416-651-FUSE (3873)
www.fusion-events.ca Distributed by Tubemogul.

Duration : 4 min 51 sec

Duration : 3 min 45 sec

Duration : 2 min 7 sec

Duration : 3 min 19 sec

Duration : 0:2:8

American folk music encompasses many genres; many are known as roots music. Roots music is a broad category of music including bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Cajun and Native American music. The music is considered American either because it is native to the United States or because it developed there, out of foreign origins, to such a degree that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new. It is considered “roots music” because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

Many roots musicians do not consider themselves to be folk musicians; the main difference between the American folk music revival and American “roots music” is that roots music seems to cover a slightly broader range, including blues and country.

Roots musical forms reached their most expressive and varied forms in the first two to three decades of the 20th century. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were extremely important in disseminating these musical styles to the rest of the country, as Delta blues masters, itinerant honky tonk singers and Latino and Cajun musicians spread to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The growth of the recording industry in the same approximate period was also important; increased possible profits from music placed pressure on artists, songwriters and label executives to replicate previous hit songs. This meant that fads like Hawaiian slack-key guitar never died out completely as rhythms or instruments or vocal stylings were incorporated into disparate genres. By the 1950s, all the forms of roots music had led to pop-oriented forms. Folk musicians like the Kingston Trio, pop-Tejano and Cuban-American fusions like boogaloo, chachacha and mambo, blues-derived rock and roll and rockabilly, pop-gospel, doo wop and R&B (later secularized further as soul music) and the Nashville sound in country music all modernized and expanded the musical palette of the country.

The roots approach to music emphasizes the diversity of American musical traditions, the genealogy of creative lineages and communities, and the innovative contributions of musicians working in these traditions today. In recent years roots music has been the focus of popular media programs such as Garrison Keillor’s public radio program A Prairie Home Companion and the feature film by the same name.

Genres here range as widely as the definition of folk music itself; working definitions are based on the style and themes of the music regardless of its source. Many are a part of the American Folk Music Revival, including works by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, The Weavers, Burl Ives and others. Others evolved in the 1960s including storytelling type performers such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The New Christie Minstrels, The Limelighters, The Kingston Trio and Judy Collins and counterculture and folk rock performers such as Peter Paul and Mary and The Byrds.

Notable roots musicians have included Jelly Roll Morton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Son House, Leadbelly, Hazel Dickens, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Merle Travis, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, Maggie Simpson, Mahalia Jackson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Washington Phillips, Fiddlin’ John Carson (1868–1949), Johnny Richardson (1908–present; children’s folk music), Willie Nelson, and Jean Ritchie. More recent musicians who occasionally or consistently play roots music include Keb’ Mo’, Ralph Stanley, Jewel, John Denver, Chris Castle, Ricky Skaggs, and Jeremy Fisher, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary.

Additionally, the soundtrack to the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is exclusively roots music, performed by Alison Krauss, The Fairfield Four, Emmylou Harris, Norman Blake and others. The 2003 film A Mighty Wind is a tribute to (and parody of) the folk-pop musicians of the early 1960s.

American roots music was the subject of the 4-part documentary series American Roots Music on PBS in 2001.

Nut Hill Productions, Inc., is now in production on a comprehensive documentary entitled “The Music of America: History Through Musical Traditions,” with an anticipated release date in winter of 2009.

Hootenanny, an early 1960s musical variety show broadcast on ABC in the United States primarily featured folk music performers.

American Roots Music was a 2001 multi-part documentary film that explores the historical roots of American Roots music through footage and performances by the creators of the movement.

Duration : 0:7:46

Duration : 19 min 24 sec

Duration : 3 min 17 sec

Any restaurants you’d recommend? Cajun, South American, Barbecue, or Tex-Mex would be preferred because we can get a lot of the other foods in the places we live. Of course, any good food would be fine.

As for bars, anything with pints, darts, and a place to talk would be good. We see each other about once every five years, and at least two of the three of us aren’t looking to meet anyone. Good beer and a decent jukebox would be nice too.

Thanks.

Cajun: the Ragin Cajun is the best. The location on Richmond Ave is the original and the only one I have ever been to. If you want to avoid other tourist stay from the one on Main St.

http://www.b4-u-eat.com/houston/restaurants/reviews/rsv0022.asp

South American: Nelroe Churrascaria is an all you can eat Brazilian steakhouse. It is on Montrose Blvd. and tends to be more up scale. Price is around $30.00 to 40.00 per person.

http://www.nelorechurrascaria.com/

Barbecue: The one and only place for barbecue in Houston Goode Co., Barbecue on Kirby Dr. All the meats are slow cooked to perfection on mesquite and the sauce is good and spicy.

http://goodecompany.com/goodeRestaurantBBQKirby.aspx

It may be hard to find a good Tex-Mex that is not going to crowded. The better ones tend to be packed with locals.

As far as a hole in wall kind of place I like La Mexicana on Fairview St.

http://www.lamexicanarestaurant.com/index.htm

The best Tex-Mex in town is at Ninfa’s on Navigation Blvd. This the original location of a chain of restaurants but this one is the only one still run by the same family to started the chain. It is located just outside of downtown behind Minute Maid Park. Several downtown hotels send tourist there and locals tend to keep it crowded but there is not better place for Tex-Mex.

http://mamaninfas.com/

I don’t know about bars.

Duration : 3 min 19 sec