James Keelaghan – AcousticMusicScene.com

FAI Folk Radio Charts – March 2025

Michael Kornfeld — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:32:07 +0000

Lucy Kaplansky had the top album (The Lucy Story: Unreleased and Rare Tracks 1976-2023) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during March 2025, while “Which Side Are You On?” by Artists for Action was the month’s top song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Hailed as “The songwriter laureate of modern city folk” (The Boston Globe), Lucy Kaplansky is a New York City-based contemporary folk singer-songwriter with a luminous voice whose recordings frequently topped folk and Americana radio charts. The Lucy Story, her 10th album, is a collection of mostly unreleased tracks that form a retrospective /history of her musical life. It features songs performed in a variety of musical styles — both self-penned and ones by Richard Shindell, Robbie Robertson, Townes Van Zandt, John Lennon, Lyle Lovett and Jack Hardy, as well as demos and album outtakes, and live recordings with some of her favorite collaborators (Shawn Colvin, Shindell, and Dar Williams among them).

Kaplansky, who began singing at Chicago folk clubs as a teenager, moved to NYC after high school, where she performed frequently with Shawn Colvin on and around the Greenwich Village folk scene during the early to mid 1980s. Before leaving the music scene to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. After earning her degree, she worked with chronically mentally ill adults at a New York hospital as well as in private practice. However, she continued to sing and was frequently asked to add harmony vocals to albums by friends including Colvin and Nanci Griffith and film soundtracks with Griffith and Suzanne Vega. Her voice could also be heard on Chevrolet’s popular “The Heartbeat of America” commercial jingle. She left her career as a psychologist in the 1990s after signing with Red House Records, which released her critically acclaimed debut album, The Tide (primarily produced by Colvin) in 1994. She signed with a booking agency and began touring extensively.

In addition to her solo recordings and tours since, Kaplansky has frequently collaborated with other singer-songwriters on recording projects and concert tours over the years. She joined with Shindell and Dar Williams in 1998 to form the folk trio Cry Cry Cry, recorded some of their favorite songs written by other songwriters, and toured nationally in support of it – as they did in 2017-2018 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. She and Shindell have also contributed harmony vocals to most of each other’s albums, recorded an album as The Pine Hill Project, and have frequently shared concert stages. In 2010, Kaplansky, John Gorka and Eliza Gilkyson teamed up to record an album as Red Horse on which they performed each other’s songs. The album topped the folk radio charts for several months that year. Kaplansky has also been part of a recurring On A Winter’s Night Tour with Gorka, Cliff Eberhardt and Patty Larkin.

“Which Side Are You On?” is a reworked and updated version of the famed folk and labor song originally penned Florence Reece in 1931. Artists for Action is an international folk supergroup comprised of 16 artists who teamed up to raise their voices in response to the global rise of far-right politics and the resurgence of fascism. Initially recorded in September 2022 and recently re-released, the track features Black Umfalosi (Zimbabwe), Ray Bonneville (Canada), Bruce Cockburn (Canada), Chris Corrigan (Canada), Guy Davis (U.S.), Ani DiFranco (U.S.), Maria Dunn (Canada), Adam Hill (Canada), Bob Jensen (Canada), James Keelaghan (Canada), Richard Knox (Canada), Lucy MacNeil (Canada), Tony McManus (Scotland/Canada), Moulettes (England), Oysterband (England), Richard Perso (Australia), Heather Rankin (Canada), Martin Simpson (England), and Jon Weaver (Canada).

Although the project’s primary goal is conveying its message and raising people’s consciousness, rather than raising funds, proceeds from the single – for which none of the artists were paid — will be donated to a registered charity in aid of Ukraine. For more information, visit whichsideareyouon.ca.

The March 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 11.385 airplays reported on 382 playlists submitted by 103 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of March 2025

1. The Lucy Story: Unreleased and Rare Tracks 1976-2023 by Lucy Kaplansky (94)
2. All I Got and Gone by Chris Walz (78)
3. Maybe New Mexico by Helene Cronin (76)
4. Alice Howe and Freebo (Live) by Alice Howe and Freebo (74)
5. So Much I Still Don’t See by Sam Robbins (58)
5. A Tip Toe High Wire by Sierra Hull (58)
7. Foxes in the Snow by Jason Isbell (52)
8. Remains to Be Scene by The Seldom Scene (49)
9. Field of Stars by John McCutcheon (46)
10. I Made It This Far by Deborah Holland (45)
11. Reclamation by Crys Matthews(43)
12. The Monkey in the Crown by HuDost (42)
13. Looking for the Thread by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwert (38)
14. Be Real With Me by Chatham Rabbits (37)
14. Daggomit by Max Wareham (37)
16. Beneath Your Skin by Kim Beggs (35)
17. I’m From Here by Rob Siegel (31)
17. Burnished by Amelia Hogan (31)
19. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (28)
20. The Wind Will Change Again by The Twangtown Paramours (26)
21. Dear Meadowlark by The Wildwoods (25)
22. We Were Wood by Barry Oreck and Friends (24)
23. Spirits by The Devil Makes Three (23)
24. The Boy From Bluegrass by The Boy From Bluegrass (22)
25. Exploding Star by Heather Maloney (20)
25. Dark Country by Gary Louris (20)
25. Some Kind of Truth by Kora Feder (20)
25. To Fly So Low by Leo DiSanto (20)
29. Glimmer by Carol Crittenden (19)
30. Take It Easy Greasy by Jim Brewer (17)
30. Winterbirds by Boreal (17)
30. Gold in Your Pocket by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms (17)
33. Sea Salt and Sawdust by Marian Mastrorilli (16)
34. The Purple Bird by Bonnie Prince’ Billy (15)
34. Life Is a Wonder by Kevin Whalen (15)
36. Waiting for Inspiration by Socks in the Frying Pan (14)
36. Racing Down the Valley by Sam Bergquist (14)
36. Paris by Louise Coombe (14)
36. Face the Day by Will Branch (14)
36. Silver Rounds by Olivia Wolf (14)
36. Hear My Call by Cristina Vane (14)
36. Songs of a Younger Man by Michael Melia (14)
36. Life Is Just a Vapor by Paul Thorn (14)
36. Cher Reve by Miss Tess (14)
45. Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2 by Various Artists (13)
45. Porcelain Angel by Rees Shad (13)
45. The Empathist by Stephen Fearing (13)
45. Besos Kisses by Colleen Kattau (13)
45. Cold Feet by Mark Freeman (13)
45. Peace With a Lion by David Lindes (13)
45. Red Camel Collective by Red Camel Collective (13)

