Folk Alliance International (FAI), the leading and largest nonprofit dedicated to the preservation, promotion and presentation of folk music held its thirty-sixth annual conference in Kansas City, MO. The artists represent thirty-six countries of origin and twenty-one US states. The conference’s theme in 2024 was Alchemy: A Transformative Force, showcasing the power of music to provide the change we need in the world. Founded in 1989, and governed by a 21-member board of directors, Folk Alliance International (FAI) is the world’s largest membership organization for the folk music industry and ..read more

Jon Cleary is one cool cat. The British-born piano prodigy made it his mission to bring New Orleans Rhythm & Blues piano back into the spotlight and he’s continued to breathe new life into the genre for over two decades. Beyond the keyboard Cleary is a rich soulful vocalist, a songwriter who seamlessly blends wit and storytelling, and a true performer who brings sass and class to stages across the world.  Back on Australian shores for the first time in five years with The Absolute Monster Gentlemen by his side (A.J. Hall, Cornell Williams, and Pedro Segundo) I caught up with the multi ..read more

Multi-award winning Giles Robson is recognized across the world as a blues harmonica virtuoso which is why the prestigious American record label Alligator signed him up as their first and only UK or European artist. Giles won the Memphis Blues Music Award for best acoustic album, Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues featuring Bruce Katz and Joe Louis Walker which was subsequently voted one of the albums of the decade by Living Blues magazine. Last year, Robson sold out all his gigs at the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival and toured Europe with Grammy nominated Chicago blues legend John Primer ..read more

“In a way it’s like casting a film.” That’s how Reverend Shawn Amos describes producing his latest album, Soul Brother No. 1. He went to NYU Film School and dropped out in the middle of his senior year to pursue a “first-look” deal with A&M Films as a screenwriter.   His resume reads like a collection of three men’s accomplishments. A renaissance man in every sense of the word, he’s a published author, a record producer, and digital marketing executive. He oversaw Solomon Burke’s last three studio albums, Make Do With What You Got, Nashville, and Like a Fire and produced Quincy J ..read more

Scheduled for release this September, The End Of The Rainbow is an album of hope but also despair from the widely acclaimed UK Blues Award nominee, road warrior, activist, justice and peace campaigner Sean Taylor.  Sean sets the context:  “We are surrounded by war and deprivation. Fear and famine. Terror is the daily reality for so many of us. Never have we been so divided, desperate, and alone. At the same time, there will always be hope of; Resistance through solidarity; our collective experience; and the power of our shared humanity. The triumph of tenderness over cruelty ..read more

What is it about the blues that can bring about a feeling of transcendent exultation? Why do sad songs make us feel good? Elton John and Bernie Taupin were right in saying, “The kick inside is in the line that finally gets to you/ And it feels so good to hurt so bad/ And suffer just enough to sing the blues.”  Nashville’s own rising singer-songwriters Lauren Anderson and Justine Blazer know, try as you might, nothing profoundly moves through your soul quite the same. Not kissing frogs on a quest for a prince. Not retail therapy. Not even whiskey. “Always knows what I’m going through,” the ..read more

Verve Records announces Louis in London, the last great performance by the one and only Louis Armstrong. Recorded live just weeks after the groundbreaking GRAMMY® Award-winning artist hit the #1 spot on the UK charts with “What A Wonderful World,” the 13-track collection will be released on standard black and exclusive blue vinyl, CD, and digital on July 12.  Louis Armstrong had a mammoth impact. Regarded by scholars as the first great jazz soloist, his vitality, virtuosity, and approach to phrasing set a new standard for jazz musicians and helped to set the stage for the swing era. ©BBC ..read more

Stylistically combining Americana and singer-songwriter ethos with a little bit of grit and a little bit of soul, R.P. Mixon releases the first single, “Thank You,” from his upcoming debut LP due later this year.  “Thank you’ is a song for warm summer nights and cold beers. And it’s relatable,” says the songwriter. “We’ve all had those relationships that started out with so much hope and promise but ended with a frustrated ‘so long and thanks for all the memories.” “Thank You” features his performance on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass. Joining him is Charlene Holloway on backing v ..read more

When we interviewed National Park Radio last summer, touring the Northeast was on their “hope to” list. They hoped to play some gigs in that part of the country one day but were waiting for an opportunity to do so. The opportunity arrived this spring thanks to an invitation from Dartmouth College. The band was asked to do a private event there on May 18, 2024, and sent out feelers for other venues and private events to play along the way. The husband-and-wife duo of Stefan and Kerrie Szabo primarily play small venues and house parties. One such venue is Dublin Corners Farm Brewery in Linwood ..read more

The Virginia-born, Los Angeles-based artist, songwriter and producer Swamp Dogg released “Ugly Man’s Wife,” featuring background vocals from The Cactus Blossoms. It’s the final pre-release single to be pulled from his forthcoming album Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St out May 31 via Oh Boy Records.  About the new single, Swamp Dogg explains: “I wrote ‘Ugly Man’s Wife’ with one of my favorite co-writers, Bob Jones, now deceased. I promised him that I would record it on my next album. I kept my word.” In celebration of the new album, Swamp Dogg has announced an album release show ..read more