To celebrate the winter holidays, we are having a special super sale: all of our single CDs are available for $10 each, 2-CD sets are $15, and/or 12 CDs for $100 (double CDs count as two discs), plus shipping. This offer includes brand new releases by David Bromberg, Jonathan Edwards, and our complete catalog of CDs by Pete Seeger, Donovan, Tom Paxton, Jesse Winchester, Al Stewart, Johnny Clegg, Tom Rush and many other fine artists. CDs must be ordered directly from Appleseed by email, phone or fax.

To order:
Email: folkradicl@aol.com
Phone: 610-701-5755
Fax: 215-628-4562

Appleseed is delighted to congratulate that ageless “Sunshine Superman,” Donovan, on his upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, announced on December 7. The formal ceremony will be held in Cleveland, where the Hall is based, on April 14.

During a four-decade-plus career in which he’s blended folk, pop, psychedelia, world music and jazz, the Scottish singer-songwriter has kept his music unique and magical and the original “peace, love and flowers” ideals of the Sixties alive. His most recent CD, Beat Café, released by Appleseed in 2004, was described by Uncut magazine as “a warm evocation of the bohemian world of bebop, poetry, berets and coffee houses,” while Dirty Linen called it “his best album in decades.” Donovan also recorded exclusive versions of the anti-war classic (written by fellow Appleseed artist Buffy Sainte-Marie) "The Universal Soldier" for our label's 2007 Sowing the Seeds - The 10th Anniversary set, and Pete Seeger's "My Rainbow Race," which appears on our award-winning Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 1.

Artists become eligible for the induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation's nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians, selects nominees each year in the Performer category. Ballots are then sent to an international voting body of more than 500 rock experts.

Other 2012 inductees include Laura Nyro, the Beastie Boys, the Small Faces/The Faces, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Guns 'N Roses.

Summer is upon us and some great new music is blooming on Appleseed Recordings. We are pleased to announce that Jonathan Edwards (he of the 1971 folk-pop hit “Sunshine”) has joined our roster of artists with his first new studio CD in 14 years, My Love Will Keep. And the world-class multi-instrumentalist and singer David Bromberg, who earned a Grammy nomination with Try Me One More Time, his 2007 Appleseed debut after 17 years without a new CD, has emerged from recording sessions around the country with Use Me, an all-star project that includes musical peers and friends such as Dr. John, Levon Helm, John Hiatt, Los Lobos, and Widespread Panic.

In the forty years since Jonathan’s bouncy but draft-defiant “Sunshine” (“Go away today…”) from his debut LP became a Top 5 hit and gold record in 1971, the New England-based, country- and bluegrass-influenced Edwards has released numerous albums, most recently live recordings, maintained his fan base with steady touring, and still found time for side careers as an actor, film scorer, PBS documentary host, record producer and label owner.

My Love Will Keep displays Jonathan’s enduring fascination with nature and “the interconnected- ness and interdependence of us all” in five original songs and seven compatible covers. The instrumentation is primarily acoustic, the settings are a mixture of folk, country and bluegrass, with a rocker or two for leavening, the singing is warm and wise, and standout songs include a jaw-dropping ballad arrangement of The Beatles’ “She Loves You,” a wistful lament about U.S. unemployment called “Everybody Works in China,” and Jonathan’s own “Surrounded,” which encapsulates the CD’s essence of wonder. Among the participating musicians are award-winning bluegrass singer Claire Lynch, solo artist and sideman Duke Levine’s (Peter Wolf, Mary Chapin Carpenter) on understated electric guitar (among other instruments), vocalist Moondi Klein (formerly of the Seldom Scene), and Jonathan’s  daughter Grace (backing vocals).

Jonathan on the air:

To hear Jonathan talk about My Love Will Keep, his career-starting “Sunshine” hit and his colorful past and present in a June 9 interview with hosts Steve King and Johnnie Putnam of Chicago radio station WGN’s “The Steve and Johnnie Show,” just follow this link.

