Tis the season...not to be jolly, it is the season for musicfestivals... and one of the most talked about by performers is the Island Musicfest.

The setting is some fair grounds (fields, barns), an adjacent treed park along the river (nude swimming) with a mountain and glacier background. The grounds are located in the largest holdout for the hippie movement in Canada not to mention the hub of the candian home grown market (lots of organic food too).

Since performers can cover a couple of music festivals in a weekend we often hear from performers what other performers who have already played have told other performers yet to play, what they think of the venue...and it is all great. Performers are given the option to spend the weekend and join with other like musicians for topical side stage performaces, included this year are topics like 'roots of rythem', 'Acoustic masters' (jon Jorgenson), 'sweet harmony', 'fiddle about', 'hope you like jammin', 'the power os song', 'songs I wish I wrote', many more. Over the years on these side stages you see the likes of Bernie Ledon playing with say Dan Hicks, Danny OKeefe sharing the stage with Ramblin jack Elliot or richie havens jamming with John hammond...a surprize every minute.

Tucked away in the trees are small groups of chairs for workshops hosted by performers (all free), just a few folks on chairs gathered around legends in the shade of the forest talkin turkey. This year includes rythems, open tunings, steel guitar, guitar tricks, playing as a trio, write a blues song, harmonies, fingerstlye, indian slide, calypso singing and writing, Canadian fiddling.

Tonite is Earl Skruggs with a surprize guest artist...Jon Jorgenson, then the Whailers with Elan (very good last year), then over the weekend we are treated to a variety of new world, bluegrass, american traditional, blues, folk and all kinds of free workshops Then hit the CD tent and talk to the performers while you get that autograhed CD. Things will wrap up with Taj mahal on sunday. The weather report is a solid 25-29 degrees with no cloud and the river running through the site is warm and inviting. All for about $80.00 US for three days.

Life is tough...but between Stones tours we must push on.

Islandmusicfest.com