//  Iris, Dar, a folksong poll, and Grammys.  - MF

From: Richard Earl (rearl@alaska.net>                             
Subject: Iris in Alaska                                              

Iris Dement kicked off her 1998 season with a benefit concert for the
Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau on Thursday, January 8. The event was
held at Juneau's Centennial Hall and attended by about 600. The crowd
would have been larger if not for the high school basketball game being
played at the same time down the street. I thought the $12 ticket price
was a real bargain. Iris was preceded by local artist Buddy Tabor. Her
set lasted about 2 hours and she was alone on-stage, playing guitar and
piano. I don't remember all of the songs that she played, but she did
finish up with "Our Town" before her encore. The first time I heard Iris
was at the close of that TV show filmed in Washington that was supposed
to be about Alaska. Many of Iris' songs were sad and reminded us of
loved ones down below. "Walking Home Tonight" produced many tears
throughout the audience.

Iris said that she was disappointed by our glacier. Flying in on Alaska
Airlines, a fellow passenger described the glacier as a moving river of
ice. Iris thought our glacier would be more famous if you could actually
see it move. Ha Ha. We had good weather for her - clear and cool with
temps ranging from zero to plus ten (f). Iris was also scheduled to
perform in Fairbanks on Friday and Anchorage on Saturday.

Jim Demers, the evening's emcee, mentioned that the Alaska Folk Festival
(a week long, free,  folk "Woodstock" held each April) is trying to
bring a big name artist up each January for the fund raiser. The top
three on the list for future years are: Emmylou Harris, Mary Black and
Mary Chapin-Carpenter.

I have long hoped that Nanci would make an appearance here and maybe
Iris will lead the way. There's no more beautiful place to be than
Juneau in the wintertime and the scope of music lovers here will satisfy
any performer.
--
Richard Earl
rearl@alaska.net
http://www.alaska.net/~rearl/web.htm
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: jcq@ABPEDS.ORG                                              
Subject: Dar in Carrboro, NC                                         

I went to my first Dar Williams concert Friday night at the ArtsCenter in
Carrboro, NC. Man, what a great concert! I've only just started listening t=
o
her, having received THE HONESTY ROOM for Xmas. I had really liked
the CD, but it in no way prepared me for just how good the concert was
going to be. I don't know whether she is usually with a band or solo or
what, but at this concert it was just Dar and her guitar, and another
woman on cello. (I don't know the cellist's name, but she is a member of
the band The Nudes.) The music was beautiful, and Dar's stories were
great. What stage presence!

If I had to compare this to anything, I'd have to go back to my very first
Nanci show, which happened to be at the very same ArtsCenter in 1988.
(This is a very intimate venue, seats maybe 400 people, and I was on the
2nd row for both concerts.) Nanci was solo that night and did a lot of
storytelling herself, moreso than at any concert of hers I've seen since. I
was blown away with the songs and the stories. Well, Dar was that
good on Friday night.

You guys may be interested in hearing this: As I was standing in line
waiting for the doors to open, I got into a conversation with a woman in
front of me. This woman, who was probably around 50, said she had
just bought the tickets after seeing an ad in the paper, and really had no
idea who Dar is. She asked me how I had become aware of her. I told
her that I am a subscriber to the NN, and that "the NanciNetters just rave
about Dar." At that point a young woman further up in the line turned
around and said to me "That is so weird! I'm on the Dar list, and all they
ever talk about there is Nanci Griffith!"

I thought that was pretty funny.

Jeff Qualls
Chapel Hill, NC

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Laura Osterbrock (osterbrock@rcia.com>                      
Subject: Boston Folk Radio's Top 100                                 

A friend in Boston sent me a list from Folk Radio 91.9 of
the top 100 folk songs, as voted by their listeners.
Nanci Griffith is the only artist to secure two spots in
the top 10, with "From a Distance" (Number 9) and "Love
at the 5 and Dime" (Number 5).
She also appears at Number 74 with "Speed of the Sound of
Loneliness."
"Roseville Fair" is Number 33, and "Across the Great Divide"
is Number 40, but the original artists' versions are listed,
not Nanci's.