An in-depth interview with Jonathan from June 28 can be found on the Internet show Icon Fetch.com's website through this link.

For a quick peek at Jonathan preparing for a July 8 live concert broadcast from Norfolk, CT, on Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s “Infinity Hall Live” series, please hit this link.

With this release, Jonathan joins a long list of “heritage” artists who have returned to the studio after lengthy absences to record for Appleseed, including Tom Rush (35 years between studio recordings), David Bromberg (17 years), Buffy Sainte-Marie (13 years), Jesse Winchester (10 years), Roger McGuinn (10 years), and Donovan (8 years). Says Appleseed president Jim Musselman, “We are proud to be releasing Jonathan’s latest CD and other new music from artists who still have a lot to say and whose music has influenced many over the years.” Appleseed's ever-growing status as a haven for still vital veteran musicians was discussed in the July 9 issue of Billboard.

While Jonathan’s CD has the comforting unity of a home-cooked meal, David Bromberg’s new Use Me tickles the ear with a spicy smorgasbord of the many musical ingredients that make up the “Americana” genre. David’s concept for the CD was to ask a wide variety of singer-songwriters and musicians to write (or choose), produce, and perform on songs showcasing his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Answering his call were some of the greatest talents in contemporary music: Dr. John, spreading New Orleans “fonk”; Los Lobos (with a Mexican-flavored waltz); country music’s Vince Gill and bluegrass’s Tim O’Brien; Linda Ronstadt, making a rare appearance (on a Brook Benton ballad); Levon Helm (playing on two chunks of Woodstock blues and goodtime music), Southern jam band Widespread Panic, contemporary roots singer-songwriter John Hiatt; and bluesman Keb’ Mo’. With rare exception, David supplies the lead electric or acoustic guitar on every track, and his “rippling Fred Neil-like baritone” (Rolling Stone) voice conveys passion, experience, humor, and confidence in every musical setting.

Here's a feel-good clip of David and dozens of other musicians (including Appleseed's Angel Band vocal trio) at the late-August Philadelphia Folk Festival performing The Band's classic "The Weight" with Levon Helm on drums.

David on air and in print:

While you’re waiting for David Bromberg to play a venue near you on his Fall 2011 national tour celebrating the release of Use Me, you can watch an intimate, informative and hilarious interview with David, a tour of his Wilmington, Del., violin shop, and footage of his weekly local jam sessions, and some performance clips on stage and at home by following this link to "Danny’s Guitar Shop." This local New Jersey-based TV show, dedicated to “exploring the world of guitars and music: the players, the builders, and the many funky locations that have given birth to the music we’ve all grown up with,” is hosted by Dan Gold, who owns a guitar store by the same name in Narberth. Pa. The program, which started as a radio show, is currently seeking national television syndication.

TIMELY FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5: Lucky subscribers to Sirius XM Satellite Radio can tune in to Channel 30 The Loft on Monday, Labor Day, September 5, to hear an interview and performance by David Bromberg and backing musicians. The segment, on "Loft Sessions," will be beamed/streamed to subscribers at noon EDT, with rebroadcasts on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 2 pm, Saturday, Sept. 10, at 12 pm, and Sunday, Sept. 11, at midnight EDT.

Listen to David Bromberg and band (including Angel Band’s  Nancy Josephson and Kathleen Weber and members of the popular roots-oriented band Ollabelle) cut loose on live versions of songs from Use Me in this rollicking hour-long “Words and Music from Studio A” performance/interview segment broadcast on Fordham University’s WFUV-FM in early August hosted by John Platt.

David and members of Ollabelle, who perform on Use Me's "Tongue" and will accompany Bromberg on some of his fall concert dates, can be heard performing three songs, interspersed with an interview on "World Cafe," the widely distributed radio program based in Philadelphia and distributed by National Public Radio (NPR), in a segment recorded and aired in late August. Just follow the magic link.

