By Candice Ludlow
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Memphis, TN – You may have noticed a lot of folk music in Memphis this week. More than 1,700 folkies have convened downtown for the 22nd Folk Alliance International Conference. Candice Ludlow caught up with singer-songwriters Jimmy LaFave and John Fullbright after their performance in the round last night.
The Folk Alliance is a great place for musicians to recharge and develop relationships that will further their careers. Jimmy LaFave grew up in Texas and Oklahoma. He makes the trek each year for
"The music and the sense of community, especially for me after 14 years. It's kinda like a big family reunion. But there's a lot to help move this movement along.
"I see every year a little bit, other elements are creeping in. Cause you know when this started out as the Folk Alliance originally it was more folky and dance, and now it's more singer-songwriter driven, acoustic music driven. Now you can see folk rock songwriters, even rock songwriters coming now. They know this is kinda one of the last marketplaces to market their music and get it moving with some of the people that are really bringing it back into the community: house concerts and all the folk deejays that were here today. Some of the deejays that can play what ever they want to play because they're because they're little community stations. So it's kinda driven by the people who are really into real music.
LaFave played in the Round with Texas singer-songwriter Kevin Welch and Oklahoma singer-songwriter John Fullbright. LaFave and a few others started an independent label, Music Road Records, last year.
I just realized the first time I heard John Fullbright was at Woody Fest.
Four years ago. Fullbright is a shy 21-year-old who prefers to let his music speak for him. This is his second Folk Alliance.
Fullbright said, "I'm just here to sing and play."
Fullbright's 2nd CD will be released on Music Road Records later this year. After their set, several people came up to Jimmy LaFave to book gigs.
A Sacred Steel Gospel Review scheduled to perform at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center will now take place at the Center For Southern Folklore on Friday, February 19th at 8:00pm.
Songwriters in the Round Super Session will still take place at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center as scheduled - Saturday, February 20th at 8:00pm.
Tickets to Songwriters in the Round Super Session are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Please contact the Bartlett Performing Arts Center Box Office at 901-385-6440.
Information on A Sacred Steel Gospel Review at The Center For Southern Folklore appears below:
A Sacred Steel Gospel Review will feature The Lee Boys, Calvin Cooke, Aubrey Ghent, The Campbell Brothers, Ted Beard, Lonnie Bennett, Del Grace, Reggie Covington and others from the great world of Sacred Steel music.