Gina Forsyth Hospitalized, Fundraiser For Help With Bills

From a post to the Folk DJ List:

New Orleans singer-songwriter/cajun fiddler Gina Forsyth recently had emergency surgery and an extended hospital stay. We want to notify the folk music community and those DJs who have played her music of her situation. Waterbug Records is selling her “You Are Here” CD as a fundraiser for her living expenses while she recovers – all proceeds from $20 sale go to Gina, through 2010.

Gina’s “You Are Here” CD can be purchased through Waterbug Records at www.waterbug.com.

For mailing donations:
Gina Forsyth
Box 4414
New Orleans, LA 70178

November 18th, 2010 | Category: Folk News | Comments are closed

Submit Your Holiday Song For Sampler

From an email I received from The Alternate Root Magazine:

Its that time again for The Alternate Root Magazine Holiday Sampler, please submit your own holiday songs to us by Monday Nov 22. We will put up a player and voting to let our readers pick the Top 25 tracks. This was very popular last year so do it quickly. Email MP3s with Your Name and Song Title to: altrootholidaysampler@gmail.com

Last year we had over 10,000 downloads on this sampler.

November 11th, 2010 | Category: Folk News | Comments are closed

Mixtape

As someone who would make a mixtape at the drop of a hat and obsess over it, I appreciate the following song and video from the new Tift Merritt CD.  Here’s one for all the mixtapers and all the hours spent agonizing over getting it just right.

October 15th, 2010 | Category: Folk Video of the Week | Comments are closed

Bruce Cockburn Cancels Tour Because of Illness

From Finkelstein Management:

October 12, 2010

Bruce Cockburn Forced to Cancel Upcoming Tour Due to Pneumonia and a Partially Collapsed Lung

Sadly Bruce Cockburn has been forced to cancel his upcoming tour of The Maritimes and a date in Quebec City.

Bruce was advised to cancel all of the concerts by his physicians due to his current bout of pneumonia that has also resulted in a partially collapsed lung.

Bruce was recently diagnosed after being admitted to a hospital in eastern Ontario shortly upon his return from a personal trip to Bolivia.

He is expected to make a full recovery and is currently resting well in Ontario.

Bruce had this to say:”I’m very disappointed to have to cancel this tour and know how inconvenient it is to many but I’m just unable to perform in this condition. I hope we will be able to reschedule all of the dates in the not too distant future. I’m looking forward to getting back to each of the cities and towns on the tour as soon as possible.”

The following are the cancelled dates:

OCT 14 QUEBEC CITY QC LE PALAIS MONTCALM
OCT 15 SUMMERSIDE PE HARBOURFRONT THEATRE
OCT 16 ST. JOHN NB IMPERIAL THEATRE
OCT 17 FREDERICTON NB THE PLAYHOUSE
OCT 19 MONCTON NB CAPITOL THEATRE
OCT 20 HALIFAX NS REBECCA COHN
OCT 22 MEMBERTOU NS MEMBERTOU CENTRE
OCT 23 PORT HAWKSBURY NS STAIGHT AREA REC CENTRE
OCT 25 WINDSOR NS MERMAID THEATRE
OCT 26 ANNAPOLIS ROYAL NS KINGS THEATRE
OCT 27 LUNENBURG NS PEARL THEATRE
OCT 28 TRURO NS MARIGOLD CENTRE

October 13th, 2010 | Category: Concert Announcements, Folk News | Comments are closed

Quick Thoughts on CFMA Nominations

The most important thought I have about the Canadian Folk Music Award nominations, which have just been announced (see previous post) is how sad I am that I am so unfamiliar with so many of them because the ones I do know are musicians of superior talent.

