revival Livestream will be available for viewing for some time after it streams live so you can watch the parts you missed or re-watch those that you enjoyed.

NITO’s founding members and the more than 50 others who have since joined the organization “need and want to be assured that our voices are heard in Washington.” Its 14 founding small independent businesses (Entourage Talent, Ground Control Touring, High Road Touring, Leave Home Booking, Madison House, Mongrel Music, New Frontier Touring, Panache Booking, Partisan Arts, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sound Talent Group, Skyline Artists Agency, TKO, and The Kurland Agency) alone currently represent approximately 2,000 artists, according to the news release. “In 2019, collectively, more than 40,000 concerts were booked by NITO’s members across the U.S. with over 12.5 million tickets sold, generating in excess of half-a-billion dollars in gross ticket sales annually. The additional financial impact of these performances on surrounding communities is over $1 billion.”

“As owners of our individual entertainment businesses, we have given our all and more to our firms,” says Nadia Prescher, co-founder of Madison House, an artist management and booking agency. “Our small businesses are self-funded and independent, but nonetheless have a significant economic impact on the many who rely on our work. My fellow NITO co-founders and members are calling on the independent human spirit that all like-minded self-starters can get behind. We are focused on government support and reform during this economic crisis, while building an environment where entertainment entrepreneurs can discuss their common goals and stand together in unity.”

Among the artists on Madison House’s roster are 10,000 Maniacs, The Alternate Routes, Matt Andersen, Brooke Annibale, Chris Barron, Carbon Leaf, Jesse Cook, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Alan Doyle, The East Pointers, Eddie From Ohio, Dom Flemons, Freddy & Francine, Katie Herzig, Lucy Kaplansky, Stephen Kellogg, Terra Lightfoot, Ryan Montbleau, Willie Nile, Glen Phillips, Steve Poltz, Willy Porter, Rainbow Girls, Rising Appalachia, Richard Shindell, and Vienna Teng.

Talent agents who represent artists and negotiate the live performance aspect of their careers are NITO’s primary focus. However, the organization “welcomes a broader coalition of the live music ecosystem beyond independent talent agencies — including U.S.-based small businesses and majority owner-operated independent management companies,’ according to its news release. U.S.-based artists, crew, and others engaged in live touring also are welcome to join as non-dues-paying associate members.

“NITO stands with the artists and all of those who make up the world of live performances,” says Frank Riley, founder of High Road Touring. “It’s a fully integrated world, that is reliant on and supportive of one another, as no one can productively and successfully navigate this environment on their own. When all things come together in the best way, these shows and this music bring joy and happiness in an otherwise troublesome and dangerous world.”

High Road Touring books such artists as Alabama Shakes, Sam Amidon, Joan Baez, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Hayes Carll, Cowboy Junkies, The Deep Dark Woods, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Tommy Emmanuel, Jay Farrar, Mary Gauthier, Patty Griffin, The Handsome Family, Emmylou Harris, Joe Henry, Indigo Girls, Pokey LaFarge, The Low Anthem, Aimee Mann, James McMurtry, Tift Merritt, Michaela Anne, Buddy Miller, Parker Millsap, John Moreland, Shawn Mullins, Graham Nash, Over The Rhine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Shovels & Rope, They Might Be Giants, Richard Thompson, Jeff Tweedy, Suzanne Vega, Violent Femmes, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and George Winston.

“Artists were among the first to suffer from the results of the pandemic and will be among the last to recover,” maintains Harvey Mason, Jr., chairman and interim president/CEO of The Recording Academy. “As citizens turn to music during these troubled times, it demonstrates that music makers must survive and thrive. We look forward to working with NITO as partners in improving the lives of artists.”

Headliners include David Crosby & Friends, Margo, Price, The Mavericks, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Joan Osborne Sings Bob Dylan, and Amanda Shires. Crosby, who closes out the festival on Sunday night, Aug. 18, is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, co-founder of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the subject of a just-released documentary entitled “David Crosby: Remember My Name.” Price is a Nashville-based country singer-songwriter. Combining Tex-Mex, neo-traditional country music, Latin, and rockabilly, The Mavericks is an eclectic American band currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been bringing the sounds of New Orleans to concert halls and festivals the world over for more than 50 years. A gifted singer-songwriter in her own right, Osborne also interprets the songs of others. Shires is a fiddle-playing singer-songwriter.

