Doing something once proves nothing. Easy or difficult, it was a one-off shot. A guess. A Hail Mary. Doing it again — and with an eye toward making it a regular event — is often much harder.
Fortunately for Swallow Hill Music Association, its second annual Denver Folk & Roots Music Festival promises to be at least as strong as last year’s fete.
Less a traditional festival than a relaxed evening at the theater, albeit one crammed with lively music, the concert gathers five diverse openers and a pair of headliners to raise funds for the nearly 30-year-old Denver music organization.
“There are lots of things it does, one of which is remind people about Swallow Hill,” said Harry Tuft, the godfather of Denver’s folk scene and the evening’s emcee. “Swallow Hill has been around since 1979. You want to remind folks who remember it years ago that it’s still here and thriving, but maybe also excite some younger folks about it.”
This year’s festival, which takes place tonight at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, features prolific Canadian songwriter Bruce Cockburn and Grammy-winner Nanci Griffith performing separate headlining sets.
The opening showcases consist of Southern Journey’s tribute to Alan Lomax, Fifth World’s native songs, the Mexican folk of Santa Cruz River Band, Celtic-tinged act Dakota Blonde and the eclectic newgrass of Steppin’ In It with Rachael Davis.
Last year’s event, which drew about 1,200 people to the 2,200-seat Ellie Caulkins, also featured diverse performers, including Denver-based flamenco guitarist Rene Heredia and the Grammy-winning Taj Mahal Trio.
Swallow Hill is no stranger to festivals and fundraisers. The south Denver nonprofit puts on nearly 200 concerts annually and teaches more than 3,000 students in its Julie Davis School of Music at its venues at 71 E. Yale Ave.
Created by former executive director Jim Williams, the Denver Folk & Roots Music Festival is designed to bring everyone into the fold, educating them about Swallow Hill’s unique regional presence.
Bringing in new fans
Similar nonprofits like Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, Calif., Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and the Ark in Ann Arbor, Mich., also champion and preserve acoustic music. In fact, Williams patterned the Swallow Hill festival after the Ark’s yearly event at the University of Michigan.
“I just think they’re wonderful organizations because they help bring young people into folk, people who might not otherwise be open to it,” said Griffith. “I grew up in Austin, Texas, so I was surrounded by music of all different types. My stepfather was the most popular piano bar guy in Austin, so music was basically in my blood. Not everyone has that.”
The outspoken Cockburn, who recently returned from a pair of sojourns to Nepal and Argentina, will perform his first show in nearly eight months tonight. His passion for the kinds of things nonprofits like Swallow Hill preserve — and teach — is clear.
“If we relied on strictly commercial interests, well, that takes us to a more and more monolithic culture,” he said. “The fact that there are people willing to get out there and work for something vastly less in the way of profits is really the only way for many people to get exposed to kinds of music they haven’t heard before.”
Cockburn said the outdoor summer folk festival circuit is fine but that schools and performance venues like Swallow Hill and Chicago’s Old Town are necessary to keep the flame alive year-round.
“They’re very much an important part for young people learning how to write,” Griffith added. “If you’re writing prose, you have to learn how to read before you can write. If you’re playing music, you’ve got to learn the foundations.”
Denver Folklore Center
Swallow Hill’s own foundations were laid by Tuft, who made his way to Colorado in 1960 from Philadelphia. Two years later he started the Denver Folklore Center — which he still runs — to encourage and teach folk music to the masses. The center has hosted names like Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Judy Collins, Joan Baez and countless others.
Over various years and locations, Swallow Hill Music Association grew out of the Denver Folklore Center and eventually took on its own identity. It now boasts 2,100 members and a mailing list of more than 30,000.
Tuft said he hopes tonight’s festival does more than simply preach to the folk and roots music-loving choir.
“You certainly hope the choir shows up, but you also hope you can generate a new audience,” the 72-year-old said. “You have to have something in mind for folks in the future.”
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
Denver Folk & Roots Music Festival
Folk/acoustic. Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 950 13th St., with Bruce Cockburn, Nanci Griffith and others. Today. 6 p.m. $48-$125. 303-777-1003 or
