It’s time again for the Folk Alliance International Conference which is set to take place February 22-26, 2012 at the Memphis Marriott Hotel and Cook Convention Center. Early bird registration and showcase entry is open until November 19th and the first group of invited showcase artists will be announced on October 1st.
The conference will feature over 200 official showcase artists, three days of panels, workshops and clinics, and private in-room showcases featuring artists from around the world, films, parties, jam sessions and more. Recent Folk Alliance official showcase artists have included: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bela Fleck, Justin Townes Earle, Amy LaVere, Watermelon Slim, Jim Lauderdale, Ron Sexsmith and many, many more.
Special conference features will include centennial tributes to Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Bill Monroe. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented for Harry Belafonte and Robert Johnson. There will also be a special 40th anniversary screening of “Deliverance” with special guest Ronny Cox.
The 2012 Keynote Speaker is Bob Lefsetz, former entertainment business attorney and major record label consultant. He is based in Santa Monica, California and is currently the author of the email newsletter “The Lefsetz Letter.”
The sixth season of “Jammin’ at Hippie Jacks” will begin airing on October 1st and will feature performances by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Kevin Welch, Paul Thorn, and David Bromberg, which were recorded at the 2011 International Folk Alliance Conference. The show is a program of the Council of Americana Roots Music, a nonprofit for the preservation and presentation of original singer songwriters of Americana roots music.
Below is a Folk Alliance International video for 2011’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Joan Baez.
Here is Memphis-based songwriter Amy LaVere at the 2011 conference.
Schedules and more information about the festival can be found at FolkAlliance.org.
