AmericanaFest is just around the corner now, from Tuesday, September 15th to Sunday, September 20th in Nashville, TN. It brings folks together to be immersed in the music, whether they are in ‘the biz,’ or they are passionate music lovers attending all the evening showcases. I am a proud Americana Music Association board member, so watching how this event has grown every year is near and dear to my heart. It is going to be a super busy week, including the crown jewel, the 14th Americana Honors & Awards, taking place at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday, September 16th. Folk Alley and NPR are once again teaming up to bring the show to you online, wherever you are. I am very excited that Ann Powers and I will be returning to the broadcast booth at the Ryman. Every year it is especially touching to be in the house to witness the Lifetime Achievement Awards. This year, honors will be bestowed to Don Henley, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Ricky Skaggs, and Los Lobos. It promises to be a spectacular night.
Beyond that, the AmericanaFest lineup for the week includes more than 170 official showcases across more than a dozen Music City venues. Every year, during the crazy club crawl evenings, new artists get discovered and embraced. It is in a way ‘one stop shopping’ for the smorgasbord of flavors of Americana. Last year, Mipso was there to showcase, and today their new album is just about upon us. The North Carolina maverick string band draws from their local legacy, and advances it through to today on their forthcoming album Old Time Reverie. Music Fog filmed Mipso this past January in NYC, and we are happy to bring you “Marianne” from that session. The song is already up on iTunes, with the rest of the album set for an October 2nd release. Here are Jacob Sharp, Wood Robinson, Joseph Terrell, and Libby Rodenbough, aka Mipso, with the Music Fog recording of “Marianne.”
- Jessie Scott