Top Songs of March 2025

1. “Which Side Are You On?” by Artists for Action (30)
2. “Elephant” by Annie Gallup (23)
3. “Home by Bearna” by Amelia Hogan (22)
4. “Maybe New Mexico” by Helene Cronin (21)
5.”Come Out of My Blues” by Sierra Hull (19)
6. “Onward Through the Fog (America Is Bleeding)” by Rob Siegel (15)
6. “You Are Not God” by Emma’s Revolution (15)
8. “Piles of Sand” by Sam Robbins (14)
9. “Circling the Drain” by Deborah Holland (13)
9. “Wind Behind the Rain” by Jason Isbell (13)
9. “Man at the Crossroads” by The Seldom Scene (13)
12. “Fields of Athenry” by Carol Crittenden (12)
12. “Bury Me” by Jason Isbell (12)
12. “Granite Mills” by Alison Krauss and Union Station (12)
12. “Hard Times Come Again No More” by Chris Walz (12)
12. “Blue Ridge Mountain Blues” by Chris Walz (12)
17. “Dangerous Women” by Colleen Kattau (11)
17. “What a Little Love Can Do” by Sam Robbins (11)
17. “Angel From Montgomery” by Alice Howe and Freebo (11)
20. “Twilight” by Alice Howe and Freebo (10)
20. “Delia” by Chris Walz (10)
22. “Forget Me Not” by Lucy Kaplansky (9)
22. “Mother Tongue” by Jean Rohe and Sean Kiely (9)
22. “Copperhill” by Helene Cronin (9)
22. “Thankful (Thanksgiving (2023)” by Deborah Holland (9)
22. “Alabama Bound” by Chris Walz (9)
22. “Big Fish, Small Pond” by Chatham Rabbits (9)
22. “We Won’t Let It Die (Without a Fight)” by Len Seligman (9)

Top Artists of March 2025

1. Lucy Kaplansky (99)
2. Chris Walz (78)
3. Helene Cronin (77)
4. Alice Howe and Freebo (74)
5. John McCutcheon (63)
6. Sierra Hull (59)
7. Sam Robbins (58)
8. The Seldom Scene (55)
9. Jason Isbell (52)
10. Crys Matthews (51)
11. Deborah Holland (47)
12. Bob Dylan (45)
13. HuDost (44)
14. Amelia Hogan (38)
14. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwert (38)
16. Max Wareham (37)
16. Chatham Rabbits (37)
18. Kim Beggs (36)
19. Alison Krauss and Union Station (34)
20. Rob Siegel (31)
21. Artists for Action (30)
22. Jesse Colin Young (29)
23. The Twangtown Paramours (27)
23. Tim Grimm (27)
25. Chuck Brodsky (26)
26. Guy Clark (25)
26. Joni Mitchell (25)
26. The Wildwoods (25)
29. Barry Oreck and Friends (24)
29. Joan Baez (24)
31. Eliza Gilkyson (23)
31. The Boy From Bluegrass (23)
31. Annie Gallup (23)
31. The Devil Makes Three (23)
31. John Prine (23)
36. Emma’s Revolution (22)
37. Heather Maloney (21)
37. Colleen Kattau (21)
37. Gary Louris (21)
37. Karan Casey (21)

Remembering Ian Tyson, 1933-2022

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 16:48:05 +0000

Ian Tyson

Ian Tyson, an influential Canadian troubadour best known for having penned the hit songs “Four Strong Winds” and “Someday Soon” as half of the internationally acclaimed folk duo Ian & Sylvia, died on December 29, 2022 at his ranch in southern Alberta at age 89. Folk DJ Charlie Backfish will pay tribute to him and his music during a special edition of his long-running weekly radio show Sunday Street that airs January 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on WUSB 90.1 FM on Long Island, NY and online at wusb.fm or https://tunein.com/radio/WUSB-901-s2324/.

Born to British immigrants in Victoria, British Columbia on September 25, 1933, Tyson grew up in Duncan, BC. He was a rough-stock rodeo rider in his late teens and early 20s and took up the guitar as “the means by which to pass the time” during a two-week hospital stay while recovering from a shattered ankle — an injury he sustained in a bad fall while competing in the Dog Pound Rodeo in Alberta.

Tyson hitchhiked from Vancouver to Toronto in 1958 after graduating from the Vancouver School of Art and became part of the city’s nascent folk scene centered around the coffee houses of its bohemian Yorkville neighborhood. There he met a young singer named Sylvia Fricker, who would become his musical and life partner for a while. They moved to New York, where noted manager Albert Grossman (Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Pozo Seco Singers, etc.) signed Ian & Sylvia to Vanguard Records and they became an important part of the early 1960s folk revival.

The duo released its eponymously titled debut album in 1962 before getting hitched two years later. They would go on to record and release nearly a dozen albums. Although Ian and Sylvia’s 1964 sophomore release, Four Strong Winds, featured primarily covers of songs by others, its original title track became one of Canada’s best-loved songs and, along with “Someday Soon” and Sylvia’s “You Were on My Mind,” has been covered by numerous other artists — a number of whom will be featured on Sunday Street.

Here’s a link to view a video of Ian and Sylvia performing Four Strong Winds for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3m7ckGhnsc

As the folk boom began to wane later in the 1960s, spurred in part by the British Invasion, Ian & Sylvia moved to Nashville and began incorporating elements of country and rock into their music. They formed the band Great Speckled Bird in 1969 and becoming pioneers of country-rock, along with the Byrds and others.

After hosting a national Canadian television music show from 1970 to 1975, Tyson realized his dream of returning to the Canadian West. His marriage to Sylvia had ended in divorce in 1975 and Tyson, disillusioned with the Canadian country music scene, opted to return to his first love – training horses in the ranch country of southern Alberta.

Tyson Turns to Cowboy Songs and Western Music

His songwriting was greatly affected by his change in lifestyle – most notably on his third solo album, 1983’s Old Corrals & Sagebrush, comprised solely of traditional and new cowboy songs that he recorded after spending three idyllic years cowboying in the Rockies at Pincher Creek. Although Tyson didn’t know it at the time, a cowboy renaissance was about to find expression at the first Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering that year in a small cow town in northern Nevada. Invited to perform his ‘new western music” at it, Tyson was a regular attendee at the gatherings for more than 30 years. Tyson’s 1987 album Cowboyography also helped to re-launch his touring career across Canada and the U.S.

