Les Blank, a film maker known for his ability to capture American musical traditions in his independent films, has passed away Sunday at age 77. A âfilm-makerâs film maker,â Les Blankâs talents are often overlooked by the mainstream film culture, … Continue reading →
This is Chapter 3 of Stagolee: A Digital Compendium.  See also Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 Caveat – While I will make every reasonable effort to maintain propriety and decorum in writing this post, the language and … Continue reading →
The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) has been given a grant to create âthe worldâs biggest online portal of English folk music, song and dance manuscripts,â 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 youâre on the East Coast and looking for a good concert this spring, check out Chris Thile and Brad Mahldauâs 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 →
