More Artists Added to Mississippi Shieks Tribute Concert

Roots music legend Dave Alvin, guitar wizard Bob Brozman and blues performer extraordinaire Alvin Youngblood Hart have been added to the stellar lineup of performing two nights of special tribute concerts saluting the music of the seminal American band, The Mississippi Sheiks, on March 13 and 14 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented by the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad in partnership with Capilano University, the two nights will also feature performances by Grammy-nominee John Hammond, Van Dyke Parks (his first-ever shows in Canada), Geoff Muldaur, Danny Barnes, Jim Byrnes, Steve Dawson, Robin Holcomb, Oh Susanna and The Sojourners. Additional artists are expected to be announced. The all-star band backing up these artists for the shows will be Matt Chamberlain – drums; Keith Lowe – bass; Wayne Horvitz – keyboards; Steve Dawson – guitars; and Daniel Lapp – fiddle.

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Berklee Unveils New American Roots Program

When Mark O’Connor performs at Berklee College of Music on Dec. 10 with a group of faculty and students, he’ll be celebrating more than the end of his week-long residency.  He’ll introduce Berklee’s new American Roots Music Program, directed by Matt Glaser.
Reflecting violinist Glaser’s own eclectic tastes and journeys, the American Roots Music Program explores America’s musical and cultural heritage, and creates a focus on the styles from which all contemporary music originates. Students will delve into blues, gospel, folk, country, bluegrass, Cajun, Western swing, polka, Tex-Mex, and other sounds.

Glaser will design the curriculum, promote nontraditional improvisation, develop faculty programs, and host visiting artists, concerts and symposiums. Top contemporary performers, writers, and producers who are carrying on the American roots traditions constitute the board of advisors to the Roots Music Program: Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck, Leo Kottke, Charlie Haden, Edgar Meyer, David Grisman, Andy Statman, Don Rigsby, Lloyd Maines, Liz Carroll, John Blake, Geoff Muldaur, Bruce Molsky, Ted Gioia, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Darol Anger, Ray Benson, Doug Wamble, John Lawless, Fletcher Bright,  Sara and Sean Watkins ,and Michael Doucet.

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CD Tribute to Mississippi Sheiks out October 20th

Black Hen Music announces the October 20 release date of a CD tribute to the music of seminal blues group the Mississippi Sheiks, Things About Comin’ My Way, featuring all-new recordings from such blues and roots stars as John Hammond, Geoff Muldaur, Bruce Cockburn, Bill Frisell, the North Mississippi Allstars, Madeleine Peyroux, Danny Barnes, Kelly Joe Phelps and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The CD also includes a song featuring an elaborate string arrangement by Mississippi native and elusive pop icon Van Dyke Parks. Black Hen Music is distributed in North America by Burnside Distribution.

“I’ve been a huge fan of The Mississippi Sheiks for the last 10 years,” says Black Hen Music president Steve Dawson, who produced most of the tracks on the album, played various instruments throughout and also performs a song on the tribute. “Their unique sound, instrumentation and the fact that they played with such intensity on their recordings all really jumped out at me. Ultimately, my reason for putting this tribute together was to pay respect to the great body of material they produced in their short lifespan, and show how the songs themselves stand up so well over time. I was never interested in re-creating the music. I was looking for good interpreters who could capture the essence of the songs in a kind of portrait. I wanted to work with people who could celebrate the music and the songs.”

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