Tyson seriously damaged his voice following a particularly tough performance at an outdoor country music festival in 2006. “I fought the sound system and I lost,” he said afterwards. With a virus that took months to pass, his smooth voice was now hoarse, grainy, and had lost much of its resonant bottom end. After briefly entertaining thoughts that he would never sing again, he began relearning and reworking his songs to accommodate his ‘new voice.’ To his surprise, audiences now paid rapt attention as he half-spoke, half-sung familiar words, which seemed to reveal new depths for his listeners, according to publicist Eric Alper. Although a heart attack, followed by open heart surgery in 2015, further damaged his voice, Tyson continued to release music well into his senior years – including the 2015 album Carnero Vaquero and his last single, “You Should Have Known.” Released in September 2017 on Stony Plains Records, the Canadian label on which he released 15 albums since the 1980s, that song unapologetically celebrates the hard living, hard drinking, hard loving cowboy life.

Tyson was a Much-Honored Artist During His Lifetime

Tyson earned numerous awards and accolades over the years. A Juno Award recipient for country male vocalist of the year in 1987 and a Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer since 1989, Tyson was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame – along with his former wife and singing partner, Sylvia, three years later. He became a member of the Order of Canada in 1994, received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2003, and was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2006. ASCAP paid tribute to him during the 20th annual Folk Alliance International Conference in 2008, while he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

January 7 Sunday Street Tribute to Ian Tyson will Feature Music, Stories and Reflections

On the January 7 edition of Sunday Street, Backfish will explore Tyson’s wide-ranging career. He’ll share some recently-recorded reflections from Tom Russell, a widely acclaimed folk and Americana singer-songwriter, painter and essayist who co-wrote may songs with Tyson and recorded Play One More: The Songs of Ian and Sylvia (2017), featuring some of the duo’s lesser-known songs.

A Tom Russell painting of his longtime friend, mentor and musical collaborator Ian Tyson.
“It’s hard to come forth with words about the passing of Ian Tyson, wrote Russell in a Facebook post shortly after he died. “My friend and mentor for so many years. He was the best man at our wedding in Elko. We co-wrote at least 10 songs including Navajo Rug [the 1986 Canadian country song of the year], Claude Dallas, Rose of San Joaquin, When The Wolves No Longer Sing, and Ross Knox. We had a good talk a little while ago. My thoughts go back to many great memories of co-writing songs in a cabin in the Rockies. It’s a sad day. He’ll be with me forever.”

Here are links to view videos of Russell and Tyson performing Tyson’s classic “Summer Wages” and their co-write “Navajo Rug” in Calgary in 2019:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4Rk-E_spoI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGlbCQ_DjdE

The three-hour radio show will also feature stories and observations from Tyson himself, Sylvia Tyson, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, interspersed with music. “Many of Tyson’s songs, as well as his vocals on the songs of others will be part of the three-hour program, according to Backfish. Besides Tyson himself, Ian and Sylvia, The Great Speckled Bird, and Tom Russell, listeners will hear from Neil Young (who covered “Four Strong Winds” on his 1978 album Comes A Time), Gordon Lightfoot (who Ian and Sylvia mentored and whose song “Early Morning Rain” was the title track of their 1965 release), Greg Brown and Bill Morrissey, Lucy Kaplansky, Fourtold, Gretchen Peters, James Keelaghan and Jez Lowe, Marianne Faithfull, Cindy Church, Corb Lund (an Alberta-based Canadian country artist with whom Tyson performed a series of concerts in 2018 and who told CBC News in a 2019 interview “He’s kind of our Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash or Leonard Cohen. He’s a guy who’s most embodied the region in art, musically at least.”), Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, The McDades, Michael Martin Murphey, and Bob Dylan (who recorded Tyson’s song “One Single River,” along with the Band, in Woodstock, New York, in 1967).

FAI Folk Radio Charts – September 2022

Michael Kornfeld — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:59:59 +0000

John McCutcheon, a revered folksinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was the most-played artist and had the top album (Leap!) on folk radio during September 2022. James Keelaghan’s “Walk On” and David LaMotte’s “September Me” were the month’s top songs, edging out songs by McCutcheon and Sofia Talvik. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

Leap is the 43rd release by McCutcheon during a career that has spanned 50 years. It’s the prolific songwriter’s third album of songs written during the pandemic. His previous recording, Bucket List, was the top album in September 2021, while McCutcheon’s Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine, was the top album on folk radio for two consecutive months during the summer of 2020. McCutcheon was also the most-played artist for three consecutive years (2017-2019) and also had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Well May the World Go”) on folk radio during 2019. McCutcheon’s classic “Christmas in the Trenches” has been among the most-played songs during the holiday season for years.

[Here’s a link to listen to “The Ride,” one of the songs on John McCutcheon’s album Leap!

The September 2022 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 12, 673 airplays reported on 433 playlists submitted by 119 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of September 2022

1. Leap! by John McCutcheon (160)
2. Second Hand by James Keelaghan (129)
3. Hold Our Ground by Tom Chapin (111)
4. Small Towns by Stillhouse Junkies (100)
5. The Coming of the Years by Joe Jencks (82)
6. Love Lies ‘N’ Leaving by Helen Townsend (67)
7. There’s a Bright Side Somewhere by Happy Traum (64)
8. Love Is the Only Thing by Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (50)
8. Apple and Setser by Apple and Setser (50)
10. Last Days of Summer by Lucy Kaplansky (49)
10. Hope Road: From Addiction to Recovery by John Dillon (49)
12. Still by David LaMotte (45)
13. Of Hard Times and Harmony by Windborne (44)
14. Lifetime Achievement by Loudon Wainwright III (39)
15. Two Good Hands by Darryl Purpose (36)
16. All Those Days of Drinking Dust by Tiffany Williams (34)
17. Stolen Time by Abigail Lapell (33)
17. The Ties That Bind Us by Adler and Hearne (33)
19. I Draw Slow by I Draw Slow (32)
20. Tell ‘Em You Were Gold by Pharis and Jason Romero (31)
21. I’m Going Home by Nick Hutson (30)
22. Cover to Cover by The Brother Brothers (29)
22. Vol. II by Watkins Family Hour (29)
22. Wind Rose by Jocelyn Pettit (29)
22. Dark Enough to See the Stars by Mary Gauthier (29)
26. Hello Old Friend by Paul Colombino (28)
27. Folk Now: Songs for These Times September 2022 by Various Artists (27)
27. All New by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (27)
29. Horizon Line by Dan Navarro (26)
30. Try Love by Julie Gold (25)
30. Cottonwood by Megan Bee (25)
30. The Boat You Row by Atwater (25)
33. Back on the Road to You by Freedy Johnston (24)
34. Reimagining by Claudia Schmidt (22)
34. A House With Blue Siding by Riley Cotton (22)
36. Endless Grace by Deidre McCalla (21)
37. The Legacy of John and Francis Reedy by John and Frances Reedy (20)
37. Hold On by Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen (20)
39. From Where I Stand by Wyatt Easterling (19)
39. Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle (19)
39. Blanket by Terry Kitchen (19)
42. Broken Love Songs by Aimee Van Dyne (18)
42. Whispers From the Woods by Gordon Thomas Ward (18)
44. Gravity, Wings, and Heavy Things by Chuck Brodsky (17)
45. Another End of a Year by Connor Garvey (16)
45. Driving Home by Cheryl Wheeler (16)
45. Solitary Diamond by Laura Orshaw (16)
45. Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson by
Various Artists (16)
45. Ghosts and Memories by Mike P. Ryan (16)
45. We Are Mighty: Sustenance for the Struggle by Fred Arcoleo (16)

Top Songs of September 2022

[Here’s a link to listen to “Walk On” by Canadian singer-songwriter James Keelaghan.]

