In case you haven’t already seen it, there is a series in progress over at the Open Salon site about Bob Dylan and the musicians who influenced him. Three posts so far, all thought-provoking for anyone interested in early folk music and blues. The author plans to take this through ten posts in all over a period of several months. If you start with the introductory post it contains links to the others.

Music historian Alan Lomax recorded folk musicians not only throughout the southeastern United States but also in various other countries. During the mid-1930s he made extensive recordings of musical performances in Haiti. The recordings….

The Larry Stephenson Band recently released a 20th Anniversary CD commemorating the band’s twenty years in business. Stephenson, a mandolinist and award-winning vocalist, has been a professional musician for over thirty years but his current band was formed in 1989. The numerous guest performers on the album include country artists Connie Smith, Marty Stuart and Ricky Skaggs and bluegrass musicians Del McCoury and Kristin Scott Benson.

Listening to sound clips, I immediately begin to imagine an old cabin floor with all the chairs pushed back, dancers twirling each other around and lots of laughter going on….

American folk musician Peggy Seeger and New Zealand Celtic group Cairde team up Saturday night in a benefit performance for the Nelson Women’s Centre in Nelson, New Zealand. The Centre was partially burned by arsonists a few years ago. Seeger being very active in gender issues, this is a project dear to her heart. Irish singer Irene Pyper-Scott and New Zealand instrumentalist Nathan Torvik will join Seeger on stage….

Smithsonian Folkways now offers the fourth blues album in their Classic series. The album includes music by Etta Baker, Lesley Riddle, Sticks McGhee, Pink Anderson and numerous other musicians. Check out the link for a free download of one of the songs.

Leonard Cohen is one of several artists scheduled to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June. Cohen, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in January, recently postponed his tour due to health issues.

Bonnie Raitt will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in May.

It’s not often someone gets to hear their own death announced over the radio. It seems someone started a rumor of the death of Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot and too many people believed the news and passed it on. Lightfoot was quick to inform the world that he was alive and doing just fine, thank you very much. We’re glad to hear it.

The 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference is being held in Memphis Wednesday through Sunday. Public events include a Roots Music Spectacular on Friday and Songwriters in the Round on Saturday, both free at the Center for Southern Folklore, and paid performances at the Bartlett Center of a Sacred Steel Gospel Review on Friday and Songwriters in the Round on Saturday. More details are available on the conference web site.

Journalist and photographer Stephanie Ledgin has released her latest book, Discovering Folk Music. Ledgin is a former board member of the International Bluegrass Music Association. In addition to directing folk festivals, running radio shows and writing extensively about bluegrass and other forms of roots music….

The White House hosted two special events Tuesday in honor of Black History Month: a high school workshop in the afternoon and a concert Tuesday evening. Both featured performances by noted folklorist and musician Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon. Concert artists included, among others, Yolanda Adams, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Smokey Robinson, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. An article in The Root has a thoughtful analysis of Dylan’s role in the civil rights movement.

PBS will broadcast the concert at 8:00 p.m. EST Wednesday, February 11. Beginning Thursday, February 12, the performance will be available online.

Todd B. loves his ukulele. Or make that ukuleles. He has gone so far as to write a song about his collection, which you can see in this video. Todd, an enterprising musical moonlighter nicknamed “Brother Sonny” who does not disclose his last name on his web site, has written several original contemporary folk songs and has performed the work of various folk artists including Burl Ives and Bascom Lamar Lunsford.

American folk musician Nanci Griffith and Scottish musician Dick Gaughan received Lifetime Achievement Awards at Monday night’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ceremony at The Brewery in London. Other winners included Jon Boden, Folksinger of the Year; John Kirkpatrick, Musician of the Year; Bellowhead, Best Live Act; Show of Hands (Steve Knightley and Phil Beer), Best Duo; Lau, Best Group; Hill of Thieves, by Cara Dillon, Best Album; “Arrogance Ignorance and Greed,” by Steve Knightley, Best Original Song and “Sir Patrick Spens,” by Martin Simpson, Best Traditional Track. The Horizon Award, given to an emerging artist, went to Sam Carter.