On August 1, the 750-station syndicate Public Radio International (PRI) aired a typically witty and informative interview with David Bromberg on its “Here and Now” program, interspersing David’s droll responses to host Robin Young’s questions about the concept and recording of Use Me, interspersed with excerpts from the CD. You can hear the enormously entertaining segment by following this link.

You can enjoy David’s wit at work in the “20 Questions” feature newly posted on the PopMatters.com website.

And for just about everything you’ve ever wanted to know about David, please follow link1 and link2 to writer Dan Harrell’s in-depth interview with him in the on-line BluesWax e-zine. Dan calls it “the full frontal” Bromberg.”

Both Jonathan's and David's news discs are now available through our website and from most music-selling websites and bricks-and-mortar stores (hang in there, we love indie retailers!)

It is with a mixture of pride and sadness that Appleseed has released the final recordings by the late Mike Seeger, in collaboration with his sister (and longtime Appleseed artist) Peggy Seeger, on the new Fly Down Little Bird CD, now available.

The CD, recorded shortly before Mike’s untimely death from cancer in 2009, contains unvarnished, unoverdubbed versions of 14 traditional American folk songs that Peggy describes as “learned in childhood, recorded in adulthood.” Sharing lead and harmony vocals, Mike (banjos, harmonica, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, mandolin) and Peggy (banjo, guitar, piano, lap dulcimer) transport listeners into a world of spare, acoustic arrangements and plainspoken, frequently pointed lyrics. It’s a world they have helped to maintain as performers and documentarians as well as inspirations to young musicians over the last half-century.

Mike’s devotion to preserving traditional Southern music in its original form led to a performing and recording career that encompassed more than 40 albums, solo and with others, three dozen documentary recordings, numerous instructional videos, and six Grammy nominations. The New Lost City Ramblers, the group he cofounded in the late ’50s, has been recognized as a seminal influence by everyone from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead. “He played . . . the full index of old-time styles,” wrote Dylan in his autobiography, and “he played these songs as good as it was possible to play them. What I had to work at, Mike already had in his genes.”

Peggy first established her own career in the U.K. in the mid-’50s, where she formed a personal and professional partnership with singer/songwriter/playwright/political activist Ewan MacColl, joining his campaign to relate folk traditions to modern life and political activism. Peggy’s discography, mostly as a solo artist, encompasses more than two dozen albums, over a hundred other recordings, and authorship of hundreds of original songs. She has been recognized as “one of the most authoritative voices in American and English folk. . . an esteemed interpreter of traditional material and a gifted instrumentalist…[and] perhaps best known for her observant and caustic original songs…” (Billboard).

With this third and final duo collaboration, Appleseed adds Mike to its roster of musical Seegers – his and Peggy’s half-brother is the iconic folk musician and activist Pete Seeger.

Please follow this link for more information on Fly Down Little Bird.

Johnny Clegg, solo artist, Grammy-nominated founder of the first multiracial band in South Africa, and sociopolitical activist, joins Appleseed’s roster with his first U.S. CD release in 17 years, Human, now available.

For over three decades, Clegg has dazzled audiences around the world with his live shows, his infectious and meaningful songs and his outspoken views on apartheid, meanwhile racking up millions of record sales and numerous awards. Human builds on Clegg’s critically acclaimed, massive-selling success in combining Western pop and Zulu rhythms, English lyrics alongside South African musical structures. Johnny first became known to international audiences as the leader of Juluka, South Africa’s first interracial band, and its successor, Savuka, before embarking on his own solo career within the last decade.

During April and May 2011, Clegg and his band played a triumphant 32-date North American tour, selling out many shows and attracting many new fans.

JOHNNY ON THE AIR:

Near the end of his triumphant 32-date North American tour in May 2011, Johnny was interviewed in a San Diego studio by David Dye, host of WXPN-FM’s nationally syndicated “World Café” program, based in Philadelphia. While all of Johnny’s new and older fans wait for his return to the States next summer, here's Johnny’s in-studio performance and interview, broadcast on August 16, by following this link.

