Jim Lauderdale joins Neko Case, Judy Collins for a Grammy-studded RootsFest Lineup

Considered among Nashville's "A-list" of singer/songwriters, Swallow Hill Music is pleased to announce the addition of two-time Grammy award-winning artist Jim Lauderdale to the RootsFest lineup with Judy Collins, Neko Case, Paper Bird and Trace Bundy at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday, March 6, 2010 in Denver, CO.

Denver (PRWEB) January 13, 2010 -- Considered among Nashville's "A-list" of singer/songwriters, Swallow Hill Music is pleased to announce the addition of two-time Grammy award-winning artist Jim Lauderdale to the RootsFest lineup with Judy Collins, Neko Case, Paper Bird and Trace Bundy at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday, March 6, 2010 in Denver, CO.

Americana/Bluegrass recording artist, and seven-time American Music Awards show host Jim Lauderdale is considered among Nashville's "A" list of songwriters, having written music for Patty Loveless, Dixie Chicks, Mark Chestnut, Vince Gill and George Strait, to name a few. Jim's accolades include two Grammy awards for Best Bluegrass Album in 2002 and 2008, and he is again nominated this year for his latest album Could We Get Any Closer?, making this his fifth Grammy nomination to date. In 2009, Jim spent much of the year on the road as a member of Elvis Costello's Sugarcanes band, and he is also featured on Elvis' latest album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, which has also received a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Jim joins headliners Judy Collins and Neko Case in this years RootsFest lineup, along with Paper Bird and Trace Bundy.

Capping an exceptionally successful 2009, Neko Case has earned the first Grammy nominations of her career for her album Middle Cyclone (Anti- Records). The chart-topping release, nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Recording Package, has been the best-reviewed and fastest-selling album of her career. Interview magazine calls it "one of the most original, beguiling, honest records of the year," and Rolling Stone magazine (in addition to listing Middle Cyclone among their top-ten albums of 2009) has called the album "the most expansive release of her career," and of Neko they claim she is "indie's greatest singer."

Few artists have displayed the staying power of folk icon Judy Collins. For nearly 45 years her dulcet tones have graced our ears, and her poetic lyrics have galvanized a generation. She has released more than 40 albums to critical acclaim, and has produced numerous Top 10 hits including her rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and her Grammy Award-winning take on the Broadway hit "Send in the Clowns." Recently, Judy Collins and the rest of the Collins family very generously donated to Swallow Hill Music the baby-grand piano on which Collins first learned to play. The piano was graciously accepted, and awaits arrival at its new home in the Swallow Hill School of Music.    

Local favorites Paper Bird will showcase this year's festival. Voted one of the "Best Underground Bands of 2008" by the Denver Post, the band's unique instrumentation allows them to merge diverse influences into one solid sound. Since their inception, Paper Bird has continued to turn heads and gain attention in Denver as one of the hottest emerging acts in the city.

Also performing this year is instrumental-virtuoso Trace Bundy, whose unique guitar playing and clever effects-looping would lead you to believe there is an entire band hidden backstage. Named Acoustic Guitar magazine's 2008 "Most Promising New Player of the Year," Bundy offers renditions of classic songs in a finger-picking guitar style that is the stuff internet viral-videos are made of.

Tickets are now on sale at www.swallowhillmusic.org (now with no processing fees), or by calling (303) 777-1003 x2 to speak with a real human being, or by visiting our friendly Box Office at 71 E. Yale Ave, Denver, CO, 80210.

About Swallow Hill Music Association:
Helping people make and enjoy music since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009 as one of the largest nonprofit institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. In 2008, Swallow Hill Music served more than 80,000 people through their concert, school and outreach programming. With more than 2,300 members, Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 200 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. Swallow Hill’s Julie Davis School of Music offers classes for every interest, skill level and member of the family. Each year, a faculty of 60 instructors provides training to more than 4,000 students. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Swallow Hill has been named one of the Top 25 Movers & Shakers in Arts & Culture by the Rocky Mountain News, has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts and countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.