Christine Lavin has this update on Mary Travers on her website.

Stories about attempts at censorship by venues seem to turn up with disturbing regularity these days. Last fall I pointed out this article (prompted I think by stories circulating on various folkvenu email list). Now comes this article in the Lafayette Independent about The Mammals being asked not to preform their song The Bush Boys at the Festival International.

Bob Franke has a new weblog.

More and more traditional and early country music is becoming available online.

The Washington Post has a nice article on Virgina’s 250 mile heritage music trail The Crooked Road.

The Alan Lomax archive is placing an extensive collection of field recordings and photos by Alan Lomax online at www.lomaxarchive.com. While the available material is broad it provides only 40 second samples of the audio recordings. To access the site you need to create an acount and sign off on a (185 line!) user agreement.

Currently seven collections are online with more to come: Texas Gladden & Hobart Smith 1946; Calypso Concert 1946; Mississippi Prison Recordings 1947 and 1948; Big Bill Broonzy 1952; Southern Journey US 1959 and 1960; Hally Wood 1960; and Central Park Concert 1965.

You could also check out Rounder Records commercial release’s of Lomax’s recordings.

Legendary bluegrass Musician Jimmy Martin died this past weekend at the age of 77.

Folk Alliance is pleased to announce that Louis Jay Meyers has been selected as its new Executive Director. Louis begins work on June 1, 2005, to insure a smooth transition as Phyllis Barney, Folk Alliance E.D. since 1995, completes her service on June 30th.

The Peace Center of Nevada County will lovingly host a 70th Birthday Party for Nevada City’s legendary, folk-singing, songwriting, storytelling, organizing, historian, philosopher and hobo, Utah Phillips.

Update on Mary Travers from Christine Lavin

Pete Seeger is 86 today and still going strong.