  • I remember reading somewhere that Mike Ford (formerly of Moxy Fruvous) was doing historical folk music highlighting Canadian history.  It’s great to see him working with the great David Francey.  Is the Fruvous “hiatus” ever going to end?
  • I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve heard from Dala so far.  They appear to have “it”, whatever that undefinable “it” might be.
  • I really liked the John Wort Hannam CD as well.
  • The Andrew Queen album is fun.  I’m not that into children’s music, but it was one of the better ones I’ve ever been sent.
  • The Contemporary Singer of the Year category is stacked with some seriously fine musicians.  I’ve been on the Lynn Miles bandwagon since seeing her at a folk festival many years ago.  James Keelaghan is one of the most respected folk musicians working on either side of the 49th, and I like what I’ve heard of Nathan Rogers so far.  I’m not familiar with the other two artists, but being named in this group gives them some instant cred.
  • What can you say about The Wailin’ Jennies that hasn’t been said?  Superlative.  They’ve gained significant exposure from being on Prairie Home Companion here in the States.
  • It’s nice to see Jory Nash recognized.  He’s worked very hard in courting folk radio on both sides of the 49th, and he’s an excellent singer/songwriter, and apparently a pretty good producer as well.

If you do publicity for any of these fine nominees, I’d love to hear from you.  I’m willing to download to reduce the costs of international postage.

October 7th, 2010 | Tags: | Category: Folk News | 3 comments - (Comments are closed)

Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominees Announced

From a press release posted to the Folk DJ List:

WINNIPEG -– WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 –- The Canadian Folk Music Awards
(CFMAs) is pleased to announce the nominees for its 2010 awards gala.
Artists from Atlantic Canada to British Columbia are contenders for the
SIXTH ANNUAL CFMAs, which will be held at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre in
Winnipeg on Saturday, November 20th to celebrate excellence in the Canadian
folk music scene today. Tickets for the event are $36.75 will be available
on Friday, October 8 at 10:00 am at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store,
211 Bannatyne Ave.(at Albert Street), (204) 231-1377 or through
www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information please visit
www.folkawards.ca or www.prixfolk.ca

Created in 2005 to bring greater exposure to the treasure trove of Canadian
folk music, the CFMAs, now in its sixth year, honours outstanding
achievements in 19 categories.

Nominated this year in a leading four categories is Toronto’s own
Klezmer/East European folk band Beyond The Pale, who have earned recognition
in the Instrumental Group, World Group and Ensemble of the Year awards as
well as the Pushing the Boundaries Award for innovation. Following closely
are a handful of artists with three nominations each: captivating
Newfoundland-born songstress Amelia Curran; also from The Rock are fresh new
buzz band The Once; Nova Scotia’s eclectic musical storyteller Lennie
Gallant; high-energy Québecois traditionalists Le Vent Du Nord; literary
Toronto songsmith Justin Rutledge (whose album producer Hawksley Workman is
also nominated for The Early Widows); and Vancouver deep-gospel vocal trio,
The Sojourners.

Along with Newfoundlanders The Once, are the fresh new sounds from Jack
Marks, Jadea Kelly, Jay Aymar and Peter Katz, all nominated for the
New/Emerging Artist of the Year Award. It should also be mentioned that
legendary fiddler/composer/producer and philosopher Oliver Schroer (who
sadly passed away in 2008), is being honoured posthumously with a nomination
in the Pushing the Boundaries category and in turn with his group Stewed
Tomatoes, who are in the running for Instrumental Group of the Year.

The gala awards ceremonies should prove to be an evening of stellar
entertainment, hosted by CBC Radio on-air personality Shelagh Rogers and
Juno Award-winning veteran entertainer Benoit Bourque. Performing at the
gala is a wide-ranging set of some of Canada’s top folk acts, including
Bourque himself; longtime folkie and multi-instrumentalist David Essig;
blues and African guitar-slinger Madagascar Slim; multiple 2010 CFMA
nominees, The Once; hot Halifax fingerpicker Don Ross; Blackie & The Rodeo
Kings mainstay Stephen Fearing; dynamic vocalist and superb songwriter
Annabelle Chvostek; driving acoustic bluegrass band Shearwater and seasoned
activist/folksinger Heather Bishop.

