30th Ann Arbor Folk Fest this weekend

January 26, 2007

The big annual fundraiser for the Ark, one of the U.S.'s great folk music venues, presents two days of folk music at Hill Auditorium on Jan. 26 & 27. This year's mix includes (as usual) big name acts and up-and-comers. The emcee will be Jeff Daniels - actor/playwright/singer/songwriter - who lives near Ann Arbor (he runs the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea). Ann Arbor Folk Fest performers include: John Prine, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Mountain Heart, Over the Rhine, Jackie Greene, Ember Swift, Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines, Bill Staines, Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble, Paul Thorn, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Daisy May, Millish, and the RFD Boys.

Sugar Hill Records Moves to Nashville

January 25, 2007

Sugar Hill Records, one of the country's leading roots-based independent labels, is loading up the truck and leaving Durham, NC for Nashville, Music City, USA. Sugar Hill was founded in 1978 by Duke University grad Barry Poss. The label was acquired by Welk Music Group (Lawrence Welk's label) in 1998. Word on the street is that operations will be shared with Vanguard's Nashville office (Vanguard is also a subsidiary of Welk Music - Sugar Hill also has in place a Nashville branch). Sugar Hill artists include Nickel Creek, Dolly Parton, Sam Bush, The Duhks, the Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O'Brien, Doc Watson and many, many more artists from the Folk Alley playlist.

R.E.M. to be Inducted into Rock Hall

January 8, 2007

This is not a folk story. However, Peter Buck often plays a mandolin and... aw, who am I kidding? I'm really excited about the induction of my favorite band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie. I'd be even happier if the actual ceremony wasn't in New York (hey, I think I harped on this last year!). Anyway, congratulations to Michael, Mike, Peter and Bill - I feel super old now (to be eligible, bands have to have been performing for at least 25 years). Other inductees an unbelievably disfunctional Van Halen, Patti Smith, the Ronettes and Grandmaster Flash. The New York presentation ceremony and concert is in early March.

Joan Baez to Be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

Singer/songwriter and Folk icon Joan Baez will be recognized during the Grammys on Feb. 11 with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. The award will be formally presented during an exclusive Grammy-week ceremony. Other honorees for 2007 are: Booker T. & The MG's, Maria Callas, Ornette Coleman, the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Bob Wills. Maybe, just maybe, this means they'll present the Folk Awards during the telecast. But Dylan's up for a ton of awards, and that might make for an awkward moment.