TIFT MERRITT has already produced an impressive body of work and earned a passionate, dedicated audience. A North Carolina native, Tift began her music career in the clubs in Chapel Hill. Though she loves her new home in New York City, she still considers North Carolina home. Her live performances, both with her band and on her own, are similarly riveting. Tift's stellar album "See You On The Moon" is a most important step forward in a remarkable artistic journey that continues to search, penetrate, and surprise.

DANGERMUFFIN is a sand-blasted, rough-around-the-edges trio that casts a fresh perspective on American roots music. Based in Folly Beach, SC, the group is anchored by the thought-provoking lyrical wit of songwriter Dan Lotti, Nashville-veteran percussionist Steven Sandifer and lead guitarist Mike Sivilli. Accolades include winning Relix Magazine�s JamOff! competition for emerging bands and the reader-voted Best House Band in the Charleston City Paper�s Best Of 2009. Dangermuffin brings a new level of groove to Americana music � a punchy, folk-jam pastry for the sweet-toothed soul of the South. Their new CD is "Moonscapes" on released on Dualtone.

JIM BYRNES & STEVE DAWSON are Canadian Juno award winning musicians performing material from the Mississippi Sheiks tribute CD called “Things About Comin� My Way�. Jim is an American-born actor and musician based in Canada, playing blues since he was 13 and acting wise, is best known for his roles in “Wiseguy� and “Highlander.� Steve is an accomplished Canadian guitarist and multi-instrumentalist that has risen to prominence in the Canadian music scene. Between 1930 and 1935, brothers Sam, Lonnie and Armenter Chatmon, who along with Walter Vinson formed The Mississippi Sheiks, recorded nearly 100 singles that would define this band as one of the most popular string bands of all time. The project is nominated for a Blues Music Award.

CAROLYN MARTIN is a Texas born, Nashville based swing and country singer and was a member of Nashville�s Time Jumpers, a western swing band comprised of Nashville�s finest session musicians. For 11 years the band garnered two Grammy nominations and two Emmy awards. Besides performing across the country with her own group, Carolyn is gearing up to perform in the new show, "Country Royalty: Jason Petty and Carolyn Martin pay tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline" Carolyn was the 2008 recipient of the Academy of Western Artists� Will Rogers Cowboy Award for Western Swing Female Vocalist of the Year. Her latest CD is “Cookin� With Carolyn.�

LAURA McGHEE is a brilliant Scottish singer/songwriter/fiddler/guitarist. She first hit the American roots scene while performing with Pete Seeger in New York. Since that time, she has performed with the great Odetta, and with the Pogues & Shane McGowan, Ricky Skaggs, Jim Lauderdale, Oscar Brand, Josh White, Jr., David Amram and with Moby and the Proclaimers. Her two albums, "Green Eyes" and "Celticana" have garnered rave reviews; while her traditional concerto piece "Commemoration� was performed as part of New York City's 9/11 Ceremonies in 2007.

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV was born is Johannesburg, South Africa. Isakov�s family immigrated to the US in opposition to the apartheid. In 1999, he moved to Colorado to study horticulture and simultaneously embark on a career as an acoustic singer-songwriter after being inspired by Bruce Springsteen�s "The Ghost of Tom Joad." His song-craft hints of his influences, Leonard Cohen and Kelly Joe Phelps. He has been described as �strong, subtle, a lyrical genius� and has shared the stage with touring artists such as Calexico, Ani Difranco, Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, Richie Havens, and Fiona Apple. His latest CD is This Empty Northern Hemisphere.

GEORGE WINSTON burst onto the music scene in the early 1980�s with his iconic impressionist style and a collection of seasonal-themed recordings. Since 1980, he has released nine other solo albums: �Autumn,� �Winter Into Spring,� �December,� �Summer,� �Forest,� and many others. His next album will be �Love Will Come � The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Vol. 2,� scheduled to be released in February 2010. Winston spends much of his time touring, often playing solo piano, guitar and harmonica. He also studies the techniques of the great New Orleans pianists. In addition, Winston is working on several solo projects, including recording the masters of the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar for an extensive series of albums for Dancing Cat Records; and recording music by his major inspirations for harmonica playing: Sam Hinton, Rick Epping and Curt Bouterse. WoodSongs is honored to have this brilliant master musician on our stage for this special event broadcast!

The CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO (CGT) is Bert Lams from Belgium, Hideyo Moriya from Japan, and Paul Richards from Utah. Together, their technical wizardry is breathtaking, as is the wide range of instrumental music the group renders... everything from unique originals to dazzling, cleverly-arranged interpretations of jazz, classical music, and surf rock. The members of CGT met while studying under Robert Fripp and performing with Fripp's "League of Crafty Guitarists." In 1995, CGT toured worldwide with King Crimson. CGT�s new CD is called Andromeda.

PATTY LARKIN has been redefining the boundaries of folk-urban pop music for 25 years with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics. Her songs run from impressionistic poetry to witty wordplay. In 2010, Patty Larkin releases a collectible collection of 25 love songs in celebration of 25 years in the recording industry. Here Patty has reworked 25 of her favorite songs in an acoustic, �unplugged� release, joined by friends along the way.