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Blair Bodine, Michael Braunfeld and The Boneyard Hounds, Caitlin Canty, Emerald Rae, The End of America, Dom Flemons, Front Country, Jeffrey Foucault, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons, The Kruger Brothers, Christine Lavin, Langhorne Slim and The Lost at Last Band, Christine Lavin, The Lee Boys, Kathy Mattea, Peter Mulvey, Oshima Brothers, Steve Poltz, Son of Town Hall, Way Down Wanderers, and Yola.

Here’s a link to view the official video for The Young’uns song, “Be The Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZFrVMV0tI

Also of note are Texas-based singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician, cowboy poet and songster Andy Hedges, and Quarter Horse, a Long Island-based group that impressed folks at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival earlier this month after being voted by the audience as the “Most Wanted to Return” artists following its Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase last year.

• Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt • Amy Dee • Bethlehem and Sad Patrick• Bobtown • Bruce Sudano • Charlie Frey’s Blue Plate Specials • Driftwood Soldier• Emily Drinker • Haint Blue • Homestead Collective • j solomon • Jackson Howard• Jackson Pines • Joshua Fialkoff • Julia Levitina • Last Chance • Letitia VanSant• Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers • Marion Halliday with Trickster Sister

• Matthew Gordon & Silvershade Society • Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies• Michael Spear Duo • Nick and Luke • Originaire • Rachel Andie & the Fifth Element• River Drivers • Sharon Katz & the Peace Train • Stella Ruze • The Carryons• The Cornerstones • The Jayplayers • The John Byrne Band

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Regional, national and international touring artists of note, as well as emerging ones, are on the bill.

Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist featuring artists who are slated to perform during the festival:
https://open.spotify.com/user/philadelphiafolksongsociety/playlist/19kKx9m8SDny6qZNM589XI?

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase two talented young artists – Nina de Vitry and j solomon — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents — is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

As usual, a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase, while festivalgoers also will have an opportunity to sample wines from City Winery Philadelphia, prior to its grand opening this fall.

Both day and full-festival passes are available for purchase. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult, while discounted tickets are available for youth, ages 12-17.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit www.pfs.org. or call the office at 800-566-FOLK.

Editor’s Note: As president of the NERFA board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. Kudos to Lisa Schwartz, the festival and programming director, on curating what promises to be another fabulous festival.

Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, whose eighth album has more pop sensibilities, was recognized for Best Americana Album (By The Way, I Forgive You), while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) was named both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song during ceremonies prior to the evening’s live broadcast. Carlile also was among the nominees for three of the major Grammy Awards — Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Awards were presented in 84 categories.

Here’s a link to view the official video for Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6A2NexF88

The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album went to Punch Brothers for the eclectic quintet’s fifth album, All Ashore. Chris Thile, the band’s mandolinist, describes the recording on Nonesuch as “a meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in light of the current unsettled political climate—certainly the most unsettled one that anyone in the band has ever experienced.” He continues, “We were hoping we could create a thing that would be convincing as a complete thought, sort of a nine-movement or a nine-song thought, even though it’s rangy in terms of what it’s talking about and in the characters doing the talking.” Formed in 2006, the other members of Punch Brothers are Chris Eldridge (guitar), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Paul Kowert (bass), and Gabe Witcher (violin).

Named as Best Bluegrass Album was The Travelin’ McCourys by The Travelin’ McCourys. Although The Travelin’ McCourys have been playing together for decades, this is their eponymous debut album as a band featuring brothers Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (bass), who were raised on bluegrass as the sons of one of the genre’s most influential players and members of the Del McCoury Band. Rounding out The Travelin’ McCourys are Jason Carter (fiddle), Alan Bartram (bass), and newest member Cody Kilby (guitar). The band will celebrate Del McCoury’s 80th birthday on Feb. 13 at the “Grand DEL Opry,” along with Diercks Bentley, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Vince Gill, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Marty Stuart, among others.