1. “September Me” by David LaMotte (27)
1. “Walk On” by James Keelaghan (27)
3. “The Ride” by John McCutcheon (26)
3. “Second Hand” by James Keelaghan (26)
3. “Too Many Churches” by Sofia Talvik (26)
6. “It’s Hard to Love September” by Julie Gold (25)
7. “Devils Curse” by Helen Townsend (23)
8. “Listen Close” by Tom Chapin (22)
9. “Hold Our Ground Forever” by Tom Chapin (21)
10. “Gathering Storm” by James Keelaghan (20)
10. “Woody Guthrie’s Dream” by Tom Chapin (20)
12. “Last Days of Summer” by Lucy Kaplansky (19)
13. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (18)
13. “Song of Crows” by Darryl Purpose (18)
15. “The Mighty” by Fred Arcoleo (16)
15. “Never Going Back Again” by Stillhouse Junkies (16)
17. “The Troubles” by John McCutcheon (15)
17. “Baseball in My Blood” by Erik Balkey (15)
17. “Where Are You Now” by Helen Townsend (15)
17. “Before the Morning Sun” by James Keelaghan (15)
17. “If You Were Real” by Helen Townsend (15)
22. “Work” by John McCutcheon (14)
22. “Uvalde” by Bob Andrews (14)
22. “Autoharpaholic” by Tom Chapin (14)
25. “Colorado Bound” by Stillhouse Junkies (13)
25. “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” by Happy Traum (13)
25. “Black September (Munich ’72)” by Max Ferguson (13)
25. “Liberty” by Sarah Cade (13)
25. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (13)
25. “When Fall Comes to New England” by Cheryl Wheeler (13)

[Here’s a link to listen to “September Me” by David LaMotte.]

Top Artists for September 2022

John McCutcheon was the top artist and had the most-played album on folk radio in September 2022, according to charts compiled by Folk Alliance International. (Photo: Irene Young)
1. John McCutcheon (186)
2. James Keelaghan (142)
3. Tom Chapin (115)
4. Joe Jencks (104)
5. Stillhouse Junkies (100)
6. Lucy Kaplansky (68)
7. Helen Townsend (67)
8. Happy Traum (66)
9. Bob Dylan (53)
10. Apple and Setser (50)
10. Windborne (50)
10. Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings (50)
13. John Dillon (49)
14. David LaMotte (46)
15. Loudon Wainwright III (45)
16. Darryl Purpose (39)
17. Pharis and Jason Romero (36)
18. Tiffany Williams (34)
19. Abigail Lapell (33)
19. John Prine (33)
19. Cheryl Wheeler (33)
19. Adler and Hearne (33)
19. Mary Gauthier (33)
24. Watkins Family Hour (32)
24. I Draw Slow (32)
26. Julie Gold (30)
26. Tom Paxton (30)
26. The Brother Brothers (30)
26. Nick Hutson (30)
26. The Seekers (30)
31. Sofia Talvik (29)
31. Bruce Springsteen (29)
31. Jocelyn Pettit (29)
34. Paul Colombino (28)
34. Pete Seeger (28)
34. Claudia Schmidt (28)
37. Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Tom Paxton (27)
38. Dan Navarro (26)
38. Atwater (26)
38. Nanci Griffith (26)

Old Songs and Folk Music Notebook Partner to Present a Virtual Festival, June 26-28

Michael Kornfeld — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 15:44:28 +0000

Old Songs, a three-day festival celebrating traditional music and dance, usually held at the Altamont Fairgrounds in upstate New York on the last weekend in June, is partnering with Folk Music Notebook, the 24/7 internet folk radio channel created and curated by veteran folk DJ Ron Olesko, to present a virtual festival, June 26-28,2020. The audio-only event will feature new performances by artists who would have been at this year’s festival, along with archival recordings from past festivals.

“I am thrilled to work with Joy Bennett and the magnificent staff at Old Songs to bring this virtual festival to life [on FolkMusicNotebook.com],” said Olesko. “Old Songs has always held a special place in my heart. I go to a lot of different festivals, and each have a unique personality, but there is something extraordinary about Old Songs. The festival is held in a perfect setting at the Altamont Fairgrounds, just outside of Albany, New York. The grounds are a 4-H-style fair with various barns and buildings, so if it rains it is no big deal. The music is always diverse, drawing artists from all parts of the globe. They really abide by their motto of “music with roots,” and it is wonderful to discover the various cultures and the connections we share.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible to have the festival at the fairgrounds this year, Olesko was eager to capture the spirit of Old Songs “and I think we have done it.” New performances by many of the artists who were slated to play the festival this summer are the centerpiece of the broadcasts that will air on FolkMusicNotebook.com. “They have graciously recorded sets from their homes, and we will be presenting these performances [on] Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, said Olesko.

Archival performances by many of the artists who have previously graced the festival’s stages will be featured during the day on Saturday and Sunday. These include Christine Lavin, Martin Carthy, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, the Johnson Girls, and James Keelagnan among others. Olesko noted that Bennett, Old Songs executive director for the past two years, has shared these recordings from the nonprofit organization’s archives that have not been heard since they were originally performed. An hour of Sacred Harp sings also is set to air on Sunday morning.

Throughout the weekend, listeners also will hear from some of the people who have guided Old Songs over its first 40 years. Andy Spence, the founder who guided the festival for its first 38 years, will discuss the origins of the event, while Bennett will talk about her experiences and what the future may hold for Old Songs. “We will also speak to Phil Teumin, the president of the board of directors for Old Songs Inc., about the other events that Old Songs organizes throughout the year,” Olesko added.

For her part, Bennett said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Ron on this project to help bring these performers into your homes, and look forward to working again with him at the 40th festival in 2021.”

The 2020 Virtual Old Songs Festival begins on Friday night, June 26, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. A full schedule will be posted online at FolkMusicNotebook.com.

