Glasow's Festival of Americana

Personal choice inevitably plays a part in programming a festival and as well as all of the above, I commend to you two more concerts that I'm looking forward to hugely. Sweden's Willy Clay Band are proving that Scandinavians have mastered American musical styles with authenticity. And after his appearance at Big Big Country 2005, Jesse Dayton's Glasgow debut with his band is the sort of mouth-watering gig for which I'd happily buy a ticket.

their music at once as old as the Appalachian Mountains and as fresh as the springs that flow through them.

The roots of the blues are served by master guitar stylist and singer John Hammond. We celebrate the incredibly fertile Greenwich Village era of the 1960s with the king of the folksingers, Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Howe Gelb's collaboration with the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir promises to be one almighty hallelujah chorus. And in Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, we have the consummate creators of the songs that defined southern soul music.

Songs are the currency of Americana and in John Stewart, Eliza Gilkyson and Alejandro Escovedo you'll find unbeatable songcraft honed through long experience, while Tracy Bonham, Vienna Teng, Sarah Harmer and Roddy Hart represent the next generation of top singer-songwriters.

Personal choice inevitably plays a part in programming a festival and as well as all of the above, I commend to you two more concerts that I'm looking forward to hugely. Sweden's Willy Clay Band are proving that Scandinavians have mastered American musical styles with authenticity. And after his appearance at Big Big Country 2005, Jesse Dayton's Glasgow debut with his band is the sort of mouth-watering gig for which I'd happily buy a ticket."