American roots 'n' folk to hit The Barbican (and BBC Four)

Country music. Still a dirty word in many-a-household. With that, Country has been redubbed things like 'Americana', 'Alt.Country', 'Roots' or 'Folk', none of which really fit the bill, as 'country' is the only thing to capture that wild prairie sound. Anyway, whatever it is you call it, it's coming to The Barbican and the big guns are rolling in for the revue.

Roger McGuinn, Judy Collins, Billy Bragg, Allison Williams and more, will all be lining-up for two concerts, produced by the Barbican in association with BBC Four to celebrate the enduring influence of American music.

The Folk America concerts accompany a documentary series of the same name on BBC Four, which tells the story of the American folk revival from the '20s to the '60s.

The series and concerts will be broadcast on BBC Four alongside archive documentaries and sessions, from Friday 23rd January 2009.

Wednesday 21st Jan 7.30pm Folk America: Hollerers, Stompers & Old-Time Ramblers (Tickets: £15/20/25) Allison Williams and Chance McCoy, The Wiyos, CW Stoneking, Cedric Watson and Bijoux Creole, Diana Jones - hosted by Seasick Steve.

Showcasing an exciting revival of Old-Timey musical traditions first recorded in the South in the '20s, this show, hosted by Seasick Steve, features a line-up of emerging new talent. Mountain string band music, vaudeville swing, junk shop blues, creole dance tunes and folk country ballads are all delivered.

Thursday 22nd Jan 7.30pm Folk America: Greenwich Village Revisited (Tickets: £15/20/25) Judy Collins, Roger McGuinn, Eric Andersen, Carolyn Hester – hosted by Billy Bragg

This concert recalls the dreamy days of the '60s folk revival, centring upon the talents to emerge from the clubs of New York's Greenwich Village and beyond. Compered by singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, the show boasts a line-up of originals performing songs from their own repertoire and from their many contemporaries who contributed to such an extraordinary songbook.

Folk America on BBC Four: The documentary series will be broadcast on Friday 23rd January, Friday 30th January and Friday 6th February. The Old-Time concert will be broadcast on Friday 23rd January and the Greenwich Village concert will be broadcast on Friday February 13th. These will be accompanied by archive documentaries and sessions.

Concerts at the Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Box Office: 0845 120 7550 www.barbican.org.uk