JAKOB DYLAN returns to the WoodSongs Stage with his NEW solo album �Women and Country� on Columbia Records. Soulful yet striking and ripe with sublime beauty, it is the follow up to the artist�s 2008 critically acclaimed debut, �Seeing Things.� This new collection finds him reuniting with acclaimed Grammy and Golden Globe winning producer T Bone Burnett (Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Crazy Heart), who produced the Wallflowers' 1996 breakthrough album Bringing Down the Horse which featured the massive hits �One Headlight� and "6th Avenue Heartache." Jakob will be performing on the show with 3 Legs featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan.

JAYME STONE & YACOUBA SISSOKO will be performing material from Jayme�s award winning project for �Africa to Appalachia.� Jayme is a banjo virtuoso from Canada who traced the origins of the banjo to Mali, Africa. He will be onstage with Malian kora master and singer Yacouba Sissoko as well as fiddle phenom Mike Barnett, innovative bassist Brandi Disterheft and percussionist extraordinaire Nick Fraser.

THE SOUTH MEMPHIS STRING BAND is a trio composed of Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Alvin Youngblood Hart (Grammy-winning bluesman) and Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers). Although they�d known each other for years, the South Memphis String Band was greatly influenced by the Mississippi Sheiks, Gus Cannon & the Memphis Jug Band and other string bands and jug bands of their ilk, as well as Mississippi Delta and Hill Country blues. They will arrive with a passel of guitars, mandolins, banjos, lap steel guitars and harmonicas.

QUEBE SISTERS BAND is an American fiddle western swing group from Fort Worth, Texas. The band began their musical journey in 1998 when the three sisters started taking fiddle lessons. Shortly thereafter, the girls began entering fiddle contests and had success early on; winning several State, regional and National fiddle championships. Add the swinging rhythm guitar of World Champion fiddler Joey McKenzie and the upright bass of Drew Phelps, and the Quebe Sisters Band becomes a force of nature. Recently named Group of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists and recipient of the Crescendo Award by the Western Music Association, as well as nominations for Country group of the year by both the Dallas Observer and Ft. Worth Weekly, the QSB is performing coast to coast in support of their latest cd, “Timeless.�

THE SOUTH MEMPHIS STRING BAND is a trio composed of Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Alvin Youngblood Hart (Grammy-winning bluesman) and Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers). Although they�d known each other for years, the South Memphis String Band was greatly influenced by the Mississippi Sheiks, Gus Cannon & the Memphis Jug Band and other string bands and jug bands of their ilk, as well as Mississippi Delta and Hill Country blues. They will arrive with a passel of guitars, mandolins, banjos, lap steel guitars and harmonicas.

QUEBE SISTERS BAND is an American fiddle western swing group from Fort Worth, Texas. The band began their musical journey in 1998 when the three sisters started taking fiddle lessons. Shortly thereafter, the girls began entering fiddle contests and had success early on; winning several State, regional and National fiddle championships. Add the swinging rhythm guitar of World Champion fiddler Joey McKenzie and the upright bass of Drew Phelps, and the Quebe Sisters Band becomes a force of nature. Recently named Group of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists and recipient of the Crescendo Award by the Western Music Association, as well as nominations for Country group of the year by both the Dallas Observer and Ft. Worth Weekly, the QSB is performing coast to coast in support of their latest cd, “Timeless.�

THE DUST BUSTERS are an old-time string band based out of Brooklyn, New York. They strive to integrate a wide range of old-time songs, ballads, fiddle tunes and jug band blues into every performance, infused with the old-time feeling and freewheelin� high energy that characterized early string bands. They are influenced and inspired by the direct fusion of Scots-Irish and African music that took place in Appalachia, the Western states and the Deep South from the earliest colonial times through the Second World War. The Dust Busters have recorded their first album, currently available for sale only at live shows.

MORELAND & ARBUCKLE have spent nearly a decade exploring American roots music. Guitarist Aaron Moreland and harpist/vocalist Dustin Arbuckle with help from the driving beat of drummer Brad Horner have forged a relentless and haunting sound that merges Delta blues, folk, rock, traditional country, and soul. In addition to the more typical Telecaster and Les Paul guitars, Moreland arsenal also includes a hand-crafted instrument consisting of four strings stretched across a cigar box. Moreland & Arbuckle make their debut on Telarc International with the release of �Flood.�

MADISON VIOLET are a Toronto based duo, consisting of Lisa MacIsaac (vocals, guitar, fiddle, mandolin) and Brenley MacEachern (vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica). Together, they've been touring the globe non-stop for 9 years. The duo has just released their 3rd album No Fool For Trying. It�s been described as a cross between a rootsy Gillian Welch, gritty Steve Earle and bluegrassy Alison Krauss, loaded with harmonies, lots of stringed instruments and beautiful lyrics. The band also just won Vocal Group of the Year' at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

TIME FOR THREE is a groundbreaking, category-shattering roots music trio. What started as a trio of musicians who played together for fun while students at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute for Music evolved into Time for Three, or Tf3 for short. Tf3 has performed on many of the nation's impressive stages, including the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Joe's Pub in New York. They have performed their own original works with over 60 orchestras. The group recorded will release its third CD, "3 Fervent Travelers."