A wonderful bit of news came in just at the start of this month: My double CD (the two solo albums, released together on the North American market as a two-disc package) came in at No. 6 on the FolkRadio chart for 2010, based on playlists from 195 DJs. Have a look at http://folkradio.org/10topalbums.html – you’ll understand why I was so pleased when you see the company I’m in.
I’m also honoured that Al Kniola and Norm Mast of WVPE’s The Back Porch included the double CD in their 30 Best Albums of 2010, and thrilled that KOPN’s Steve Jerrett listed it in his Top 10 CDs of 2010.
All credit to Gerry O’Beirne for his wonderful production and playing on both of the albums that make up the double CD, as well as to publicist Kari Estrin for her sterling work.
The other big bit of news is that I’ve been selected for an official Performance Alley Showcase at the 23rd Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis in February. One of the five largest music conferences in North America, the Folk Alliance draws over 2,000 registered attendees each year. 200 artists are invited for official showcases each year, but of these, only around 20 come from outside the US and Canada, so it’s a great honour for an overseas artist such as myself to be selected. Other artists who will be showcasing in 2011 include Suzy Bogguss, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mary Gauthier, Eliza Gilkyson, Kieran Goss, Diana Jones, Si Kahn and Raul Malo.
I had a very intensive 9-week tour of the UK and USA this past autumn, and have barely had time to draw breath since – so I’m afraid I haven’t had time to update the tour diary as of this writing. I’ll definitely get back to it for the European tour starting next week, though, so keep an eye on it for updates!