Here are a couple of other high profile interviews Johnny conducted with National Public Radio:

On May 19, NPR's Morning Edition included an interview between Johnny and program host Renee Montagne that included excerpts from Johnny's Human CD and can be heard by clicking on this link.

And here’s a link to an interview and two-song in-studio performance by Johnny that was broadcast on January 31, 2011, to more than 300 stations on NPR’s syndicated “Tell Me More” program, hosted by Michel Martin; just scroll down to the segment entitled “Johnny Clegg Mixes, Infuses Music with Anthropology.”

Hear Johnny discuss his new CD in depth and his thoughts on contemporary African music and politics in an interview with Banning Eyre on Afropop Worldwide / Afropop.org, an internationally syndicated weekly radio series and website hub for African and world music news in this video.

On February 13, 2011, Pete Seeger's Tomorrow’s Children received a GRAMMY Award in the “Best Musical Album for Children” category in a ceremony webcast from the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Pete’s previous studio CD, 2008’s At 89 , won a GRAMMY in the “Best Traditional Folk Music” category, and the Pete Seeger & Friends 2-CD set, Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 3 was a 2003 nominee in the same category.

Seeger commented on his latest award that he loves singing with children, as they are the future, and he is very proud of the album. Appleseed's founder, Jim Musselman, commented about Pete's latest Grammy, "Appleseed has now won two Grammys in the last three years and we are very proud to have that recognition as an indie label. This CD is a cross-generational celebration of music from one of the world's leading music legends, whose music we have released and promoted for fourteen years now."

Congratulations to Pete (and to GRAMMY voters for their excellent choice)!

America's greatest living folk icon, Pete Seeger, who celebrated his 91st birthday on May 3rd, continues his life's work of spreading activism, tradition, and music with a brand new CD,  Tomorrow’s Children, now available for release through our website and in stores on July 27. The 19-song CD,  Seeger’s first studio recording since his Grammy-winning 2008 release, At 89, is a loving snapshot of Seeger recording with children and neighbors in his hometown of Beacon, NY.

Says Seeger, “The future of the entire human race lies in the hands of children so I felt this was an important collaboration.”

NEWEST NEWS FLASH: On November 30, 2010, Tomorrow’s Children was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the “Best Musical Album for Children” category in a ceremony televised on primetime televsion. Pete’s previous studio CD, 2008’s At 89 , won a GRAMMY in the “Best Traditional Folk Music” category, and the Pete Seeger & Friends 2-CD set, Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 3 was a 2003 nominee in the same category.

 The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 13, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). 

NEWER NEWS FLASH: Pete talks about Tomorrow’s Children, turning down BP’s hefty licensing offer to use one of his songs for an ad, and his thoughts on music in Joe Fassler’s blog in The Atlantic. 

NEWS FLASH: hear Pete talk about Tomorrow's Children on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" with program host Neil Conan in this August 12 interview.

Starting in 2008, Seeger became a regular visitor to a local Beacon elementary school where teacher Tery Udell had been working with her fourth graders to sing and write songs about what they were studying. For more than a week, Seeger interacted with every child in the school, sharing his own music and past history and encouraging the kids to do likewise; he brought along some of the kids to perform with him at local festivals and events.

Assembling in a local studio, Seeger, producer/musician David Bernz, some of the Sloop Clearwater staff, musical friends and neighbors and, most importantly, the schoolchildren known as “The Rivertown Kids” subsequently recorded about twenty songs (all with Seeger performing vocally and/or instrumentally) that show that the values of environmental stewardship and social justice have been embraced by the youngsters. Some of the songs are Seeger standards, such as “Take It from Dr. King” (which Pete performed on “Late Night with David Letterman” last year) and “Turn, Turn, Turn” (with new verses added by Pete’s wife, Toshi), others were written by some of the adults at the sessions, such as Bob Killian’s “There’ll Come a Day,” but most display “the folk process” that Seeger had imparted to the kids – that adapting the lyrics of older songs to fit current situations is the key to keeping music relevant and meaningful. Three of Seeger’s tunes are given new words by the children. There’s also a new song co-written by Pete, David Bernz and author/activist Harvey Wasserman, “Solartopia,” with Pete, special guest Dar Williams, and David Bernz trading verses about the need for a nuclear-free world that uses pollution-free energy sources.

