folk

'Tis the season to listen back to vintage in-studio performances.

El Cerrito-based Arhoolie Records is an independent record label founded in 1960 by Chris Strachwitz as a way for him to record and produce music by previously-obscure "down-home blues" artists.

A new box set features the flip sides of 78-rpm records that Harry Smith included on the Anthology of American Folk Music.

Bob Dylan recently announced the cancellation of a pair of June shows in Berkeley, so on tonight's program we'll celebrate his May 24 birthday with recordings from previous Bay Area performances, plus tracks from his upcoming new release, Rough and Rowdy Ways. Wednesday 5/20 at 10 pm.

Bay Area Vocalist Kyra Gordon and Pianist Larry Steelman, Bassist Paul Eastburn and special guest Guitarist Mimi Fox bring us their heartfelt, hypnotic and far-out arrangements of two iconic singers: Janis Ian and Janis Joplin.

The Beatles' Abbey Road was released on September 26, 1969. This Wednesday 10/09 at 9 pm (on what would have been John Lennon's 79th birthday), we listen to selections from the 50th anniversary deluxe re-issue of the album.

As part of the High Holy Days at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco, Jeremiah Lockwood and his musical guests create sacred, spiritual experiences, weaving together old-world cantorial singing and American blues and gospel, along with spiritual music from around the world.

Join us for some wonderful four-part harmony singing by Windborne this Saturday at 3 pm on KALW’s Folk Music & Beyond!  Windborne is a young a cappella ensemble based on the east coast.  They specialize in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between drastically different styles of traditional music within the same concert.  Their songs cover folk, old-time/American roots, gospel, and Balkan.

KALW On-Air Folk Festival Returns Saturday Apr. 13th

IF YOU MISSED THE FESTIVAL, YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE FIVE HOURS VIA KALW'S LOCAL MUSIC PLAYER FOR ONE WEEK FOLLOWING THE BROADCAST.  https://www.kalw.org/local-music-player-0

Join us on Saturday April 13th from 3:00 to 8:00 pm for five hours of continuous live music, featuring some of the Bay Area’s top talent.  The Folk Festival is presented by KALW’s music hosts JoAnn Mar, Kevin Vance, and Peter Thompson.  Here’s the line-up:

Son of composer Larry Lockwood and grandson of legendary Cantor Jacob Konigsberg, guitarist and singer Jeremiah Lockwood performs with vocalist and Charming Hostess founder Jewlia Eisenberg in their duo project, Book of J.

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of the Bay Area. 

The renowned Irish fiddler makes a special guest appearance today at 3 p.m. on KALW's Folk Music & Beyond. Gavin holds the Guinness Book of World Records for fastest fiddling and will demonstrate some of his fiddle mastery for us in KALW's studio. 

Two friends of the show, Brian Adam McCune and Royal Jelly Jive, stop by our studio tonight 9-11 pm for previews of new music and upcoming performances.

The latest installment in Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series chronicles the sessions in late 1974 that resulted in the landmark album Blood On The Tracks.

King Dream is an indie psych-rock project from Bay Area songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Lyon, who previously co-founded Bay Area folk-rock band Tumbleweed Wanderers.

Legendary folk singer Joan Baez recently announced that 2018 will be her final year of touring.  When her tour ends, she will retire from the road.  This coming Saturday at 3 pm, Folk Music & Beyond will be paying tribute to Baez and celebrating her six decades in music.  Highlighting our tribute will be  songs from her latest and most likely her final CD "Whistle Down The Wind."

Otis Rush turns 83 on April 29. Albert King would have been 95 on April 25. Inspired by the birthdays of these two left-handed blues guitar giants, Fog City Blues presents its 9th annual Left-Hand-A-Thon -- celebrating the blues from the other side.

Power-house acoustic duo Moonshine Jelly consists of violinist and vocalist Lee Corbie-Wells, and guitarist and banjo player Kent Kessinger.

Join us this Saturday (3/31) at 3 pm for a special concert recording with American roots artist Tim O'Brien and Lunasa, one of Ireland's leading traditional bands.  This concert was recorded last month in Berkeley at the Freight & Salvage.  The evening was lively, the songs were engaging, and the on-stage humor was unparalleled (in other words, cringe-worthy at times).  A good time was had by all!

Vocalist Kyra Gordon with pianist and arranger Larry Steelman bring hypnotic and far-out arrangements of two iconic singers: Janis Ian and Janis Joplin. 

The Christmas Jug Band are stalwart purveyors of the jugabilly mystique -- a tongue-in-cheek seasonal convergence of San Francisco Bay Area luminaries.

Listen this Saturday 3 pm to 12 midnight for some fabulous music!  Saturday music hosts share their favorite new releases that have come out this past year. 

At 3 pm on Folk Music & Beyond, new CDs by British guitarist Richard Thompson, the Portland indie band 'The Decemberists, and Irish accordion master Sharon Shannon.

At 5 pm on A Patchwork Quilt, "Jesus Rocked The Jukebox", a collection of gospel from the 50s and 60s

Long-time KALW morning host Joe Burke retired from his radio job last year, but he joins host Devon Strolovitch to talk about his new album, Just Watching the Show, and to spin some favorite records that the suits would never let him play during drive-time. Wednesday 7/19 at 9 pm.

We'll shine the spotlight on Bay Area artists this Saturday (July 1st) 3 pm on "Folk Music & Beyond".  Among our local treasures are fiddler/guitarist Laurie Lewis and mandolinist Tom Rozum.  They'll stop by the KALW studios for a visit and play a few songs.  We'll also hear singer-songwriter Sean Hayes talk about his song "Rosebush Inside", inspired by the compelling story of ex-death row prisoner Moreese Bickham.

This Saturday July 1 marks the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, when the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada (split into Quebec and Ontario) were united to form the Dominion of Canada. 

The Railroad Square Music Festival is a free day of music this Sunday in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square. It's a project of The North Bay Hootenanny, a Santa Rosa based non-profit that has been working for the past five years to bring the North Bay music world to another level.

UnderCover Presents is working with over 100 artists from 13 Bay Area ensembles to pay homage to The Beatles’ 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' - one of the most iconic albums in the history of recordings.