The 2009 Folk Alliance Conference starts tomorrow at 11 a.m.  If you’ve never attended the conference, which will be held at the Downtown Marriott Hotel, it’s well worth the $250 per day (or $750 for all 5 days) admission — hundreds of musicians, including John Sebastian, Rodney Crowell, Kathy Mattea, Charlie Louvin, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Albert Lee, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, are scheduled to play. 

Go here to read CA writer Bob Mehr’s interview with performer/keynote speaker Roger McGuinn — pictured above with his 1960s-era group the Byrds. And go here to read my interview with 17-year old Pennsylvanian Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, who will be traveling more than 1,000 miles to appear at the event.  

While this is an international conference, with musicians from all over the world networking and performing, there’s plenty of Memphis in the mix, including: 

1. Screenings of the Memphis jug band documentary Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost, slated for tomorrow at 3 p.m. and Thursday at 2 p.m. 

2. An open mic set hosted by the Memphis Songwriters Association.

3. The Kids Show, on Thursday at 11:30 a.m., with Memphis host Darin Hillis and a performance from Valerie June and Jason Freeman.

4. An interview with legendary musician — and former Memphian — Charlie Louvin on Thursday afternoon.   

5. An interview with onetime Elvis sideman, guitarist James Burton, on Friday afternoon. 

Also: panel discussions with the likes of new Memphis Music Commission head Johnnie Walker; Memphis International record label owners David Less and Bob Merlis; producers Jim Dickinson,  Jeff Powell, and Scott Bomar; Oxford attorney Tom Freeland,  and performances from Valencia Robinson, Nancy Apple, Valerie June, Jimmy Davis, Blair Combest, Jed Zimmerman, Deering and Down, Holly Cole, Caleb Sweazy, William Lee Ellis, Cory Branan, Susan Marshall, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dan Montgomery, Andy Cohen, and more. 

In conjunction with the conference, The Folk Alliance will also present a number of concerts and events that will be open to the public at various venues around town.

The Center for Southern Folklore will host a free performance by Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart with special guests Act of Congress and Deering & Down on Feb. 20. On Feb. 21, the Center will welcome The Ebony Hillbillies along with Valerie June and Andy Cohen. Both shows start at 8 p.m. 

The Hi-Tone Café offers a pair of shows starting with a Feb. 20 bill featuring the Duhks, Hoots and Hellmouth and 2 Mule Plow. The following evening, Small Faces legend Ian McLagan brings his Bump Band in for a concert. The bill will also include a performance by Jack Oblivian & the Tearjerkers. 

On Feb. 21 at 3 p.m., Ardent Studios will host a creativity workshop featuring banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and drummer Amir “?uestlove” Thompson of hip-hop band The Roots. The event is free. For more information, call 725-0855.

Stax great Booker T. Jones — the latest soul artist to ink a deal with the Anti- label, already home to Mavis Staples, Bettye LaVette, and indie greats Neko Case and Tom Waits — wrote an incredible essay for the Anti- website about what it means to be black in 2009. In it, he also documents what it was like to grow up African American in Memphis during the 1960s, and lists his hopes for the future:

“In September ‘08, weeks before the election, while walking in Washington DC with my wife Nan, I was struck with an awareness I had never had before. It was as though I knew, with an unreal sense of certainty, of a real estate transaction that was about to transpire. And I was walking on that very piece of real estate.

We were walking from the Lincoln Memorial towards the Capitol Building on the Mall. Unbelievable. How could this be happening to my consciousness? Why did I feel so certain I was not mistaken?

Years ago, while reading Chesapeake, I was struck with a sense of luck and pride at having been born on soil that had been consecrated and dedicated by such wise, inspired, courageous men as the composers of our own constitution. How could they have had such wisdom and foresight so long ago? But they did, and it came to pass.

It became a beacon to the world, and because of its qualities, the young nation seemed destined for special gifts and privileges from the gods. Things could happen here that could happen no other place on earth. It became the destination of choice for all the disenfranchised of the world.

Its national anthem, that stirring piece, still sends chills through my soul.

Sometime in the 1800’s, my grandfather, Benjamin Jones, graduated from Mississippi Industrial College and was able to purchase 70 acres of land on which he built a school where he became the only teacher. My family still lives on that land in Marshall County, MS.

Not too far away, in the same county, my mother’s family evolved, sired by a white man and a black slave woman.

Eventually, my parents met in Memphis, TN through the church and church music that they both loved, and life was given to me.