*Someone* will probably want to know the Number 1 song
chosen by the 91.9 listeners: It's "Arrow," by Cheryl Wheeler.

Happy new year to all!

Laura

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: MSFAN79 (MSFAN79@aol.com>                                   
Subject: Hello                                                       

Hello all,

This is my first post to this mailing list.  I saw Nanci at the Seattle Opera
House during her "Final World Tour" and was very impressed.  Does anyone know
whether nanci will be doing the "Pops Concert" circuit, appearing with
symphonies around the country?  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Wynn


//  A tour with symphonies is highly unlikely; a better bet is a tour
//  with John Prine (if we're lucky).  - MF 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Shawn Kimbro (kimbro@planetc.com>                           
Subject: Grammy nominees                                             

Hi Folks,

In case you've missed them, here's some of the '97 Grammy nominees:

- Best Traditional Folk Album
L'Amour Ou La Folie - BeauSoleil [Rhino Records]
Deep Water - The Hackberry Ramblers [Hot Biscuits Records]
There Ain't No Way Out - New Lost City Ramblers [Smithsonian Folkways
Recordings]
Cajun Pride - Jo-El Sonnier [Rounder Records]
Heart Songs: The Old Time Country Songs Of Utah Phillips- Jody Stecher &
Kate Brislin [Rounder Records]

- Best Contemporary Folk Album
Keepers - Guy Clark [Sugar Hill Records]
The Way I Should - Iris DeMent [Warner Bros. Records]
Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan [Columbia Records]
Shaming Of The Sun - Indigo Girls [Epic Records]
Live On Tour - John Prine [Oh Boy Records]

- Record of the Year
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? - Paula Cole
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Everyday Is A Winding Road - Sheryl Crow
MMMBop - Hanson
I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly

- Album of the Year
The Day - Babyface
This Fire - Paula Cole
Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan
Flaming Pie - Paul McCartney
OK Computer - Radiohead

- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Butterfly - Mariah Carey
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? - Paula Cole
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
Foolish Games - Jewel
Building A Mystery - Sarah McLachlan

- Best Pop Album
This Fire - Paula Cole
The Dance - Fleetwood Mac
Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai
Surfacing - Sarah McLachlan
Hourglass - James Taylor

- Best Country Album
Unchained - Johnny Cash
Everything I Love - Alan Jackson
Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait
Under The Covers - Dwight Yoakam

- Best Bluegrass Album
Sales Tax Toddle - Richard Greene & The Grass Is Greener
So Long So Wrong - Alison Krauss & Union Station
Silver And Gold - Claire Lynch
Age Of Innocence - Kate MacKenzie
Short Life Of Trouble - Ralph Stanley

More categories @ http://www.grammy.com/nominees/index.html

-Shawn

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Bill Mallon (bmallon@acpub.duke.edu>                        
Subject: Stuff                                                       

Griffons-

After signing back on last week after a 6-month absence, I
have missed a lot.  Can anyone fill me in?

I assume from the tenor of the posts that it is true that
Nanci is done touring.  I missed her this year-how sad!
I've only seen her one time in person!

When are her books coming out?  What is the status of
OVOR2?  When is that coming out?  How is Maggie doing?

Also, on Boston folk radio this past weekend I heard two
really good groups - new to me - named Taproot and a Celtic
Folk group, the Irish Descendents.  I cannot find them in
my record store.  Any help or ideas?  As anyone else heard
of them.  Taproot is a 4-woman a capella vocal group and
quite engaging.

All from Durham.  Gotta go watch the Blue Devils beat the
Demon Deacons.

----------------------
Bill Mallon
bmallon@acpub.duke.edu


//  OV2 is due in June, last we heard.  A picture book is supposed
//  to accompany the CD.  - MF 
_________________________________________________________________
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