Jim Blum
Jim Blum has been sharing his love of folk music as a radio host on WKSU-FM for more than 25 years and, since 2003, also on FolkAlley.com. Blum graduated with a B.A. from Kent State University, played bass in a bluegrass and swing band and used to be a landscaper. As host and music programmer for Folk Alley and WKSU's weekend folk music, Blum has nearly three decades of experience broadcasting to a folk community that is now, thanks to the Internet, global in scope. His broadcasts include his own mix of musical influences featuring classic folk heroes, acoustic instrumentals, world rhythms, contemporary singer/songwriters, Americana, bluegrass and other roots-based sounds. He also acts as a valuable resource for area venue owners and concert coordinators as well as holding the position of artistic director for the Kent State Folk Festival, the nation's second oldest folk fest held on a college campus.
Blum grew up in Northeast Ohio and still calls the region "home." An avid backcountry skier, he lives in a timberframe house that he helped build set down in a wooded area in the Snow Belt's sweet spot. Along with folk and traditional music, Blum also has a passion for the environment and animals (he's currently "Dad" to four dogs and seven cats). His listeners often come to him for local nature stories and updates on dogs up for adoption at the nearby shelter. They recognize him as a conversational, confident guy who is more of a companion than an announcer. He says, "I look at the folk programs as a meeting place... a place to gather each weekend or like a virtual coffeeshop online." Even though his home and his many folk-related projects keep him very busy, Blum tries to make time each year to head into the mountains with his dogs, "To rebuild my soul."
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The Waybacks grew out of electric guitarist James Nash's desire to try playing acoustic music. Not content to play only bluegrass melodies, his band draws from jazz, swing, folk, and even classical music for inspiration. In a session from Folk Alley, the band is eager to share its new direction.
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The musicians play a variety of traditional instruments (and some that aren't so traditional) when they stop by Folk Alley. With a cardboard salt-shaker and a radio host singing backup, the band acquits itself nicely. Hear an interview and in-studio performance.
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Growing up on the sounds of Nat "King" Cole, the brothers Valleau play a musical style inspired by swing and '40s jazz. With musical parents, they learned a variety of instruments and learned to become resourceful in the middle of Alberta, Canada. Hear an interview and performance.
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The daughter of successful songwriter Terry Gilkyson, Eliza is a third generation musician who grew up in Los Angeles knowing that her life would revolve around music. Hear the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter in an interview and performance from Folk Alley.
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The Duhks, a band of five high-energy, heavily tattooed twenty-somethings, has spent the last four years winning over fans across North America and around the world. Hear the eclectic folk group in an interview and performance from Folk Alley. -
Werner's new album, The Gospel Truth, tackles issues surrounding religious faith without threats of hellfire and brimstone. She showcases material from the disc, and talks about her messages, in an interview and performance from FolkAlley.com.
