Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played their first gig in 1966 in Southern California as a jug band and by 1969 had become a cornerstone of the burgeoning country-rock community. Their career breakthrough came in 1970 with the release of the record Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy and the single “Mr. Bojangles,” a folksy Top 10 pop hit that remains a staple of their live show. During a tour stop in Nashville around that time, Earl Scruggs and his family came backstage to say hello. That introduction led to a friendship and some of the connections the band needed to record Will the Circle Be Unbroken. That three-disc album brought Nitty Gritty Dirt Band together with a number of country, folk, and bluegrass legends. Heroes like Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis, and Doc Watson joined the scruffy, young band to record country music standards such as “I Saw the Light” and “Keep on the Sunnyside.” The acclaimed project is considered a landmark recording in American music.
Following an extended 50th anniversary tour, the ensemble grew to a six-piece in 2018 for the first time since their early jug band days. The group now includes Jeff Hanna (acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Jimmie Fadden (drums, harmonica), Bob Carpenter (keyboards), Jim Photoglo (bass, acoustic guitar), Ross Holmes (fiddle, mandolin), and Jaime Hanna (electric and acoustic guitar). All six members also sing, and when their voices merge, the harmonies add a powerful new component for the legendary band. And with the father-son pairing of Jeff and Jaime Hanna, the band carries on a country music tradition of blood harmony.
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Why & How You Should Support Artists During COVID
It’s time to support artists
The music industry and local musical artists have had to navigate their careers differently since the Covid-19 lockdown. It’s very important for us as consumers to continue to support our favorite music artists, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. People throughout the United States are struggling during this time. Millions of people are unemployed and are unable to return to work. Thousands of businesses have shut down and even music artists are having trouble making money during this time. Music artists are unable to make money while on a tour which is greatly affecting their ability to earn income. Many bands and hip-hop artists have pointed out in the past that the majority of the money they make is on tour. Even indie artists make a large portion of here money touring local areas to keep the band going. Consumers should try to support their favorite artists so they can stay intact. Artists are unable to have in-person events and signings which can be so exciting and beneficial to the artist. Spotify and streaming services do not pay artists large amounts of money. In 2020 physical albums are almost non-existent and most music is available for free. Roaming the Arts has an online community that supports musicians, artists, and writers. Now is the time for consumers to stand up and support artists during this difficult time!
Ways to Support Artists During Covid
- Branding and promotion can be so beneficial to musical artists. Spreading your favorite artist’s music on social media can be so helpful to them. Retweets and posts on Instagram can during this time will e greatly appreciated.
- You can share music and resources within your circle of friends
- Encourage your friends to support their favorite artists. Buy and stream most as often as you can.
- Tweet and reach out to your favorite artists and tell them how much you love and appreciate their music. Bands and rappers need to know their fans still want them to keep releasing must and that they will be first in line to buy their tickets once they can go on tour again. If you are employed or cannot work it’s fully understandable if you cannot financially support your favorite artists. The smallest things such as a tweet or direct message will always be appreciated. This can potentially help boost sales.
- Music streaming sites don’t pay large amounts of money but they still make up nearly 20% of an artist’s income. If you consumers can accumulate enough stream it definitely can be beneficial to an artist. Streaming sites are even introducing tipping options. If you would like to you can support artists by sending them money directly. Establishing more revenue flow can be so helpful to struggling indie artists.
- Many artists have YouTube channels and live streams where you can come support them I’ve seen many artists focus more on making content and releasing music on youtube to make a living.
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It’s time to support artists!!!
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Nataniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Nataniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Nathaniel David Rateliff is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has garnered attention with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, the soulful R&B combo he formed in 2013. Wikipedia
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Snarky Puppy
Snarky Puppy
After a decade of relentless touring and recording in all but complete obscurity, the Texas-bred/New York-based quasi-collective suddenly found itself held up by the press and public as one of the major figures in the jazz world. But as the category names for all three of the band’s Grammy® awards would indicate (Best R&B Performance in 2014, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2016 and 2017), Snarky Puppy isn’t exactly a jazz band. It’s not a fusion band, and it’s definitely not a jam band. It’s probably best to take Nate Chinen of the New York Times’ advice, as stated in an online discussion about the group, to “take them for what they are, rather than judge them for what they’re not.” (website)
Snarky Puppy joins another Roaming the Arts favorite Mingo Fishtrap as a band formed out of the wonderful music program at the University of North Texas.
