Basic Folk podcast, eps. 344 – Matt Smith

Americana News

Matt Smith is a living legend with his unbelievable 30 year run at Club Passim, the historic folk venue nestled in a Harvard Square basement. Currently Managing Director at Passim, Matt is the most passionate music lover I know. Matt has used his platform at Passim to help establish artists like Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell, Lake Street Dive and so many more. In honor of Matt’s 30th anniversary, we brought Edie Carey and Dinty Child on the pod to talk to him about his role in the Passim community.

The post Basic Folk podcast, eps. 344 – Matt Smith appeared first on Folk Alley.

Album Review: Renée Fleming with Béla Fleck, ‘The Fiddle and the Drum’

Americana News

Renowned opera soprano Renée Fleming and master banjoist Béla Fleck possess an intuitive ability to dwell deeply in the notes, chords, and lyrics of the songs they have selected for their new collaborative album ‘The Fiddle and the Drum.’ Each musician recognizes the enduring emotional power of music and the many ways it shapes our experiences, with individual songs serving as touchstones of distant memories of personal turmoil or social disruption. While the two first discussed making an album together several years ago, they were finally able to meet in 2023 to launch this project. On ‘The Fiddle and the Drum,’ the duo is joined by a host of special guests, including Dolly Parton, Aoife O’Donovan, Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, and Sarah Jarosz, who share vocals, sing harmony, or add special musical touches to the 10 songs drawn from traditional ballads and folk songs.

The post Album Review: Renée Fleming with Béla Fleck, ‘The Fiddle and the Drum’ appeared first on Folk Alley.