“I’ll never forget the first time I heard, and more importantly, saw a fingerstyle performance,” says Drew Roller, director of the new fingerstyle documentary Acoustic Uprising. “The ceiling instantly became the floor and I became obsessed. I wanted to learn…
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On the eve of Rickie Lee Jones and Madeleine Peyroux embarking on a North American tour, let’s revisit a vintage video of Jones’ jazztastic, acoustic-guitar-driven hit single “Chuck E’s in Love,” from 1979. See the entire list of tour dates below. The duo…
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From the March 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY WHITNEY PHANEUF, ANNA PULLEY, KAREN PETERSON & PAULINE FRANCE When the editors of Acoustic Guitar decided to carve out a special section on the topic of women, guitars, and success, I was hesitant. The sheer…
Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter (1888-1949) is one of America’s most influential blues and folk musicians. With his booming 12-string guitar, immense repertoire, and poignant lyrics, Lead Belly’s music has been the touchstone and inspiration for countless artists. Here he serenades his wife, Martha…
By Anna Pulley Joan Baez is receiving better presents than diamonds and rust this year, as the legendary folksinger will be one of the six recipients inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Inductees were announced today, and…
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When folk legend Judy Collins met luminary poet Leonard Cohen in 1966, he sang her “Suzanne” and “Dress Rehearsal Rag” — and altered the course of both their careers. That same year, Collins recorded those two songs on her 1966…
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Music and visual art make great bedfellows, and starting November 10, the Quin hotel (caddy-corner to Carnegie Hall in New York City) will present a compelling mashup of the two mediums with a group show featuring 14 artists who hand-painted 14 D’Angelico Guitars — with…
Take a six-minute escape from your workday woes and enjoy this pared-down, winsome Lou Reed cover of “Perfect Day” by Andrew Bird and The National’s Matt Berninger. Recorded live in late August in Bird’s living room, the cover is part of Bird’s…
Back in May of this year, Smithsonian Folkways, the nonprofit label of the Smithsonian Institution, acquired Arhoolie Records, and today Folkways is making 300 albums (more than 5,500 tracks) from the beloved label available again. Arhoolie is best known for its…
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The Golden Age of the cattle drive lasted a mere 20 years, from 1866–1886. But the cowboy has since occupied a distinct role in American consciousness. A lone figure, often on a horse, tending to nature’s perilous landscapes and occasional…
by Anna Pulley A Prairie Home Companion’s new host — mandolinist, singer, and songwriter Chris Thile (pronounced thee-lee), of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers acclaim — has announced his house band, which includes Acoustic Guitar favorites Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, Chris…
The Blues Society, a documentary directed by Augusta Palmer, captures the spirit and importance of the Memphis Country Blues Festival between 1966 and 1969, a time when people of all racial stripes came together to make music in a city that was…
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Gretchen Menn is probably best-known for her role as the lead guitarist in the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella, but her epic musical prowess goes far beyond that. In 2011, she wrote, produced, and recorded her first solo album, Hale…