Newport Folk Festival made a triumphant return to the fort this year, laden with curiosity and high anticipation. The buzz from last year's surprise performances by Paul Simon and Joni Jam carried over, setting the stage for another captivating experience. Adding further intrigue was this year's inclusion of Lana Del Rey, which pushed ticket prices on the controversial secondary market to unprecedented heights, primarily driven by her fan base.

As Summerfest 2023 marked its 55th anniversary, the shores of Lake Michigan at Milwaukee, WI, vibrated with a magnitude of musical delight. The first weekend, which wrapped up on June 24, unfolded a glorious mosaic of soundscapes, leaving the audience buzzing with palpable anticipation for the following weeks.

GRAMMY Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee James Taylor performed at the White House to celebrate the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This historic bill will lower the cost of energy, prescription drugs, and health care for American families, combat the climate crisis, reduce the deficit, and make the largest corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Jackson Browne released his new album Downhill From Everywhere via Inside Recordings. In support of the record, Browne will tour the US with James Taylor starting next week on Thursday, July 29 at the United Center in Chicago. He will also play a run of shows in September for his "Evening With" tour, featuring Browne backed by his full band. Ticket information is available at jacksonbrowne.com.
 

Jackson Browne released the video today for “My Cleveland Heart,” his new single, which drops on Friday everywhere. The single, co-written with his longtime guitarist Val McCallum, comes from Browne’s forthcoming album Downhill From Everywhere due out on July 23, worldwide through his label Inside Recordings.

Former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick will launch a new podcast series on what it means to be American in 2020 and beyond. In the weeks before the Election, where not just the character of the candidates or the parties but of the country itself is on the ballot, Patrick will step back from politics to explore today's national character in conversation with a diverse set of artists, actors, political activists, thought leaders and everyday strivers.

Honoring musical icon Joni Mitchell's legacy and 75th birthday, Decca Records released The Music Center Presents Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration on March 8, 2019. On Joni's 75th birthday last November, a star-studded roster of musicians gathered together to pay tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter. The evening was recorded and is now subsequently being released. It features performances by Brandi Carlile; Glen Hansard; Emmylou Harris; Norah Jones; Chaka Khan; Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson; Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores; Graham Nash; James Taylor; Seal; Rufus Wainwright; and more.

Grateful Web recently had the honor of speaking with Bill Payne about the upcoming milestone of 50 years of Little Feat in 2019. Payne’s depth as an artist goes much farther than Little Feat’s founding pianist, co-songwriter and vocalist. A photographer, poet, one of the hardest working and best damn American rock musicians since the 1970s.

The revival of the venerable Newport Folk Festival continued with a very strong roster of artists this year that expanded once again the boundaries of what is “folk music.” Folk purists – the kind of people who booed Dylan when he went electric at the 1965 festival (this year was the 50^th anniversary of that iconic set) – would probably have seen their heads explode if they caught My Morning Jacket’s surprise set on first night of this year’s gathering.