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Excerpted
from Acoustic
Guitar
magazine, July 2001, No. 103.
News
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On June 15, 16, and 17 the Monterey History and Art Association
hosted a symposium celebrating the Monterey International Pop
Festival of 1967. A ceremony memorializing John Phillips was
held; performers discussed the festival’s effect on American artistic,
social, and political history; the documentary Monterey Pop
was shown, accompanied by music from Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady;
and there was an exhibition of photographs and artifacts from 1967,
with entertainment by Country Joe McDonald. Learn more at www.popfestmonterey.com.
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Events
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The Vancouver Island Musicfest will be held in Courtenay, British
Columbia, July 13–15. Performers include Steve Forbert, Druha
Trava, Willis Alan Ramsey, and Steve James. For more
information, visit www.comoxvalleymusicfest.bc.ca
or call (866) 898-8499.
The Cove Creek School in Sugar Grove, North Carolina, hosts the
Doc Watson Music Fest, July 13–14. Performers include Blue
Ridge, the Kruger Brothers, and Watson himself. For more information,
call (828) 297-2200 or visit www.covecreek.net.
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In
Memory
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John Hartford, one of traditional folk music's greatest
performers, instrumentalists, and songwriters, passed away June
4th, 2001, after a two-decade struggle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Hartford was revered by fans and fellow musicians alike for his
his versatile instrumental prowess, creative songwriting, warm perfomance
style, whimsical humor, and indomitable groove. He made numerous
recordings alone and with others, and his compositions were frequently
covered by other artists. Hartford won three Grammy's for his song
"Gentle On My Mind," and another for his album Mark Twang.
In addition to his musical achievements, Hartford was an accomplished
amateur historian, and a licensed riverboat pilot. You can learn
more about Hartford's music and life at www.johnhartford.com.
Look for a tribute in the October issue of Acoustic Guitar
magazine.
Guitarist and singer Davy Steele of the Battlefield Band
passed away April 11 in Edinburgh, Scotland, at the age of 52. Steele,
who helped form the groups Clan Alba and Caledon and played and
recorded with such folk stars as Kate Rusby, Dick Gaughan, and Brian
McNeill, was asked to join the Battlefield Band in 1998. He recorded
two CDs with "the Batties" and released a solo album, Chasing
Shadows (Temple/Rounder), in 1998. Visit the Davy Talk page
at www.mcclellanweb.com/davytalk/.
Bluegrass entertainer Randall Hylton died March 19 at age
56 in Nashville. Hylton penned and published more than 225 songs
recorded by performers such as Lester Flatt, Leo Kottke, and the
Seldom Scene. His albums include Pickin’ in the Parlor and
True Stories, Tall Tales, and Lies (both on Copper Creek).
Fiddler Benny Martin died March 13 at age 72. Martin set
the standard for bluegrass fiddling—his 15 tracks recorded with
Flatt and Scruggs in 1952 and ’53 virtually defined the style. Martin
also played with Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, and Kitty Wells and made
numerous recordings on his own, beginning in 1946 with his signature
song "Me and My Fiddle" for Pioneer Records.
John Phillips, songwriter and guitarist with the Mamas and
the Papas, died March 18 at age 65 in Los Angeles. In addition to
penning the hits "California Dreamin’" and "Monday Monday," Phillips
helped organize the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
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Contests
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The SIBL (Songs Inspired by Literature) Project’s Songwriting
Competition, which raises funds for adult literacy programs,
is seeking songs inspired by books, poems, or plays. Examples of
famous SIBLs are Kate Bush’s "Wuthering Heights," Bruce
Springsteen’s Grapes of Wrath–inspired "Ghost of Tom
Joad," and Indigo Girls’ "Virginia Woolf." Submissions
will be accepted from May 1 to September 8, World Literacy Day.
For more information, visit www.siblproject.org
or call (415) 553-3330.
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New
Releases
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Flatpickers and old-time music enthusiasts will welcome the release
of Norman Blake’s second instructional video, Ten Stellar
Songs and Instrumentals (Homespun), in which he demonstrates
his influential technique on traditional and original tunes. Homespun
has also released Seven Easy Pieces for Classical Guitar, by
Frederic Hand, which uses easy pieces by Bach, Sor, Tarrega,
and others to illustrate the basics of classical technique.
Guitar Solo Publications (www.gsp-guitar.com)
has recently published a number of original pieces by contemporary
classical masters Andrew York, Paulo Bellinati, and Adam
del Monte. Other recent books of interest to the nylon-string
student include David Oakes’ Classical and Fingerstyle Guitar
Techniques (Musician’s Institute/Hal Leonard), Stephen C. Siktberg’s
Baroque Music for Classical Guitar (Mel Bay), Paul Henry’s
The Francisco Tárrega Collection (Hal Leonard), Giovanni
de Chiaro’s Complete Works of Scott Joplin (Mel Bay), and
Alfredo Sánchez’ transcriptions of Bach’s Preludes and
Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier (Editions Orphée/Theodore
Presser).
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Cyber
Notes
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Check out Classical Corner, the newest addition to the Guitar
Talk forums at Acoustic Guitar Central (www.acousticguitar.com).
Moderated by Pauline Leland, it’s a meeting place for classical
guitar enthusiasts, Latin music fans, flamenco mavens, and anyone
with an interest in nylon-string guitars.
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Meet
A.G.
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Click
here to meet the Acoustic Guitar team at a wide variety upcoming
music events and trade shows. Listed below are some things happening
in the next few weeks.
Acoustic Guitar is sponsoring the nightly Troubadour Sessions
at the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California,
July 5–8 (www.hsmusic.net),
and the National Guitar Workshop’s Acoustic Summit,
July 15–20, in Oakland, California (www.guitarworkshop.com).
Attendees at both events will receive free copies of Acoustic
Guitar and chances to win new books from String Letter Publishing.
The summer NAMM show returns to Nashville, Tennessee, July
20–22. Visit the String Letter Publishing booth for a free copy
of Acoustic Guitar and enter to win a copy of the new book
Vintage Guitars: A Musical History. July 21 brings the Acoustic
Café to the Third and Lindsley Bar and Grill, where Acoustic
Guitar magazine and cosponsors Breedlove Guitars, GHS Strings,
and others present Ed Gerhard and Jamie Findlay in an exclusive
concert. Learn more here.
The Guild of American Luthiers convention is July 4–8 in Tacoma,
Washington. Bob Benedetto, Richard Bruné, Frank Ford,
and Rick Turner are among the presenters; David Franzem and
Pearl Django are scheduled to perform. For more information, visit
www.luth.org.
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Got some news? Send it to Happenings,
Acoustic Guitar, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979-0767; email
happenings.ag@stringletter.com;
or fax (415) 485-0831.
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