Old Songs (https://festival.oldsongs.org) is a family-friendly festival of folk, traditional, Celtic and regional music and dance, known for its relaxed atmosphere, interactive sessions and workshops, hands-on experiences and participatory nature. In addition to three evening concerts, it usually features more than 100 daytime workshops, dances and performances., as well as a juried craft show, food and instrument vendors, and a children’s activity area.

Launched on May 3, 2019 — the 100th anniversary of the birth of late folk music icon Pete Seeger — Folk Music Notebook is a 24/7 online folk music channel that also can be accessed via free apps and listened to through your smartphones, car speakers, and other Bluetooth streaming devices. In addition to Olesko, Folk Music Notebook features programs hosted by other folk DJs. Olesko views the channel as “a place to ‘discover’ new artists and songs as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.”

Winners Named in 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 15:03:15 +0000

Winners in the 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards were recognized during a bilingual, two-night celebratory and music-filled event co-hosted by Benoit Bourque and James Keelaghan, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, at The Gateway in Calgary, Alberta.

Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles of The LYNNeS picked up two awards (English Songwriters of the Year and Ensemble of the Year for their debut album Heartbreak Song for the Radio), as did Pharis & Jason Romero (Pharis for Traditional Singer of the Year and he duo as Vocal Group of the Year for their album, Sweet Old Religion). A number of other artists received awards as well.

The LYNNeS are (l.-r.) Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles.
The LYNNeS feature two award winning Ottawa-based songwriters and multi-instrumentalists who have been earning accolades and wining over audiences with their gritty lyrics and tight vocal harmonies. Lynn Miles has 14 albums to her credit and has won several Juno Awards as well as Canadian Folk Music Awards. Red Molly and Claire Lynch have recorded her song “Black Flowers.” Lynne Hanson has been playing her brand of “porch music with a little red dirt” for a decade, has released six albums, and was previously nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award as a solo artist.

Here’s a link to the official video for The LYNNeS’ song “Recipe for Disaster,” a single off their debut album, Sweet Old Religion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc53Ee4AezE

Pharis & Jason Romero (Photo: Forrest Gibson)
Pharis & Jason Romero are a British Columbia-based husband-and-wife duo who initially met at an old-time fiddle jam. Prior to receiving this year’s awards for their work on Sweet Old Religion – an album that incorporates jazz, blues and country sounds – the duo and Pharis had received numerous other awards. The duo received a Juno Award for Traditional album of the Year for A Wanderer I’ll Stay in 2016 and was named New/Emerging Artist of the Year in the 2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards for its album, A Passing Glimpse. Pharis Romero also received a CFMA in 2013 for Traditional Singer of the Year. Pharis is also artistic director for Voice Works, a workshop for singers, while Jason teaches all styles of banjo playing – with a penchant for old-time three-finger playing. The couple makes instruments as well.

Here’s a link to a video of Pharis & Jason Romero performing “Sweet Old Religion” at the 2017 NimbleFingers Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Workshop and Festival in Sorrento, BC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfKa20I4DF4

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms.

Here’s a list of the award winners. More information may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

Traditional Album of the Year:
Matthew Byrne – Horizon Lines

Contemporary Album of the Year:
Donovan Woods – Both Ways

Children’s Album of the Year:
Edgar, LeBlanc, Cool, Farmeur, Vishten, Savoie, Butler – Grand tintamarre! – Chansons et comptines acadiennes

Traditional Singer of the Year:
Pharis Romero (of Pharis & Jason Romero) – Sweet Old Religion

Contemporary Singer of the Year:
Rob Lutes – Walk in the Dark

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year:
Jean-Francois Belanger – Les enrailles de la montagne

Instrumental Group of the Year:
The Fretless – Live from the Art Farm

English Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles (of the LYNNeS) – Heartbreak Song For The Radio

French Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Anike Berube, Natalie Byrns (of Ancolie) – Le soleil en bulle (CHECK ON THIS)

Indigenous Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Shanit – Apu peikussiak

Vocal Group of the Year:
Pharis & Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion

Ensemble of the Year:
The LYNNeS – Heartbreak Song For the Radio

Solo Artist of the Year:
Bruce Cockburn – Bone On Bone

World Solo Artist of the Year:
Elaiana Cnevas – Golpes & Flores

World Group of the Year:
Autorickshaw – Meter

New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
Raine Hamilton – Night Sky

Producer(s) of the Year:
Steve Dawson – Same As I Ever Have Been ((Matt Patershuk)

Young Performer of the Year:
Nick Earle, Joseph Coffin (of Earle and Coffin) – A Day in July

The Oliver Schroer Pushing the Boundaries Award celebrating innovation in creating new folk sounds went to Beatrice Deer for My All To You, while the Slaight Music Unsung Hero Award was presented to Terry Wickham, now in his 28th year as artistic director of the Edmonton Folk Festival, in recognition of his tireless, multi-decade support and hard work on behalf of folk music and Canadian culture.

Two Music Festivals in July Have Mass. Appeal

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 14:52:25 +0000

Two music festivals of note take place in Massachusetts in July: The New Bedford Folk Festival (July 4-5) along the cobblestoned streets of the old whaling port city, and the Green River Festival (July 10-12) featuring music, hot air balloons and more at the community college campus in Greenfield.

New Bedford Folk Festival
In and around Whaling National Historic Park
New Bedford, MA
www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com

The New Bedford Folk Festival, formerly known as the Greater New Bedford Summerfest, is one of the Northeast’s most pleasant, refined and enjoyable music festivals. Slated for the Fourth of July weekend in New Bedford, the family-oriented festival, now marking its 20th anniversary, takes over the cobblestoned streets of this historic New England port city –- which is part of the Whaling National Historic Park. Visitors will soak in the area’s rich maritime history as they stroll its streets while listening to world-class contemporary and traditional acoustic performers under tents set up along them and in the air-conditioned comfort of the fabulous New Bedford Whaling Museum’s auditorium and the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center — where the popular Celtic Extravaganza closes out the festival on Sunday night.

As in years past, this year’s schedule includes a wealth of talented performers, many of them performing in song-swap style workshops with folks whom they may have never even met, making for unique musical pairings. It also poses a dilemma of choices that may have some attendees running from one stage to another nearby to catch certain artists.

There will be continuous music from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on seven sound stages, ranging from the intimate National Park Garden Stage to the 1200-seat Zeiterion Theatre. Among the more than 70 featured performers are Benoit Bourque, The Boxcar Lilies, Calan, Catie Curtis, Jeff Davis, Beppe Gambetta, Vance Gilbert, Seth Glier, Raymond Gonzalez, John Hammond, Kim and Reggie Harris, David Jacobs-Strain, James Keelaghan, The Kennedys, Jeremy Kittel, Yves Lambert Trio, Patty Larkin, Jez Lowe, Troy MacGilluray & Kimberley Fraser, Danielle Miraglia, Peter Mulvey, Mustard’s Retreat, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, Jane Rothfield & Allan Carr, Tom Rush, Claudia Russell, Art Tebbetts, Hiroya Tsukomoto, and Susan Werner. In addition, a number of local artists will play the Southcoast Stage.

