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| Suwannee Springfest: Ten Years After Suwannee Springfest celebrates its 10th anniversary March 23-26, 2006. A destination event for thousands of fans of the burgeoning Americana and Grassroots music movement, this year's Springfest features jazzgrass innovators Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and soul/gospel legend Mavis Staples, bluegrass heavyweights the Del McCoury Band, and Americana roots rockers Donna the Buffalo and the Buddy Miller Band. In all, over 45 performers will appear on five stages during the festival's four days. Suwannee Springfest will again be held at the picturesque Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have wowed audiences world-wide for years, and pioneered a genre of music all their own by mixing virtuoso musicianship with experimental, bluegrass, jazz, and pop influences. Their new album, The Hidden Land Fleck, recorded along with bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Future Man, and saxophonist Jeff Coffin, marks a stripped-down and explosive return to their roots and a new creative peak. "There is a hidden land out there, a territory where people push the boundaries of music, " explains Fleck, who says that the album's title is a nod to music that exists for its own sake rather than follow transient or commercial instincts. "In some ways we live under the radar, but at the same time we have had some amazingly large numbers of people interested in what we're doing." He continues, "This album reflects that -- it's an uncompromising album. It's serious Flecktones." Suwannee Springfest is much more than a music festival. It's a blend of many American musical, cultural, artistic and creative elements. The event not only showcases some of the best and the brightest in new and traditional folk, bluegrass, newgrass, roots rock, alternative country, acoustic blues, Cajun, gospel, old time, and Celtic music, but also features a distinctive family- reunion atmosphere of spirit, healing, and community. Nearly 7, 000 people from across the nation are expected to camp at the festival's intimate oak-shaded resort location nestled along the banks of Old Florida's historic Suwannee River. "Suwannee County, Florida is normally a pretty quiet rural stop along I-10 between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, " says festival co-producer Beth Judy of Magnolia Music & Events, "but it comes alive with sound and color in March and October when Suwannee Springfest and MagnoliaFest take place." The two events bring a much-welcomed economic impact to the area of better than $1 million each, as well as helping advance local efforts to promote eco-tourism. While music is the focal point of Suwannee Springfest, that doesn't mean it's the only appealing element of the event. The festival provides music workshops, which allow fans and students to interact directly with performers. A children's stage offers a variety of activities and performances for kids and the young at heart. A colorful and eclectic array of handmade arts and crafts are available. Nature lovers can explore miles of wooded hiking and biking trails, as well as trying the onsite horse stables with guided riding. The location also offers access to some of the best canoeing and kayaking to be found anywhere along the mysterious, dark waters of the historic Suwannee River. For the past 10 years, festival production company Magnolia Music & Events, Inc. of Jacksonville, FL has established a nationwide reputation for the quality and scope of its music festivals Suwannee Springfest, MagnoliaFest, and MagnoliaFest Midwest. The company is affiliated with trade organizations the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance, the International Bluegrass Music Association, the Americana Music Association, and the International Festivals & Events Association. Magnolia Music & Events has also established the non-profit Live Oak Music & Arts Foundation, which provides direct educational funding and support for roots music and arts programs. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |