Folk Music News--3.29.12

Merle Travis: A Traditional Ballad's 'Ever-Loving Light' NPR by Anil Mundra Merle Travis' rendition of the traditional ballad "Midnight Special" is one of the greatest gems from the Old Town School of Folk Music's treasure trove. Various versions of the traditional ballad "Midnight Special" track a train that ... See all stories on this topic »

Peter Yarrow taps into people power of folk music Sentinel and Enterprise Yarrow became engaged in folk music as a transformational force and, as an undergraduate, taught a course called "English 355 and 356: Folk Ballads and Folk Songs." "College was steeped in an unfortunate value system and hierarchy. See all stories on this topic »

RIP Earl Scruggs, Banjo Master: 1924-2012 Pittsburgh Post Gazette She saw the growing Folk Music revival on college campuses as a way to broaden the group's appeal. Earl played at the first-ever Newport Folk Festival in 1959. Young folk banjoists began studying the Scruggs style. They bought Flatt and Scruggs albums ... See all stories on this topic »

Earl Scruggs Dies in Nashville at Age 88 CMT.com In addition to booking the band, she aggressively promoted the act within the folk music community and is generally credited with having inspired the group's excellent series of concept albums such as Songs of the Famous Carter Family and Folk Songs of ... See all stories on this topic » CMT.com

Ben Howard brings folk back to the mainstream with acoustic-based 'Every Kingdom' New York Daily News It wasn't always easy to eradicate their sound, since Howard's album, "Every Kingdom," out Tuesday, keeps all the music soft and low. It's an acoustic-based work, fired by the flinty textures of the guitar. In many tracks you can hear the physical ... See all stories on this topic » New York Daily News