The dictum, “Think globally, act locally,” has long been a guiding Seeger principle, and in recent years he’s attracted new warriors on the global level, partly due to a trio of multi-artist tribute CDs to Pete’s music released by Appleseed, which presented new versions of Pete’s songs as recorded by Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Natalie Merchant and other politically conscious performers. Springsteen subsequently assembled his Seeger Sessions CD, DVD and international tours to spread Seeger’s messages of music as entertainment, as education, and as social change. Last year’s 90^th birthday party for Pete at Madison Square Garden included musicians from Springsteen to John Mellencamp to Dave Matthews and helped raise money for Pete’s beloved Sloop Clearwater and the non-profit organization he founded to help preserve the Hudson River. Seeger’s previous studio album, At 89, was packed with songs that directly confronted issues of ecology, activism, economically-driven wars and the endangered state of the human race and earned a Grammy Award as “Best Traditional Folk Recording.”

The release of Tomorrow’s Children is cause for rejoicing. It shows Pete Seeger still doing what he does best – spreading ideas through music – and a new generation learning the lessons he teaches so lovingly and so well. Happy Birthday, Pete! Maybe this is the year for that much deserved Nobel Peace Prize!

 What with oil spills, other natural disasters, and economic and political turmoil in the headlines, what could be better news than “Hope is on the Way”? That’s the title of the digital single by Appleseed’s urban cowgirls, Angel Band, released exclusively on iTunes on June 1. The song’s anthemic exhortation to keep on keeping on is the dynamic lead-off track on the vocal trio’s upcoming Bless My Sole CD,  their second release on Appleseed following 2008’s widely acclaimed With Roots & Wings. The new disc is available now through our website and elsewhere on July 27th.

On August 10, the sassy, sweet-singing Angels and their backing band were captured on video at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City by internet station NY1. To see and hear Nancy, Kathleen and Aly in action and interview, please follow this link.

Twelve of Bless My Sole’s thirteen songs are Angel originals, with an in-concert favorite, their soulful version of The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” for seasoning. The CD, co-produced by head Angel Josephson and multi-instrumentalist/engineer Marc Moss, with some instrumental and production help from the Dixie Chicks’ mentor, Lloyd Maines, marks the first Angel Band recordings to include Aly Paige as the latest Angel (she’s the lead vocalist on “Hope is on the Way”).  Aside from Angels Josephson, Kathleen Weber and Paige and their stellar backing band, musical guests on the CD include roots-master David Bromberg, Josephson’s husband, who plays guitar on most tracks, and Maines on guitars and African banjo, among others.

“Hope is on the Way” was originally written by Josephson and Moss, during Barack Obama's run for the presidency “as a view of what might be.” The song became much more poignant after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti when "the band and I stepped up to do both individual and group fund raising efforts,” says Josephson, who has strong ties to the country’s cultural. “As a band we have been supporting a foundation on whose board I sit (Art Creation Foundation for Children). The kids at the foundation began singing ‘Hope is on the Way’ in the most broken English one could imagine. A local rap group, Trezo, which is loosely connected with the foundation, were working on their musical response to the earthquake. Through many people's efforts we were able to capture some of the ACFFC kids, Trezo and many photos taken by friends and family to work on a video that combines our tune, “Hope is on the Way” with Trezo’s ‘Gou Dou, Gou Dou.’ The name depicts the sound coming from the earth that day. The video, ‘Hope/Haiti’ can be viewed in the column to the right of this article.

“After the quake,” Josephson continues, “I went into a fund raising mode that, at last tally, looks to have brought in close to $100,000 for relief efforts. About $40,000 of the money raised (by the sale of most of my and a friend of mine's collection of sequin ‘flags’) went back to the folks who I wrote about in the form of money and materials. . .The cover for Bless My Sole was fabricated by one of the artists about whom I wrote in my book on the sequin artists of Haiti. I am very proud of all these efforts and look forward to continual support of the organizations.”