Being born African American is just so special to me. In my blood runs all the rhythms of the African drums, the determination and sacrifice of my grandfather’s fathers and uncles to survive, the love of Debussy and Liszt of my grandmother’s musical heart, and the devotion to the fertilization and development of the mind and spirit through education of my grandfather.

So, at age 17, even after having recorded a million seller, “Green Onions”, at Stax in 1962, I headed off to Indiana University in search of knowledge, both musical and otherwise. With $900 saved from my paper route, I paid the out of state tuition, and passed the jury. John F. Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage” was the only book I had read that wasn’t science fiction, and the heavy load I carried never crossed my mind. I had a strength I didn’t understand.

I had been taught some “Negro History” in Tennessee History class by the great Nathaniel D. Williams of Memphis. A local DJ/History teacher who rushed from WDIA Radio to Booker T. Washington High School every morning after his show. “Nat D”, as he was known is finally enshrined in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and given his due. He, and others like him risked their jobs to impart knowledge that the Memphis City School System (which employed both my Mom and Dad), was hell bent on destroying. I even suspect those elements were responsible for the mysterious fire that destroyed the Cossett Library in Memphis, which was the only one available to blacks when I was growing up and where I spent so much of my time.

On this same soil, I was walking, and remembering hymns written by Mrs. Lucy Campbell, and sung by the likes of Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King, that said this too shall pass. I, a black male, was walking un-accosted, with my wife, who has white skin. And so, I knew, true to the dreams and instructions of the white men who wrote that inspired document that got us started, anything was possible.

The feeling of pride was overwhelming, and it still is. People are awake here in America. And that is so good! Even better, the majority of these “awoken” are of a generation after mine, and so there is hope. Ah! What a word, HOPE. With hope, hearts are lighter and easier to carry. Past disappointments are easier forgotten and moved forward from. Darkened minds are lightened. Empty stomachs are filled. Life itself becomes all it is capable of being.

Thank you Anti- for being Anti-. This blog is what being Anti- is about. Now America is being America, and all that America can be. Black History Month will now need to add a new entry thanks to all these influences. It’s about time, and it’s just all good.”

Go here to check out the Anti- blog site, and go here to check out “Warped Sister,” Booker T.’s brand-new single, which was recorded with Neil Young and the Drive-By Truckers. It’s the first track off Potato Hole, Jones’ upcoming Anti- album, which is due to be released on April 21.

Tonight: Down in Clarksdale, Miss., the Oxford American magazine celebrates the release of its 10th annual music issue by hosting one heckuva throwdown with Dale “Suzie Q” Hawkins, R.L. Boyce, and Wiley and the Checkmates. It’s all happening at the original Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Clarksdale. Admission is $15, and showtime is 7 p.m. Go here for more info.

Closer to home: First, kick off the week with a free show from Jump Back Jake at Shangri-la Records. The Ardent recording artist will begin performing at 6 p.m. Later: The New Mary Jane and Vending Machine at the Buccaneer Lounge; Westbound at the Hi-Tone Cafe; Soul Enforcers at the Full Moon Club; One Hour Thursday, Facecast, Chocking On Clarity, Third Gear Pinned, and Searching 4 A Signal at the New Daisy; Preston Shannon at Ground Zero; NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” host Neal Conan, hosting “A Universe of Dreams,” at GPAC; and DJ Steve Ann at Dish.

Saturday: Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, performed by Opera Memphis, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Orpheum Theatre. Also: Rap showcase at Club Unbreakables with 40Kel, JDogg & T-Won, and more; gospel artist Marvin Sapp at the Cannon Center; Sore Eyes head up a bevy of bands, including Goodbye Monroe and A Study in Scarlet for their CD release party at the New Daisy; Charlie Mars at the Hi-Tone.

Sunday: The Mersey-minded Jeffrey and the Pacemakers play a free show at the Buccaneer, beginning at 5 p.m. Later: New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus and Welsh indie rockers Los Campesinos! are at the Hi-Tone, and FreeWorld play Blues City Cafe.

Tonight: Kick off the weekend with a free performance from Good Luck Dark Star at Shangri-la Records at 6 p.m. Afterwards, have dinner with Bobby Rush at the Center for Southern Folklore. Later, head to the Hi-Tone Cafe for some fabulous local power pop, served up by the Everyday Parade and Van Duren. Also: Free Sol and Haymaker Project are at Quetzal, Will Graves is at Cafe Soul, and Shortwave Dahlia is at the Full Moon Club.

