Boulder Acoustic Society performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Kicking off the night was Colorado’s own Boulder Acoustic Society (BAS), who have been performing and teaching at Swallow Hill throughout their rising career. Old school but never old, they represent the new wave of American roots music, dubbed by Darol Anger as “…the future of String Band Music on a silver platter.”

Joe Pug performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Joe Pug, who is receiving widespread critical acclaim as one of the most respected songwriters of this generation, made his Denver debut at RootsFest. Pug has been on tour with the Bo Deans and is making his debut at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival later this month.

Gandalf Murphy performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Delivering music that can “heal what ails ya,” Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams took to the stage to create an enchanting atmosphere, using traditional folk instruments, tasty electric guitar, and the distinctive singing and songwriting of Joziah Longo. Their latest CD, The Great Unravel, was hailed by the UK’s Maverick Magazine as “mightily impressive and hugely original… ’tis truly an epic soundtrack.”

Tallest Man On Earth performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Selena Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Tallest Man On Earth performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Swedish singer/songwriter Tallest Man On Earth, aka Kristian Matsson, will also be made his Denver debut fresh off his tour with Bon Iver, one of the most talked-about of 2008. A mysterious figure, he has been drawing comparisons as “the next Dylan.” Pitchfork Media couldn’t resist declaring the cliché as well. In a recent review of his album, Shallow Grave, Amanda Petrusich writes “…(he) manages to embody Dylan’s effortlessness so well…infusing his songs with a detachment that, miraculously, is neither cold nor alienating. Like Dylan, Matsson is so natural a songwriter that these tracks feel predetermined, tumbling out of his mouth with an ease and grace that’s increasingly uncommon.”

Leo Kottke performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Innovative acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke‘s fingerpicking sounded amazing in the Opera House’s finely crafted sound qualities. Having survived a series of personal obstacles including partial hearing loss and tendon damage to his hand, Kottke has emerged to become one of the most masterful of modern guitar players. His performances are captivating, coupling his playing with monologues that range from strange to humorous. Unconventional in style and composition, he pushes boundaries and inspires with his art, which ranges from blues to jazz to folk and beyond.

Ricki Lee Jones performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Rickie Lee Jones broke into the music scene in 1979 with her self-titled debut that captured the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Instantly hailed by critics as a “highly touted new pop-jazz-singer-songwriter” and another critic as “one of the best–if not the best–artists of her generation.” Since that time she has garnered more Grammy nominations, winning another in 1989 for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for “Makin’ Whoopee!” Other accolades include being ranked #30 on VH1′s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll list and receiving Italy’s prestigious Tenco Prize in 2001, honoring her musical career. A profoundly original trailblazing artist, Jones has connections with fellow headliner, Leo Kottke. She collaborated with him on her 1993 release, Traffic from Paradise, and produced his Peculiaroso (1994).

Hot Rize performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com

Hot Rize‘s high-energy and unique sound is legendary and appealing to fans both young and old, featuring Grammy Award winners Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton, plus Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick and eTown’s Nick Forster. This event also marks Hot Rize’s 30th year in the bluegrass history book. The celebration is especially serendipitous as the original members of the band got their start by being part of the Swallow Hill community. Swallow Hill’s recording studio, Sawtelle Studio, is named in honor of original Hot Rize member, Charles Sawtelle, who passed in 1999.

It was an incredible evening, one I was glad to be a part of!