You can purchase “Hope is on the Way” by following this link to iTunes.

And some more DAVID BROMBERG news, too!

For the past year, Bromberg has been assembling the follow-up to his Grammy nominated 2007 “comeback” release on Appleseed, Try Me One More Time, his first CD since 1990. Unlike that disc, which was recorded entirely by himself, for his next album Bromberg has approached various songwriters in search of custom-written material for him to perform, with each songwriter producing and/or performing with David on the song he or she has written. An artistic inspiration but a logistical nightmare, we’re hoping David wraps up his recordings in time for release early in 2011. So far, David has recorded new tracks with John Hiatt, Levon Helm, Los Lobos and Tim O’Brien.

Whether or not the Nobel Peace Prize committee keeps waiting to honor Pete, on June 21 the WhyHunger (formerly World Hunger Year) organization bestowed its Chapin Award on the much-feted but thoroughly unassuming Seeger in recognition of his inspiring and ongoing work on the international issues of hunger and poverty.

WhyHunger is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting world hunger. Thirty-five years ago, Seeger, the late Harry Chapin (after whom Pete’s award is named) and Tom Chapin played the first benefit concert to fund the then-fledgling nonprofit association.

To read more about Pete’s participation in this year’s WhyHunger awards ceremony in Manhattan, here’s an account on Rolling Stone.com.

For Tim Eriksen, going back to his roots is a journey that has taken him from the loud “folk noise” of his groundbreaking band, Cordelia’s Dad, to the original folk instrument – the voice. Known for the sparse intensity of his two solo acoustic recordings and contributions to soundtracks including Cold Mountain, Tim’s newly released Soul of the January Hills takes his authentic, stripped down approach to traditional folk music to its logical conclusion: fourteen unaccompanied songs for solo voice recorded in one take with no edits.

The CD encompasses a new arrangement of the familiar “Amazing Grace,” as well as several other hymns (“Son of God,” “Wrestling Jacob”), dark accounts of incest and murder (“Queen Jane,” “Two Babes”), the pleasures and pain of love (“Lass of Glenshee,” “A Soldier Traveling from the North,” and “John Randolph,” probably the oldest song here, dating back to the 15th Century), and even optimism in harsh times (“Hope,” “Better Days Coming”).  Perhaps most timeless and, sadly, most relevant is Tim’s a cappella rendition of “I Wish the Wars Were All Over,” an original based on an 18^th Century ballad.

“I’m finally throwing down the gauntlet” laughs Massachusetts-based Eriksen, acknowledged as “the best ballad singer of his generation” by the BBC and many fellow musicians and record producers. “Not really. I’m not looking for a battle, but it would be nice if this record was taken as a friendly challenge to get people into hardcore singing, especially the old ballads and hymns and stuff. That’s what so much American music comes out of, but it’s kind of been swept under the rug.”

As you can tell by our website’s home page, as part of the worldwide “Hope for Haiti” fundraising campaign by the entertainment industry to aid earthquake-ravaged Haiti, Appleseed is donating all digital download sales of two highly appropriate songs when ordered from iTunes though our website. On the January 22 multi-channel “Hope for Haiti” fundraising telethon, Bruce Springsteen and his (Seeger) Sessions band performed (click to view their performance) “We Shall Overcome” The gospel-based anthem of endurance and activism was recorded by Bruce11 years ago as one of the songs Appleseed boss Jim Musselman requested he work up for our first Pete Seeger tribute, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 1”, where this version first appeared. No song could be more apt in representing the need for determined hope and strength – by the Haitians – and direct action – by the better-off countries around the world.

We are also donating proceeds from digital downloads of the collaboration between Haitian-born rapper and producer Wyclef Jean, who is heavily involved in the relief efforts, and Eric Andersen on “White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land” from Eric’s Waves CD.

