The festival is a labor of love by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association. Now in its 16th year, the annual gathering on the first weekend in May draws national talent as well as the best folk musicians in the state. Some 70 acts will perform on three stages during the two-day event. This year, in addition to headliner Jimmy LaFave, other national acts will include songstress Eliza Gilkyson, Native American Keith Secola and bluegrass phenom Martha Trachtenberg. Popular local attractions include Kathy and Shanti, Black Leather Zydeco, Keith Curtis, the Titan Valley Warheads, Mark Holdaway and Stefan George.
Styles range from traditional folk to blues, bluegrass and country, and even a little mariachi.
KXCI-FM, 91.3, will broadcast the festival live. Her lyrical inventiveness, however, is still in evidence on her latest release, Hard Times In Babylon . Keith Secola won Best Independent Recording last year at the Native American Music Awards. He also did the soundtrack for the PBS documentary, Native Americana. Martha Trachtenberg was a member of Buffalo Gals, one of the first all-female bluegrass bands.