Please stay tuned for more information about the workshops, nominee showcase
performances and special events that will run from Friday, November 19 -
Sunday, November 21 as part of the CFMAs extravaganza.

MORE ABOUT CFMAs

The mission of the Canadian Folk Music Awards is to celebrate and promote
Canadian Folk Music in all its forms. Until their creation in 2005, there
existed no awards to celebrate the breadth and depth of folk music in
Canada. Awards such as the Junos, East Coast Music Awards or the Western
Canada Music Awards include a few categories that apply to folk and roots
music, but without as broad a view of the genre. The judging process is
similar to that of the two-stage elimination model used by the Junos via a
randomly selected jury drawn from the folk music community.

2010 CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – TRADITIONNEL
David Francey and Mike Ford – Seaway
Le Vent Du Nord – La part du feu
The Foggy Hogtown Boys – Scotch and Sofa
The Once – The Once
The Sojourners – The Sojourners

CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – CONTEMPORAIN
Amelia Curran – Hunter, Hunter
Dala – Girls from the North Country
Lennie Gallant – If We Had A Fire
Old Man Luedecke – My Hands Are On Fire And Other Love Songs
John Wort Hannam – Queen’s Hotel

CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – JEUNESSE
Andrew Queen – Too Tall
Kathy Reid Naiman –Sing the Cold Winter Away
The Kerplunks – Number 3
Madame Diva – Madame Diva
Peter Lenton – Proud Like a Mountain

TRADITIONAL SINGER OF THE YEAR /
MEILLEUR CHANTEUR – TRADITIONNEL
Emma Beaton and Nic Gareiss  – Emma Beaton and Nic Gareiss
Rebecca Barclay – Cinnabar
Rik Barron -  Never So Far
Woody Holler and his Orchestra – Western Skies
Yves Lambert -  Bal à l’Huile

CONTEMPORARY SINGER OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – CHANTEUR CONTEMPORAIN
James Keelaghan - House of Cards
Justin Rutledge – The Early Widows
Lynn Miles - Black Flowers Volume 1 & 2
Nathan Rogers – The Gauntlet
Rose Cousins – The Send Off

INSTRUMENTAL SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – INSTRUMENTISTE – SOLO
Brad Keller – House On Fire
Colin Grant -  Fun For The Whole Family
Sahra Featherstone – Born of a Summer’s Day
Samantha Robichaud – Collected
Wendell Ferguson – Ménage a Moi

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR /
ALBUM DE L’ANNÉE – INSTRUMENTISTES – GROUPE
Beyond the Pale – Postcards
Duo Duval  Boulanger – Pièces sur Pièces
Daniel Koulack and Karrnnel- Fiddle & Banjo
Oliver Schroer & Stewed Tomatoes – Freedom Row
Sokoun Trio – Zanneh

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR /
GROUPE VOCAL DE L’ANNÉE
Dala – Girls From The North County
The Marigolds - That’s The State I’m In
The Once – The Once
The Sojourners – The Sojourners
The Wailin’ Jennys - Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House

ENSEMBLE OF THE YEAR /
GROUPE DE L’ANNÉE
Beyond the Pale – Postcards
Le Vent Du Nord – La Part Du Feu
Les Tireux d’Roches – Cé qu’essé ?
Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs – Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands
Hurleurs
The Sojourners -  The Sojourners

SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR /
ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE – SOLO
Amelia Curran – Hunter, Hunter
David Myles - Turn Time Off
Justin Rutledge – The Early Widows
Matt Anderson – Live From The Phoenix Theatre
Old Man Luedecke -  My Hands Are On Fire And Other Love Songs

ENGLISH SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR /
AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR DE L’ANNÉE – ANGLOPHONE
Amelia Curran – Hunter, Hunter
Chris MacLean – Feet Be Still
Ian Tamblyn - Gyre
Justin Rutledge – The Early Widows
Lennie Gallant – If We Had a Fire