Saturday:Get up early and take the kids to the “Peanut Butter and Jam Session” at GPAC, with Wild Willy and the Memphis Jam Band. Shows are at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. My pick of the night is a triple bill — J.D. Reager and the Cold-Blooded Three, plus Billy Worley and the Candy Company and Dragoon — at Nocturnal. There’s also Pavement Band and Tyler Keith at the Hi-Tone; the Elvis Birthday Pops Concert at the Cannon Center; the Grascals at the Lucy Opry at BPACC (go here for Mark Jordan’s profile in this week’s CA); Facedive, Painbreak, Dark Embrace, and more at the New Daisy; a Mozart concert at St. Benedict; a performance of the Eroica Ensemble at First Congregational Church in Midtown; Reba Russell at Neil’s; a MAMA concert with Dan Montgomery at Otherlands; and Duke Hex and the Firm Foundation Riddim Squad at the P+H Cafe.

Sunday:Chris Chew’s last free Sunday afternoon show starts at the Hi-Tone at 4 p.m., and later, blues guitarist Scott Holt plays at the East Memphis Huey’s.

The Pig, Flinn Broadcasting’s adult album alternative station, which debuted in the summer of 2000 then disappeared a few years later, is back on the air at 96.1 on your FM dial. Or, go here to listen online.

And sayonara, adios, auf wiederzein… you know the rest!

Those of you who know me personally are already aware of how excited I am to put this year to bed.

For those of you who don’t know much about me, my dad’s funeral was on Jan. 2. He couldn’t sing, or play an instrument — he could fly planes, catch fish, and knew plenty about building houses and gardening — but he’s the one who’s responsible for my love of recorded music.

Before I was even born, he lugged home a pair of gigantic Pioneer speakers and a receiver (I have ‘em both today) from Okinawa, where he was based during the Vietnam war, along with a reel-to-reel recorder and plenty of tapes of the Kingston Trio.

I still remember a Christmas morning in the late 1970s, when he bought the family a new turntable and albums by Willie Nelson and the Oak Ridge Boys. A decade later, my daddy took me shopping for a new stereo — an essential ingredient for life on my own.

For special treats, our families attended concerts. One of the funniest memories I have is of the time my daddy tried to surprise my mama, a huge Fats Domino fan, with concert tickets for her birthday. We showed up at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, plopped down into our seats, and a Fats Waller revue came onstage instead.

Among my most prized collections are the aforementioned Pioneer receiver, and a metal box full of swamp pop, rockabilly, and crooner 45s that have been affixed with stickers bearing his name (Mickey Lisle on some, Mike on others) and home address, which varied from Houma Louisiana to Lafayette and Oklahoma City, that he took to dance parties and sock hops when he was a teen.

Several months after my daddy died, I lost my 6 1/2 year old pit bull, Beulah, after she failed to recover from surgery. Beulah loved — in this order — rap music, boys in bands who would unroll their sleeping bags on my living room floor, and Robert Belfour.

A month later, I had to put my 11 year old feist dog, Mingo, to sleep. He had extremely sensitive hearing, so he wasn’t too fond of live music, although he did attend one of Othar Turner’s Labor Day picnics. My friend James Canty — a veteran of Ted Leo’s band and of the Make-Up — loved Mingo, and would always crack the joke “A Mingo ate my baby!” in an Australian accent whenever he came to town.

So — 2008 has been tough.

I’m happy to report that as of earlier this month, I have a new dog, Cassius, another pit bull rescue. Cassius’ ears prick up whenever I turn on the stereo, but he doesn’t seem to gravitate toward any particular genre of music. He has yet to meet any of my friends who play instruments, but I’m sure that will change in 2009.

Here’s what’s going on tonight: Rap parties at the High Point and at the Plush Club; Lord T & Eloise at the Peabody Hotel; the Neckbones, the Tearjerkers, and the Box Elders at the Hi-Tone; John Paul Keith and the 1,4,5s at the Buccaneer Lounge; Preston Shannon is at Ground Zero Blues Club; Mr. Del is at Cafe Soul; the Beat Generation is at Huey’s Downtown; and Jim Dickinson, the North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, and Amy LaVere are performing at the Bluff City Ball at the Orpheum Theatre.

Have fun, be safe, and see you next year.