Jesse Winchester’s Appleseed debut, Love Filling Station, released in April 2009, has been receiving the recognition it so richly deserves in various media. The CD was featured on the CBS Sunday Morning TV show just prior to Christmas when VH1 vice president Bill Flanagan included the CD in his segment on “The Best CDs of the Year.” The ripple effect of the recommendation landed Love Filling Station on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart, which is for CDs that haven’t previously appeared in Billboard’s “Top 100” chart, based on sales in the final week of January.

The Boston Herald’s main music writer, Daniel Gewertz, named Love Filling Station as one of the year’s Top 10 CDs.

Jesse also reaffirmed his reputation as a “songwriter’s songwriter” in mid-December 2009 with his appearance on the Sundance cable TV channel’s “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . .” The music/interview show alternates live performances by its guests and brief interviews by Elvis, who also performs. The show with Jesse also included Sheryl Crow, Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith, and current alt.rock heroine Neko Case. The highpoint came when Jesse performed the tender “Sham-a-Ling-Dong-Ding” from Love Filling Station – his characteristically low-key but moving performance concluded with a camera panning to a single tear rolling down Neko’s cheek, as you can see on this video from the show. Costello, who has included Jesse’s rocking “Payday” in some of his own set lists, is clearly blown away as well.

In August 2009, Appleseed released the 100th CD release in the company’s 12-year history: Running for the Drum, the first recordings in 13 years by the legendary singer-songwriter-Native American activist newly signed to our label: the multiple-award-winning Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Running for the Drum not only includes 11 Buffy originals and a revamped version of "America the Beautiful" -- the gorgeous digipack also includes an hour-long biographical documentary, Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life.

Here is a video of Buffy performing the CD's opening track, "No No Keshagesh" a mixture of swirling electronica, "pow-wow" backing vocals and a forthright lyrical attack on corporate greed by Buffy. ("Keshagesh" is a Native American word meaning "greedy guts.")

Since the CD’s release, it has earned Buffy her second Juno Award (the Canadian Grammy) for Best Aboriginal Album, the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award (ABCMA) for Best Album, and within the last month Buffy took home four Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for Best Female Artist, Best Album, Best Single (“No No Keshagesh” – watch the video below) and Best Songwriter. Buffy also became the first person to win the APCMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was the 25th inductee into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

We are enormously proud to relay the information that Let the Circle Be Wide, our 2009 release by the great Irish folksinger Tommy Sands, his daughter Moya and son Fionán, was selected by the nationally syndicated public radio program “Celtic Connections” as their Album of the Year. The program, hosted by Bryan Kelso, is broadcast on about 140 stations in 30 states around the US.

* * *

Tom Rush’s new “comeback” CD after more than 30 years between studio albums, What I Know (http://www.appleseedmusic.com/tomrush/whatiknow.html), was the most played CD of 2009 by the 195 folk/roots-oriented radio program hosts who report airplay to the international FOLKDJ-L listserve. Based on airplay, Tom himself was rated as the #5 Top Artist of the Year, with the #1 spot appropriately occupied by – who else – Pete Seeger.

Even with the brutal winter weather that’s smothering most of the United States, it’s still possible to hear great live music without leaving your home. The NPR-syndicated “Mountain Stage” live performance radio program can be heard on hundreds of stations around the country, and its archives can be accessed by computer. You can find out what local radio stations carry “Mountain Stage” and at what time by following this link and, if you miss the broadcast, you can hear the music on “Mountain Stage’s” archives via computer, where some additional music omitted from the shows for reasons of time is included.

The two-hour broadcasts, featuring four or five separate artists, are scheduled for the week following the dates below before being archived. Here are the upcoming broadcast details on some recently taped “Mountain Stage” segments by Appleseed artists:

The week following March 12: Tom Rush

The week following April 2: an acoustic “dream team” pairing of our own folk-blues master David Bromberg and his well-matched counterpart, former Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna and solo artist Jorma Kaukonen.

The week following April 9: Jesse Winchester