Swallow Hill: Denver's Home for Folk, Roots and Acoustic Music

Voted Westword
Best of Denver
2008!

17th Annual Swallow Hill HarvestFest features
family-friendly entertainment
all weekend long

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Contact: Rodolfo Betancourt
rudy@swallowhillmusic.org
Laura McGaughey
laura@swallowhillmusic.org
303.765.2488

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DENVER, COLO. (9/17/08) -- Swallow Hill announces their 17th Annual HarvestFest, October 10 - 12, a community-building cornucopia full of great music, special performances and family-friendly activities. Previously known as the Swallow Hill Folk Festival, HarvestFest is Swallow Hill's longest-standing tradition and is celebrating its 17th year in 2008. The event originated as the Folk-a-Thon, a 24-hour non-stop celebration of folk music and kinship, and has grown into a weekend event that is focused on what Swallow Hill does best: building community through interactive fun that revels in the merriment of great music.

Friday night features kickoff concerts by the South Austin Jug Band and Beppe Gambetta. South Austin Jug Band's latest album, Strange Invitation, gets its title from a lyric in the 1997 Beck charmer, "Jackass," the only cover on this 11-song collection and their first released single. This promising up-and-coming roots band has been touring hard with their brand of progressive acoustic music, winning fans nationwide, and Swallow Hill is pleased to host them on their Daniels Hall stage.

Genoese master guitarist Beppe Gambetta will perform in Tuft Theater. Gambetta tours internationally, visiting North America twice a year, and his prestigious reputation has garnered him appearances at the largest festivals in our country from Kerrville to Walnut Valley and Merlefest. He has also performed with folk heroes such as David Grisman, Doc Watson and Béla Fleck. Gambetta's compositions are a mosaic of sounds and flavors influenced by his Italian culture as well as his love for American country and bluegrass.

Saturday and Sunday there will be a host of talent performing including the headlining show for Saturday evening with longtime Swallow Hill community treasures Harry Tuft & Carla Sciaky, who will bring their special annual concert focusing on ballads to indulge the audience with both old and contemporary story songs. They will be joined by friends Cindy Mangsen and Steve Gillette to provide even more musical variety as they explore early variations of songs to demonstrate how they may have evolved over time. These songs have roots in the British Isles and the performance will take the audience on an experience through time and not only entertain, but educate.

Other talent scheduled to appear in performance over the weekend include blues harmonica innovator Clay Kirkland, rising singer/songwriter Jessica Sonner, Carribean-and-Latin-fusion favorites The Betancourt Trio, mandolinist Bruce Hayes, our own storytelling songbird Julie Davis, Citrus on sitar and guitar, fun bluegrass from Rocky Mountain Jewgrass, Celtic flavors from Skean Dubh and Gobs O'Phun, a Barn Dance with Black Strap Molasses & Andrea Earley, and many more.

In addition to myriad stellar musicians performing there will be jams and a plethora of workshops such as House of Rock for Teens (Be in a Band), Brazilian Rhythm Guitar, Live Sound Workshop, Hindustani Guitar, Introduction to Uke, Beginning Harmonica, and more. Other family-friendly activities on the docket include arts and crafts, a film screening of "The Jungle Book," a Folk Idol contest, sing-alongs, Little Swallows Pre-School programming, and an intriguing panel that will attempt to answer the question, What is folk? A full schedule of all activities and performances is being updated constantly at www.swallowhillmusic.org.

For tickets visit www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003 x2. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. Buy in advance and save! This press release is also available online at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/newsroom/newsmain.htm and also as a RSS Feed at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/xml/newsroom/rss/SwallowHillNews.xml.

About Swallow Hill Music Association
Helping people make and enjoy music since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association is one of the largest nonprofit institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,300 members, Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 200 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. Swallow Hill’s Julie Davis School of Music offers classes for every interest, skill level and member of the family. Each year, a faculty of 60 instructors provides training to more than 4,000 students. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Swallow Hill has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.

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