FRENCH SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR /
AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR DE L’ANNÉE – FRANCOPHONE
David Jalbert - Le Journal
Francis D’Octobre – Ma bête fragile
Frederick Gary Comeau – Effeuiller les vertiges
Geneviève Toupin – Geneviève Toupin
Lennie Gallant – Le coeur hante

ABORIGINAL SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR /
AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR DE L’ANNÉE – AUTOCHTONE
Asani – Listen
Brenda MacIntrye – Medicine Song
Eagle and Hawk – The Great Unknown
Tom Racine – Three Mile Junction
Wayne Lavallee – Trail of Tears

WORLD ARTIST OF THE YEAR – SOLO /
ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE – MUSIQUE DU MONDE – SOLO
Briga – Diaspora
Dominic Mancuso – Comfortably Mine
Élage Diouf – Aksil
Jeff Bien – Songs of Forgiveness and Prayer
Jocelyn Pettit – Jocelyn Pettit

WORLD ARTIST OF THE YEAR – GROUP /
ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE – MUSIQUE DU MONDE – GROUPE
Beyond the Pale -  Postcards
Le Vent Du Nord – La Part Du Feu
Roberto Lopez Project – Soy Panamericano
Sokoun Trio – Zanneh
Apadooraï – Kinda Roots

NEW/EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR /
ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE – RELÈVE
Jack Marks – Two of Everything
Jadea Kelly – Eastbound Platform
Jay Aymar - Halfway Home
Peter Katz – First of the Last to Know
The Once – The Once

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR /
RÉALISATEUR DE L’ANNÉE
David Gillis  – To Make it Make Sense (Ariana Gillis)
Hawksley Workman – The Early Widows (Justin Rutledge)
Jory Nash – New Blue Day (Jory Nash)
Steve Dawson - Things About Comin’ My Way (Various Artists)
Thom Swift and Charles Austin - Blue Sky Day (Thom Swift)

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES /
PRIX INNOVATION MUSICALE
Beyond the Pale – Postcards
Daniel Koulack and Karrnnel – Fiddle & Banjo
Mauvais Sort – Droit Devant
Miss Emily Brown – In Technicolor
Oliver Schroer & Stewed Tomatoes – Freedom Row

YOUNG PERFORMER OF THE YEAR /
JEUNE ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE
Alexandre Boivin-Caron – La Tradition
Jocelyn Pettit – Jocelyn Pettit
Kierah – A Fiddle Affair
Lucas Chaisson – No Loitering
Rachel Davis – Rachel Davis

The 2010 CFMAs gratefully acknowledge the support of SOCAN, The Woods Music
and Dance Camp, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Ottawa Folklore Centre (OFC ),
Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF), Penguin Eggs, Fogarty’s Cove,
Canada Council, FACTOR (Collective Initiatives), Calgary Folk Music
Festival, Calgary Folk Club, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Hugh’s Room, Manitoba
Music, Manitoba Film and Music, Manitoba Homecoming 2010, SOCAN Foundation,
Big Rock, Public Service Alliance Canada (PSAC), Radio-Canada Winnipeg

-30-

October 7th, 2010 | Category: Folk Events, Folk News | 4 comments - (Comments are closed)

Bill Cohen’s 1960s Coffeehouse

Bill Cohen is probably best known for his reporting for the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau.  However, for the last 24 years, Bill Cohen has been throwing a 1960s Coffeehouse program as a fundraising event.  More information below, straight from his press release:

1960’s Coffeehouse Celebrates 25th Birthday

Civil rights sit-ins. Bell-bottoms. Anti-war marches. Student Power. Afros. Mini-skirts. Hippies. Riots. Space flights. The generation gap.

Those hallmarks of the turbulent 1960’s will be rekindled Friday November 12 at this year’s annual “Spirit of the ‘60’s Coffeehouse”:

Friday November 12, King Avenue Methodist Church, 299 W. King at Neil in Columbus.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the church basement, but get there early for a good seat.