Besides the music, there will be some 90-artisans and arts and crafts vendors. While in New Bedford, you can also enjoy fresh seafood and sample tasty cuisine at one of the whaling city’s many Portuguese restaurants. Parking is free at the municipal garage.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $25 for the weekend or $20 for one-day.

Green River Festival
Greenfield Community College
(I-91, Exit 26)
Greenfield, MA
www.greenriverfestival.com

Launched as a balloon festival in 1986, the Pioneer Valley’s largest outdoor festival has expanded over the years to include lots of musical entertainment.

In addition to three stages of music throughout the weekend, balloon illuminations and hot air balloon rides (weather permitting), the Green River Festival also features artisans exhibiting their original work, dancing, plenty of food vendors, and an array of children’s activities.

Independent recording label Signature Sounds, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and whose roster features some of the most talented artists on today’s acoustic and roots music scene, has played a major part in the festival for years and took over management of it last year.

Among the artists slated to perform over the weekend are Antibalas, Kris Delmhorst, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Elephant Revival, Eilen Jewell, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Heather Maloney, Milk Carton Kids, Parker Millsap, Pine Hill Project (featuring Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Joe Pug, Punch Brothers, Hayley Reardon, Red Baraat, The Stray Birds, Twisted Pine, Valerie June, and The Wood Brothers.

Discounted three-day passes may be purchased in advance for $99.99, while day tickets are also available. There is a fee for parking. As is the case with the New Bedford Folk Festival, there is no on-site camping associated with this festival.

Nominees Named for 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:49:47 +0000

With a combined five nominations, 18-year old Quinn Bachand and his Victoria, British Columbia-based group Brishen are the top nominees vying for 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards to be presented during a gala event at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa, Ontario on Nov. 29. Fellow BC-based instrumental artists The Fretless and vocal group The High Bar Gang also received multiple nominations, as did Quebecois instrumental group MAZ and Manitoba-based singer-songwriter Del Barber.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. Outstanding achievements will be recognized in 19 categories, while Unsung Hero and Folk Music Canada’s Innovator Award recipients will be named in October. Sixty-eight artists and groups from nine provinces and one territory in Canada were announced as nominees during a Sept. 24 news conference at Folk Music Ontario’s Ottawa headquarters.

Bachand, who has been called “Canada’s best Celtic guitarist” by Ashley MacIsaac, with whom he’s toured, was nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year and Young Performer of the Year, while his group Brishen (which means bringer of the storm) snagged nods for Instrumental Group of the Year, Ensemble of the Year and World Group of the Year. Bachand has recorded three albums and received two Irish Music Awards during the past five years. Brishen’s musical repertoire ranges from Django Reinhardt compositions to more contemporary works.

Benoit Bourque of La Bottine Souriante, and formerly of Le Vent du Nord and Matapat, joins the CBC’s Shelagh Rogers in hosting the bilingual gala awards presentation. The event marks the culmination of a CFMA weekend that begins on Nov. 27 and will feature performances by a number of talented Canadian artists. Tickets for the gala show are available to the public for $40, while weekend passes are $70.

A complete list of 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows. More information may be found online at www.folkawards.ca.

Young Performer of the Year

Keiffer Mclean (Drama in the Attic)
Rebecca Lappa (Ode to Tennyson)
Quinn Bachand (Brishen)
Kacy & Clayton (The Day Is Past & Gone)
Benjamin Rogers (Wayfarer)

New/Emerging Artist of the Year

The Bros. Landreth (Let It Lie)
Robyn Dell’Unton (Little Lines)
Scott Cook (One More Time Around)
Quinn Bachand (Brishen)
Kacy & Clayton (The Day Is Past & Gone)

Pushing The Boundaries (celebrating innovation in creating new folk sounds)

Tanya Tagag (Animism)
MAZ (Chasse-Galerie)
Mark Berube (Russian Dolls)
The Fretless (The Fretless)
West My Friend (When The Ink Dries)

English Songwriter of the Year

Shari Ulrich (Everywhere I Go)
James Keelaghan (History)
Lennie Gallant (Live Acoustic at The Carlton)
Del Barber (Prairieography)
Chris Ronald (Timeline)

French Songwriter of the Year

Laurence Helie (A Present le Passe)
Klo Pelgag (L’Alchimie des monstres)
Alexandre Poulin (Le movement des marees)
Antoine Corriveau (Les Ombres Longues)
Julie Aube, Viviane Roy et Katrine Noel – Les Hay Babies (Mon Homesick Heart)

Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year

Tanya Tagag (Animism)
Vince Fontaine (Colors)
Amanda Rheaume (Keep a Fire)
Buffy MacNeil and Larry Boutilier – Buffy & Larry (Surrounded)
Jasmine Netsena (Take You With Me)

World Group of the Year

MAZ (Chasse-Galerie)
Shtreimi (Eastern Hora)
TANGA (HavanaElectro)
Romain Malagnoux (Les frontiers Imaginaires)
Brishen (Brishen)

World Solo Artist of the Year

Quique Escamilla (500 Years of Night)
Jorge Martinez (Carnaval)
Susan Aglukark (Dreaming Of Home)
Amanda Martinez (Manana)
Robert Michaels (Via Italia)

Traditional Album of the Year

Coig (Five)
Poor Angus (Gathering)
Moustafa Kouyate & Romain Malagnoux (Les fronteres imaginaires)
The High Bar Gang (Lost and Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion)
Sarah Jane Scouten (The Cape)

Traditional Singer of the Year

Kim Beggs (Beauty and Breaking)
Fafard & Schwartz (Borrowed Horses)
Melisande [electrotrad] (Les metamorphoses)
Sarah Jane Scouten (The Cape)
Ventanas (Ventanas)

Contemporary Album of the Year

The Bros. Landreth (Let It Lie)
Colleen Rennison (See The Sky About To Rain)
Jill Zmud (Small Matters of Life and Death)
Matt Andersen (Weightless)
The Strumbellas (We Still Move On Dance Floors)

Contemporary Singer of the Year

Matthew Barber (Big Romance)
Jadea Kelly (Clover)
James Keelaghan (History)
Del Barber (Prairieography)
Matt Andersen (Weightless)

Instrumental Group of the Year

The Andrew Collins Trio (A Play On Words)
MAZ (Chasse Galerie)
Coig (Five)
Brishen (Brishen)
The Fretless (The Fretless)

Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year

Maxim Cormier (2)
Gillian Boucher (Attuned)
Steve Dawson (Rattlesnake Cage)
Jayme Stone (The Other Side of the Air)
Robert Michaels (Via Italia)

Vocal Group of the Year

The Fugitives (Everything Will Happen)
Gathering Sparks (Gathering Sparks)
The High Bar Gang (Lost and Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion)
The Marrieds (Saving Hope)
Sweet Alibi (We’ve Got To)

Ensemble of the Year

The High Bar Gang (Lost and Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion)
Brishen (Brishen)
Notre Dame de Grass (That’s How The Music Begins)
The Fretless (The Fretless)
Ventanas (Ventanas)

Solo Artist of the Year

Matthew Barber (Big Romance)
Shari Ulrich (Everywhere I Go)
James Keelaghan (History)
Lennie Gallant (Live Acoustic at The Carleton)
Del Barber (Prairieography)

Children’s Album of the Year

Helen Austin (Colour It)
Rattle and Strum (Rattle and Strum)
Alex Mahe (Reveiillons les bonnes chansons)
Kathy Reid Naiman (When It’s Autumn)
Fred Penner (Where In The World)

Producer of the Year

Maziade (Chasse-Galerie – MAZ)
Tom Terrell and Karl Falkenham (City Ghosts – The Modern Grass)
Luke Doucet (Ephemere sans repere – Whitehorse)
The Fretless with Joby Baker (The Fretless)
Steve Dawson (St. Louis Times – Jim Byrnes)

Nominees Named for 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 14:30:13 +0000

With four nominations each, Ontario’s 15-piece Lemon Bucket Orkestra, fiddler Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything, and multiple Juno award-winning singer-songwriter David Francey are the top nominees vying for 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards that are slated to be presented during a gala event at the University of Calgary Theatre in Calgary, Alberta, Nov. 10.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards were established ten years ago to bring greater exposure to the breadth and depth of Canadian folk music, celebrating and promoting it in all its forms. Outstanding achievements will be recognized in 19 categories, while Unsung Hero and Folk Music Canada’s Innovator Award recipients will be named in October. Seventy artists and groups from eight provinces and two territories in Canada were announced as nominees during a songwriters’ circle-style news conference in downtown Calgary last week.

“This year’s nominated artists are all marked by a startling enthusiasm,” says Grit Laskin, president of the Canadian Folk Music Awards. “We’ve got Appalachian dulcimers, five-stringed violins, punk-inspired folk, classical-inspired folk, Irish hand drums, Iraqi oud fusionists, world-renowned step-dancers, and heart-wrenching songwriters – all of whom are releasing and performing some of Canada’s best folk music.”

Benoit Bourque of La Bottine Souriante, and formerly of Le Vent du Nord and Matapat, joins the CBC’s Shelagh Rogers in hosting the bilingual gala awards presentation that marks the culmination of a CFMA weekend that begins on Nov. 8 and will feature performances by Amelia Curran, James Keelaghan, Oh My Darling, and Oscar Lopez, among others. Tickets for the gala show are available to the public for $40 and may be purchased by calling (403) 220-7202 or by logging-on to ucalgary.ca/tickets/.

A complete list of 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees follows, while more information may be found online at folkawards.ca.

Young Performer of the Year:
Rebecca Lappa for Avant Garden
Ten Strings and A Goat Skin for Corbeau
Keiffer Mclean for Keiffer McLean
Sydney Delong for My Vow To You
Kierah for Stonemason’s Daughter
.
New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
Ashley Condon for This Great Compromise
Lemon Bucket Orkestra for Lume, Lume
Mo Kenney for Mo Kenney
Ten Strings And A Goat Skin for Corbeau
Trent Severn for Trent Severn

Pushing The Boundaries (celebrating innovation in creating new folk sounds):
Kevin Breit for Field Recording
Jaron Freeman Fox & The Opposite of Everything for Jaron Freeman Fox & The Opposite of Everything
New Country Rehab for Ghost of Your Charms
Orchid Ensemble for Life Death Tears Dream
Wilderness of Manitoba for Island of Echoes

English Songwriter of the Year:
David Francey for So Say We All
Old Man Luedecke for Tender is the Night
Lynn Miles for Downpour
Justin Rutledge for Valleyheart
John Wort Hannam for Brambles and Thorns

French Songwriter of the Year:
Chantal Archambault for Les Élans
Louis Jean Cormier for Le treizième étage
Catherine Durand for Les murs blancs du Nord
Alexis Normand for Mirador
Dany Placard for Démon vert

Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year:
Don Amero for Heart On My Sleeve
Diem Lafortune for Beauty and Hard Times
Nancy Mike of The Jerry Cans for Nunavuttitut
Kristi Lane Sinclair for The Sea Alone
Vince Fontaine of Indian City for Supernation

World Solo Artist of the Year:
Aviva Chernick for When I Arrived You Were Already There
Alex Cuba for Ruido En El Sistema
Lenka Lichtenberg for Embrace
Jorge Miguel for Guitarra Flamenca/Flamenco Guitar
Sora for Scorpion Moon

World Group of the Year:
Njacko Backo & Kalimba Kalimba for Ici Bas, Rien N’est Impossible
David Buchbinder & Odessa/Havana for Walk to the Sea
Lemon Bucket Orkestra for Lume, Lume
Jaron Freeman Fox & The Opposite of Everything for Jaron Freeman Fox
& The Opposite of Everything
Jaffa Road for Where The Light Gets In

Traditional Album of the Year:
Long Gone Out West Blues by Pharis Romero and Jason Romero
Lume, Lume by Lemon Bucket Orkestra
Mosaïk by Vishtèn
Seinn by Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac
Tune Tramp by Erynn Marshall

Traditional Singer of the Year:
Natalie Edelson of The Blue Warblers for Birds
Ian Bell for Forget Me Not, When Far Away
Ken Whiteley for The Light Of Christmas
Pharis Romero for Long Gone Out West Blues
Mary Jane Lamond for Seinn

Contemporary Album of the Year:
Downpour by Lynn Miles
Rise by Annabelle Chvostek
So Say We All by David Francey
These Wilder Things by Ruth Moody
Valleyheart by Justin Rutledge

Contemporary Singer of the Year:
Stephen Fearing for Between Hurricanes
Old Man Luedecke for Tender is the Night
Justin Rutledge for Valleyheart
Ian Sherwood for Live At The Hive
John Wort Hannam for Brambles And Thorns

Vocal Group of the Year:
Dawn and Marra for Teaspoons and Tablespoons
Good Lovelies for Live at Revolution
Trent Severn for Trent Severn
The Sweet Lowdown for May
Wilderness of Manitoba for Island of Echoes

