JigTime International
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Two Great New Titles from the Merlefest Team
I have already dipped my toes in the first festival of the season and
after Springfest it will be tough for any festival to live up to the
quality and organization I saw in Florida . But in just a few weeks my
favorite festival of the years kicks off in the town of Wilkesboro ,
North Carolina . This will be my fourth year attending the gathering
of musicians and music lovers and every year seems to outdo the last.
The line up for 2004 is as great a mixture as you will see at any such
event in the northern hemisphere. But before the first notes can be played
at this year's event you could do worse than to check out two great titles
from Jim Barrow and the fine folks who run the show up there in the mountains.
The first is a look back at last year's event with performances from
many of the best acts on the bill. I was lucky enough to be present at
most of these performances but even if you weren't there this album is
a must for any self respecting music collection.
Included are songs from Doc Watson, Asleep at the Wheel, Ricky Skaggs, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, and Guy Clark, to name but a few. So far this year there is no sign of a DVD to go with this collection, which is a shame but this CD is a little slice of musical history that will augment your collection and also make a really cool gift.
On top of this release, once again Merlefest are giving
us a taste of some of the new acts who will grace the hallowed stages
at the 2004 event. Fresh Faces At Merlefest 2004 is a fine sampling of
musical styles and cutting edge acts who will make their debut this year
or at least haven't performed at the festival in many years. Many of
them will already be well known though outside of Merlefest. Kelly Willis
has been around for some time and the Waifs have been earning a great
reputation over the past year. Mindy Smith is turning out to be the hottest
property in Nashville in recent months with her debut album gaining great
critical acclaim as did her rendition of Dolly's Jolene on the Just Because
I'm a Woman CD. The Reeltime Travelers have also had a busy and successful
year with shows as far afield as Alaska and Florida . They also appeared
on the soundtrack to the hit movie Cold Mountain .
There are many more artists on both these albums and you can get a full track listing for both at the Merlefest store.
As always I will be making the pilgrimage to the great festival and will bring your pictures and words from the entire four days.
Check out the picture portfolios here from recent years
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