Bill Cohen will lead a candlelit, musical, year-by-year journey through the era, with live folksongs, “news reports” of sixties happenings, displays of anti-war buttons and posters, and far-out sixties fashions. Bill will also challenge the audience with sixties trivia questions.

Proceeds from the suggested $10 donations will go to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.

Refreshments will be available at no extra charge. Free parking is also available in the lots just South and West of the church.

The program is suitable for ADULTS and MATURE TEENS.

It’s the 25th year of sixties coffeehouses for Bill. He’s performed the show more than a hundred times now at colleges, churches, synagogues, conferences, high schools, and middle schools across Ohio and beyond.

For more information, call Bill at (614) 263-3851. Or call up www.spiritofthe60s.com

October 4th, 2010 | Category: Concert Announcements, Folk News | Comments are closed

International Bluegrass Music Association Award Winners

Dailey and Vincent were the big winners, pulling down Entertainer of the Year.  Also pulling down multiple awards – The Gibson Brothers and Michael Cleveland.  Full list of award winners here.

October 1st, 2010 | Category: Folk News | Comments are closed

Two More CDs Worth Noting

A couple more CDs I’m having a hard time getting out of my CD player:

  • Lynne Hanson – Once The Sun Goes Down: This Canadian singer/songwriter has released the finest pure Americana CD I’ve heard this year.  It’s got a murder ballad, a leavin’ song,  a drivin’ song and a train song. Seriously.  If you have a thing for artists like Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams, this CD is for you.
  • Kim Taylor – Little Miracles: It’s not surprising, given how much time Kim Taylor has spent touring with Over the Rhine, that her solo CD reminds me a little bit of that group. Taylor even incorporates a little bit of Karin Bergquist’s inflections at times into her vocals.  That does not mean that the CD is an Over the Rhine clone. The production is a little more sparse, with more acoustic guitar and less piano, and more of a jangle pop/Americana feel, with less of the melancholy that often pervades Over the Rhine releases. A nice Lucinda Williams cover, “Sharp Cutting Wings” closes the record.
September 24th, 2010 | Category: Folk News, Reviews | Comments are closed

In the CD Player Lately

Some albums that I’ve been playing a lot lately on my CD player/on my iPod:

  • Luka Bloom – Dreams in America: Love, love, love the new one from Luka Bloom.  Bloom essentially covers some of his own best songs, with just him and his guitar.  One new track is an inventive cover of the traditional song “Lord Franklin.”  This new CD really highlights Bloom’s ability to inhabit a song.
  • The Call – Red Moon: I hadn’t listened to The Call for awhile.  Then Michael Been died and I pulled them out.  I had forgotten how truly compelling and awesome this band was in their prime. When, oh when, are we going to get CD releases of Modern Romans and Scene Beyond Dreams?  That Best of the Mercury Years compilation doesn’t cut it.
  • Swan Dive – Mayfair: Big fan of Swan Dive since hearing their compilation CD on Compass several years ago.  I finally ponied up for their latest, an import.  I love the retro-pop vibe that the ukeleles give this CD.  I remain impressed that Swan Dive continues to make CDs that mine the retro-pop territory, yet continue to sound fresh.
  • The Chapin Sisters – Two: I love the vocal harmonies and moody atmosphere.
  • The David Wax Museum – Carpenter Bird: Discovered this band on the All Songs Considered podcast and then downloaded their Newport Folk Festival performance and then asked for the album.  I’m a big fan of world folk fusion mashups and The David Wax Museum fuses American and Mexican folk stylings into something that transcends both.
  • Richard Thompson – Dream Attic: I don’t need to tell you that Richard Thompson remains awesome and still shreds a guitar solo better than young turks half his age, do I?

What’s in your player?

September 15th, 2010 | Category: Folk News, Reviews | One comment - (Comments are closed)
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