Ensemble of the Year:
Genticorum for Enregistré Live
Good Lovelies for Live at Revolution
Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac for Seinn
Corin Raymond & The Sundowners for Paper Nickels
Vishtèn for Mosaïk

Solo Artist of the Year:
Maria Dunn for Piece By Piece
Stephen Fearing for Between Hurricanes
David Francey for So Say We All
Lynn Miles for Downpour
John Wort Hannam for Brambles And Thorns

Children’s Album of the Year:
Always Be A Unicorn by Helen Austin
Pickin’ in the Garden by The Funky Mamas
Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well by Jennifer Gasoi
Viva la Diva by Madame Diva
What’s the Big Idea ?!? by Gary Rasberry

Producer of the Year:
David Francey for So Say We All
David Travers Smith for These Wilder Things by Ruth Moody and for Jaron Freeman Fox and The Opposite of Everything
Jory Nash for Little Pilgrim
Rick Scott for The Great Gazzoon A Tall Tale With Tunes & Turbulence
Steve Dawson for Brother Sinner & The Whale by Kelly Joe Phelps and for I Hear The Wind In The Wires by Jim Byrnes

David Francey is Top Winner in International Acoustic Music Awards

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:47:17 +0000

David Francey is the overall grand prize winner in the seventh annual International Acoustic Music Awards competition. One of Canada’s most revered singer-songwriters, Francey also captured first place in the competition’s Folk category for “The Waking Hour.” You can see and hear him singing that beautiful song during a festival in Burlington, Ontario last June at davidfrancey.com/franceyvideos.html.

David Francey
Scottish-born David Francey’s working-class heritage has influenced his music. Traditional folk themes of love and loss, as well as his admiration for the natural beauty of his adopted homeland, also permeate his songs. Francey has been the recipient of three Junos, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the U.S. His songs have been covered by such other notable artists as Tracy Grammer, James Keelaghan, the Del McCoury Band and The Rankin Family. His latest CD, Seaway, a collaboration with Mike Ford (formerly of Moxy Fruvous), was inspired by a two-week voyage they shared aboard a freighter traveling between Montreal and Thunder Bay along the St. Lawrence Seaway. A Quick Q & A with David Francey by Kathy Sands-Boehmer graced the home page of AcousticMusicScene.com last January and is currently archived in the Features section.

The International Acoustic Music Awards competition promotes excellence in acoustic music performance and artistry. Awards were announced in eight categories. In addition to Francey, first-place winners included Joachim Nordensson & Brooke Wandler (Best Group/Duo) for “I Was With You;” Roland Albertson (Best Male Artist) for “Broken;” Kelly Zullo (Best Female Artist) for “Firecracker;” Horseshoe Road (Country/Bluegrass) for “We Don’t Smell the Home Fires Anymore;” Luke Doucet & The White Falcon (AAA/Alternative) for “Thinking People;” Laura Hoover (Acoustic Open Genre) for “The Most Beautiful Fear;” and Tim Farrell (Instrumental) for “Rosewood Alley.”

A panel of music industry judges evaluated entries based on music performance, production, originality, lyrics, melody and composition. In addition to valuable products and services, the winners and top runners-up in each category will be featured on a compilation CD that is distributed to radio stations.

2010 Clearwater, Old Songs Festivals Set for June in New York State

Michael Kornfeld — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:34:23 +0000

Two events on two successive weekends in June help mark the beginning of the summer outdoor festival season in New York State — Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival and the 30th annual Old Songs Festival.

Slated for Saturday -Sunday, June 19-20, at Croton Point Park in Croton-On-Hudson, in New York’s Hudson Valley, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a music and environmental festival launched by folk icon Pete Seeger that is now in its 41st year.

Among the artists scheduled to appear at the festival over the weekend, in addition to Pete, are such notables as David Amram, David Bromberg Quartet, Jonatha Brooke, Buckwheat Zydeco, C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band, Shawn Colvin, Donna The Buffalo, Steve Earle, Steve Forbert, Eileen Ivers, Lucy Kaplansky, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, Joan Osborne, Railroad Earth, Toshi Reagon and Subdudes. Joining them are such emerging talents as the Angel Band, Dan Bern, Mike Doughty, Felice Brothers, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Rhett Miller, Sara Watkins, and Dala (a young female duo from Toronto, who also star in “Girls From the North Country,” a TV special that begins airing on many PBS television stations this month). Regional artists of note include Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Milton, Tao Seeger Band, Rick Nestler and The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers, Matt Turk, Hope Machine, The Edukated Fleas, Stout, and the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus.

Produced by and benefiting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., a nonprofit, member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others to preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries, the festival celebrates environmental activism and education. It features seven stages with live music and performance artists, a Green Living Expo, riverfront activities, environmental workshops and exhibits, and booths run by educational and activist organizations. The Sloop Clearwater and Schooner Pioneer will also be there during the weekend, affording visitors the opportunity to sail on the Hudson. Roving artists and jugglers, children’s crafts and activities, juried crafts and the Circle of Song (where audience participation is the focus) also are on the docket.

For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, call 845-418-3596 or visit www.clearwater.org/festival.

The 30th annual Old Songs Festival takes place June 25-27, at Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, approximately 10 miles west of Albany. Produced by Old Songs, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in the New York State Capitol Region that seeks to keep traditional music and dance alive through this festival, as well as twice monthly concerts, monthly dances and educational programs, the festival will feature an array of folk, Celtic, blues, old-time and world musicians, as well as storytelling, dance, juggling and more.

Among this year’s performers are Canadian singer-songwriter James Keelaghan, Canadian trad. quartet Gadelle, talented husband-and-wife duos Kim & Reggie Harris and Matt & Shannon Heaton, percussionist Billy Jonas, gypsy jazz artists Babik, Tony Barrand, John Roberts, Jeff Davis, Debra Cowan, Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen, Cathy Barton & Dave Para, Susan Trump, and Moscow Nights (a trio performing traditional Russian music).

Main Stage concerts are slated for Friday and Saturday evening, as well as Sunday afternoon, while eight stages will feature music and dance on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contra dances featuring music by Fennig’s All-Stars and Grand Picnic follow the Friday and Saturday night concerts on the main stage.

A very participatory event, the Old Songs Festival also features “sacred harp” or shape-note singing (and choral singing) on Saturday and Sunday mornings with Tim Eriksen (who directed the shape-note singing for the film Cold Mountain) and Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, as well as lots of festival performer-led and impromptu jam sessions. The family-friendly event also features a children’s area, as well as a wide array of artisans, vendors and food.

Individual day tickets and all-festival tickets (with or without camping), and senior citizen and student discounts are available at the gate. For more information, visit www.oldsongs.org.