Tonight: Dan Montgomery, Robert Mache and Louis Meyers are at the Cove; Jump Back Jake (pictured) is celebrating his Ardent debut at the Hi-Tone; the Delta Highway Blues Band are at Ground Zero; Jocephus & the George Jonestown Massacre is at Murphy’s; Cult of the Flag, Torn Apart, Ghost Tone, Facecast, and Agent Cooper are at the New Daisy Theatre; Down in Tunica, Colin Raye and Restless Heart are stopping in to the Gold Strike Casino on their Gift of Christmas tour.

Saturday: Harlan T. Bobo’s Christmas extravaganza at the Hi-Tone. Also: Oracle & the Mountain and Antique Curtains at the P+H Cafe; Jimmy Davis and Friends’ Songwriters in the Round at Otherlands; the Bar-Kays at Fitzgeralds’ Casino; and the 2nd Annual “Applause For the Cause” at the Hard Rock Cafe, benefiting World Hunger Year with performances by Al Kapone, Tha Bank, Surrender the Fall, Zach Meyers, Cornerstone, Who Framed Sam, Dave Cowell (of Chosen View), Mike Dees, Bethilea, and Whiskey Penny.

Sunday: The Goner Christmas Party — with the Barbaras — is happening at the Buccaneer Lounge. Also: Chris Chew at the Hi-Tone; Mr. Del at Cafe Soul; Holly Cole at Neil’s; Tim Regan, Jeff Hulett and Brad Bailey at Otherlands; and Misty White’s Off-White Xmas Ball at the Poplar Lounge with the Dan Montgomery Three, Seth & the Sentimentals, the Gleaners, and more.

At 6PM today, One Four Fives frontman John Paul Keith will give WEVL listeners a free preview of Spills and Thrills, their debut release, which is due for release on Big Legal Mess next spring. Us Memphians will get an early jump on the album — the One Four Fives have an LP release party slated for the Hi-Tone this Friday night. Tune into 89.9 FM at 5 for Holly Golightly, then keep your radio on for JPK!

Tonight: Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm are at Ground Zero Blues Club. If you haven’t heard their new album, 2 Man Wrecking Crew, check it out. I interviewed the duo for this article, which was published in today’s paper.

“I’ve lived the blues all my life,” Burnside told me. “What I mean when I say that is there’s been a lot of poor families out there, and I’m one of ‘em. I grew up poor. We didn’t have a radio, so we used to wait for the house parties to start on weekends,” he says. “I can remember when I was 6 or 7 years old, and my granddaddy used to invite his friends over — guys like (harmonica player) Johnny Woods. All the grandkids would get out there and kick up dust. Even though we were poor, we never let it stop us from having our fun.”

Also tonight: Pezz and While I Breathe, I Hope are having a split record release party with Antique Curtains and Streetside Symphony at the Hi-Tone. Go here to read CA freelancer Mark Jordan’s interview with Pezz frontman Marv Stockwell.

Soul singer Lalah Hathaway — go here for CA music critic Bob Mehr’s interview — is appearing with Will Downing and Gerald Albright at the Cannon Center.

Jim Duckworth and Jim Spake are playing the opening for Made in Memphis‘ annual holiday show at 2238 Central Ave. Keep the holiday mood going with the fourth annual Jazz for St. Jude benefit is at the Memphis Drum Shop, and the Holiday Cabaret at Theatre Memphis.

Also: Todd Snider plays the Lyric Theatre down in Oxford, and Nick Lachey hosts the Q107.5 Jingle Jam (with Rehab, synth-pop band Metro Station, Cash Money recording artist Kevin Rudolf, Bajan R&B singer Shontelle, VH1 stars Thriving Ivory, Florida pop punk band We The Kings, and Martin Johnson and Paul DiGiovanni of Boys Like Girls) at Sam’s Town Tunica. Closer to home, the Unbeheld play Black Lodge; the IRIS Orchestra performs at GPAC; Falling Point is at Ubee’s; Susan Marshall, Kim Richardson, and Reba Russell play the HO HO HO Show at Otherlands; and Damn Bullets, Revelations of Jupiter Stone, and Sheriffs of Nottingham are at Murphy’s.

Sunday: Don’t miss Chris Chew’s Acoustic Soul Revue at the Hi-Tone. It starts at 4PM, and it’s free. At 5:30, the Rhodes Singers perform Advent carols at Church of the Holy Communion. At 7PM, Bartlett United Methodist Church hosts “The Word Became Flesh,” a Christmas cantata, and at 7:30, Lindenwood Christian Church presents its annual Christmas Spectacular. Later, Dash Rip Rock plays Huey’s Midtown, Big Don Valentine plays at the View, and FreeWorld plays Blues City Cafe.