Here’s the complete list of winners in the Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field:

Best Americana Album: By The Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Performance: “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Song: “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Best Folk Album: All Ashore, Punch Brothers
Best Bluegrass Album: The Travelin’ McCourys, The Travelin’ McCourys
Best Traditional Blues Album: The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito
Best Regional Roots Music Album: No ‘Ane’I, Kalani Pe’a

On the afternoon prior to the Grammy Awards, Folk Alliance International, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and The Blues Foundation jointly hosted a celebration of the folk, bluegrass and blues nominees at Los Angeles’ No Name Bar. Among the names in attendance were Elvin Bishop Big Fun Trio, Fantastic Negrito, Dom Flemons, Mary Gauthier, Jaime Harris, MC Ed Helms from the TV show The Office, members of Punch Brothers, and Wood & Wire.

Also of note: Voices of Mississippi’s Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris was named Best Historical Album, while the 120-page hardback book by David Evans that accompanies the four disc-set was recognized for Best Album Notes. Voices features an album each of blues, gospel and storytelling, along with a DVD containing some of Ferris’ short films from the former University of North Carolina professor’s archives.

Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, whose eighth album has more pop sensibilities, is up for Best Americana Album (By The Way, I Forgive You), while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) is in the running for both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. Carlile is also among the nominees for three of the major Grammy Awards with By The Way, I Forgive You receiving one of the eight nods for Album of the Year and “The Joke” under consideration for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Here’s a link to view the official video for Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6A2NexF88

Prine, an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter who has been touring ad plying his craft for nearly 50 years, has received nominations for Best Americana Album (The Tree of Forgiveness) and Best American Roots Song for both “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” and “Summer’s End.” Prine’s album topped the Folk DJ chart in April and also sported four of that month’s most-played songs on folk radio. The Tree of Forgiveness is Prine’s first collection of new material since his Grammy-winning 2005 release, Fair and Square.

To view the official video for John Prine’s “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door,” click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAYoWePzQ2c

Here’s a list of the Grammy Award nominees in the American Roots Music Field:

Best Folk Album

Whistle Down the Wind, Joan Baez
Black Cowboys, Dom Flemons
Rifles & Rosary Beads, Mary Gauthier
Weed Garden, Iron & Wine
All Ashore, Punch Brothers

Best Americana Album

By the Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette
The Tree of Forgiveness, John Prine
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone, Lee Ann Womack
One Drop of Truth, The Wood Brothers

Best Bluegrass Album

Portraits in Fiddles, Mike Barnett
Sister Sadie II, Sister Sadie
Rivers and Roads, Special Consensus
The Travelin’ McCourys, The Travelin’ McCourys
North of Despair, Wood & Wire

Best Traditional Blues Album

Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here, Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
Benton County Relic, Cedric Burnside
The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy
No Mercy in This Land, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite
Don’t You Feel My Leg (The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Lu Barker), Maria Muldaur

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito
Here in Babylon, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps
Cry No More, Danielle Nicole
Out of the Blues, Boz Scaggs
Victor Wainwright and the Train, Victor Wainwright and the Train

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Kreole Rock and Soul, Sean Ardoin
Spyboy, Cha Wa
Aloha From Na Hoa, Na Hoa
No ‘Ane’I, Kalani Pe’a
Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs, Young Spirit

Best American Roots Performance

“Kick Rocks,” Sean Ardoin
“Saint James Infirmary Blues,” Jon Batiste
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
“All On My Mind,” Anderson East
“Last Man Standing,” Willie Nelson

Best American Roots Song

“All the Trouble,” Lee Ann Womack
“Build a Bridge,” Mavis Staples
“The Joke,”Brandi Carlile
“Knockin’ On Your Screen Door,” John Prine
“Summer’s End,” John Prine

Also of note: Kacey Musgrave’s Golden Hour is among the nominees for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while the cuts “Butterflies” and “Space Cowboy” are up for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song, respectively. Kittel & Co.’s “Chrysalis” is vying for Best Instrumental Composition, while Betty LaVette’s “Don’ Fall Apart On Me Tonight” is in the running for Best Traditional R & B Performance. Among the Best New Artist nominees is Margo Price, an East Nashville, TN-based Americana-country singer-songwriter, who released her second full-length album in October 2017. The Decembrists’ I’ll Be Your Girl is nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Best Album Notes nominees include Trouble No More, The Bootleg Series Vol. 13/1979-1981 – Bob Dylan and Voice of Mississippi’s Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris — which was also nominated for Best Historical Album, as is At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight – Various Artists.