If you look in the paper or online for events here in Denver, the name "Swallow Hill" will likely come up somewhere. That's because there are so many things happening there that it's hard to keep up with everything.
This year, Swallow Hill Music Association is celebrating 30 years of existence. Born as an extension of the Denver Folklore Center, Swallow Hill is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving roots, acoustic and folk music. But don't let those terms fool you into thinking this is some stereotypical group of bearded mountain men gathering to jam on their homemade instruments. Some of the most recognized names in folk music have passed through the old music store and/or played in the music hall, including legends like Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Doc Watson and Bonnie Raitt.
Today, Swallow Hill hosts three venues offering hundreds of concerts a year, a recording studio, a music school hosting special worskshops and ongoing private and group music lessons, and an annual RootsFest. The old Denver Folklore Center Concert Hall is now the Swallow Hill Cafe, where story and song circles, jam sessions and open-stage are regular fare--accompanied, of course, by hot coffee. And the larger concert venues are regular stops for some of the most talented musicians on the globe. Swallow Hill is a swarm of activity all geared toward the furthering of roots music, and providing a place of resource and community for those who love it and want to see it survive.
Not a bad showing for what started out as a little music store and instrument repair shop in central Denver. (Incidentally, the original Denver Folklore Center is still in business today.) Swallow Hill is definitely a Denver treasure.
Swallow Hill Music Association's main complex (and hub for most events) is located at 71 E. Yale in Denver. For more information on events, classes, and how to become a member, see their website.
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