The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) has been given a grant to create “the world’s biggest online portal of English folk music, song and dance manuscripts,” according to their news feed. The grant, awarded by the Heritage Lottery … Continue reading →
Lawrence McKiver, the founder and former leader of the McIntosh County Shouters, a Georgia-based music group known as the last remaining American vestige of the West African ring shouting tradition, passed away on March 25th at the age of 97. … Continue reading →
Bob Dylan, 1978 “You can do anything with your voice if you put your mind to it. I mean, you can become a ventriloquist or you can become an imitator of other people’s voices. I’m usually just stuck with my own … Continue reading →
For most of the country springtime has finally arrived, and that means there’s a slew of festivals on the horizon. Sing Out! provides an international listing of folk music festivals and camps, which can be found at www.singout.org/fests.html. But here’s … Continue reading →
If you’re on the East Coast and looking for a good concert this spring, check out Chris Thile and Brad Mahldau’s newly announced tour dates for April. This series will be the second collaboration for these two musicians, having shared … Continue reading →
Portrait by George Romney (not that George Romney) [April 1, 2013] A truly exciting day here at Murder Ballad Monday! A new discovery! William Cullen Bryant Hidden away in an obscure volume of poetry collected by William Cullen Bryant is the seemingly … Continue reading →
The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) has announced it’s fourth annual pair of one-day mini-conferences. The first will be held on June 1st at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI, while the second will be on June 9th … Continue reading →
Did you happen to watch the American Masters biography of Haggard that I posted earlier this week? It’s long, so no worries if you didn’t, but Gillian Welch makes an important comment in the interview with her in that documentary.“I’ve … Continue reading →
Jerry Garcia I first remember hearing Merle Haggard’s song “Sing Me Back Home,” which we introduced in the previous post, in a cover version performed by Richard Shindell. It’s possible I heard a taped Grateful Dead version before then, but … Continue reading →
Merle Haggard‘s 1968 hit, “Sing Me Back Home” gives us three chords and the truth about compassion and the power of music. In it, we hear forgiveness and reconciliation, but with an unwavering certainty of outcome. There is clinging to … Continue reading →
