The Alternate Root Magazine-The Source for American Roots Music

It's time to let the voting begin!! It is all about the love and The Alternate Root is sharing love and music.  Voting begins January 28th and ends on Feb 6th at midnight-EST. Our 2012 Valentine Sampler will be available February 7th through February 14th. You must register to vote. You can only vote once per day.

Marc Berger - Nobody Gonna Ride on the Railroad

Marc Berger joins American artists such as John Ford, Frederick Remington and A.B. Guthrie in celebrating the unique landscape and mythology of the American West. Utilizing the medium of music to honor the region, Marc complements the film, canvas and print contributions his peers have made to convey its mysterious essence. Co-produced by Berger, Mike Ricciardi and Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel, and inspired by Marc’s lifelong love affair with the American West, the recently released Ride (Real Records, 1/15/12), presents ten cinematic recordings capturing the vastness and romance of the West while exploring its deep roots in the American psyche.  From the haunting message and beat of    “Twister”, to the challenge of taming a wild horse in “Take It on the Chin”, to the sexy, middle-of-nowhere encounter of “Time Waits For No Man” along with seven more scenic stops, Ride takes you on a dusty   traveling tour of the Great American Frontier and introduces you to some of its intriguing characters.

Erin Harpe and The Delta Swingers Rockin' the Blues On Alternate Root TV

Erin Harpe has it all. The looks, the chops, the voice, the presence and the band all add to an aura that mesmerized the crowd at The Arts Block in Greenfield, MA during the opening night of a new collaboration between the Arts Block and Alternate Root TV. The Arts Block, a multi venue collection of historic buildings, is the brainchild of television veteran Ed Wierzbowski and sits in the heart of downtown Greenfield, Ma. The opening night of the series featured Amy Black, Roger Salloom and Charles Neville and the show closed with a set of down home delta blues that dripped with a smokey authenticity courtesy of Erin Harpe and The Delta Swingers. Harpe is an accomplished slide and lead player that looks irresistable with a Gibson SG in hand and a look and voice that harken back to the day when Bessie Smith and Sippie Wallace ruled the blues landscape. Richard 'Rosie' Rosenblatt, the President of Vizztone Records in Boston provided some outrageous harp solos with  the rhythm section of Bob Nisi (drums) and Jim Countryman (bass) provide the defibrulation that keep your chest from shutting down. 

Tracy Nelson Brings a Soulful Voice to Alternate Root TV

Tracy Nelson first arrived on the American Roots music scene during the blues/rock eruption of the 1960's, most notably with her band Mother Earth. She has one of the most distinctive voices of her generation and has shared the stage with Muddy Waters, Willie Nelson, Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas and countless others during a five decade career. Just off the heels of her 26th album Tracy graced the stage of Alternate Root TV during our filming of the 2011 Holiday Extraviganza at the NECAT Studios in Nashville. Joining Tracy were Kentucky Thunder members Vickie Carrico and Jonelle Mosser and backing band courtesy of Mark Robinson. Her choice of material was, like her voice, flawless as she wowed the small crowd invited to attend with Danny Small's "Without Love (There is Nothing") made famous by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Clyde McPhatter and Tom Jones and a gospel tinted version of Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for my baby." When the opportunity arises to have rock/blues royalty on stage we jump and having the pleasure of Tracy Nelson for the Alternate Root Holiday Special was a rare gift. We've included two songs here and saved the best for the special coming soon to a cable channel near you! Enjoy the Holidays!