Global Roots Music Extravaganza! Friday, January 12, 2024, 8:30 pm-11:00 pm
If you found your way here, Ken Waldman must have reached out, or somehow you found the obvious link from Ken Waldman's home page, and clicked it. What a year it's been, 2023. No, wait, what an almost quarter of a century. But let's look ahead! If this showcase evening is any indication, 2024 will be the year so many of us have been awaiting.
Ken Waldman founded a version of this always-Friday-APAP-showcase-evening in 2010, and in 2023 brought on Danielle Devlin of Canis Major Music as co-producer. In addition to the individual artist showcases, it's a full show that spotlights the kind of artists Ken likes to feature when he brings a whole troupe for certain main stage series. The first half hour is a sampler so attendees get a sense of all these artists (and inevitably some attendees who thought they were only going to stay a little while, stay for the whole thing--everybody is always that good, and it doesn't hurt to have an iconic (and intimate) space, professional sound and lights, and free drinks, all an easy and safe walk from the Hilton).
The venue: Don't Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th, a ten-block walk from the conference hotel. It's 46th St. between 8th and 9th Avenue. We're in a back cabaret room, the same space Ken has used for a decade of producing APAP showcase evenings. It seats 80, and like recent years we'll be full (while it's ostensibly a public show, tickets are $100 since we expect to be filled--and want it filled--with industry colleagues). Reservations for this show, which could be the line-up of any major international festival stage, are strongly recommended. There's a two-drink minimum, our dime, Ken and Danielle's treat for conference attendees. We'll begin at 8:30. Doors at 7:45, I believe. But if you arrive earlier to grab a meal, or a drink in another of the rooms, it's a cash-only establishment.
The schedule:
8:30-9:00--a 2- to 3-minute intro piece by all participants--no set order who'll go when, but it'll all go by quick (this is so you all get a quick peek of everybody before we get to the main showcases)
9:00-9:15: your co-host, Ken Waldman, with ace Ithaca NY multi-instrumentalist Lydia Garrison, plus fun reinforcements including guitarist, Erica Weiss. Lydia and Erica will show you how lucky Ken is to play with them.
9:15-9:18: Luca Stricagnoli interlude (remember this is not just a showcase, but a whole show, so this superb globe-trotting solo guitarist will play a few times throughout the evening)
9:20-9:35: born in India, raised in Canada, JUNO winner, Kiran Ahluwalia, with accompanist(s). To paraphrase, she says her sound is a music that hasn't been done before.
9:35-9:50: the fabulous Grammy winning singer and zydeco accordion player, Terrance Simien, either solo or with another headliner, his daughter, Marcella.
9:50-10:05: Jordanian singer and music ambassadress, Farah Siraj, comes with accompanist(s) and her mix of arabic, flamenco, jazz, bossa, and pop.
10:05-1008: Luca Stricagnoli, another interlude!
10:10-10:25: We're keeping fingers crossed that the wonderful Karan Casey will be here with us tonight. Irish singer, songwriter, and much more. If not, we have a happy surprise in the wings. (Yes, we hear Karan Casey will indeed be coming by!)
10:25-10:40: here from their recent Grand Ole Opry debut, The Slocan Ramblers, from Toronto (with one band member now living in Nashville), have played Merlefest, Rockygrass, and everywhere in between
10:40-10:55: We just learned that Afro Andean Funk can't make it. Instead, we have Montreal's sea shanty wizard, Sean Dagher, coming by again for a set. He wowed us last year, and we're pleased to have him back!
10:55-11:00: Between Luca Stricagnoli (for an interlude or finale), Ken Waldman (for fiddle tune or poem), and anyone else, who's up for it, we'll end this as it ought to be ended.
If you want a taste of what this showcase evening was like in one of the pre-pandemic years, this will make you happy: https://youtu.be/TSpXx48lvTA. Come by on Friday, January 12, and you'll be happy right there in person!