LaFave has received numerous accolades during his 20+ career, proving him to be one of our country's most authentic singer/songwriters. Born in Wills Point, Tex., his family later moved to Stillwater, Okla., where he finished high school. It was in this landscape that he began to define his sound. Before leaving Oklahoma for Austin in 1986, LaFave did some independent recording and toured the southwest with the first version of his band, Night Tribe.

Shortly after arriving in Austin, he was asked to help launch the songwriter nights at the new performance venue Chicago House. In 1988 he recorded his self–produced tape, Highway Angels...Full Moon Rain, which won the Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll Tape of the Year Award. This led to a recording contract with a small independent label and allowed Jimmy the opportunity to work with Bob Johnston, producer of several of his favorite albums, including Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde and Nashville Skyline.

Although these recordings were never released, by 1990 LaFave had put together an Austin version of Night Tribe and had become, according to the Austin American–Statesman, "a perennial presence upon the Austin music scene." In 1992 he released a self–produced CD, Austin Skyline, which drew international attention to his songwriting and vocal talents and led to a publishing agreement with Polygram Music. Due to his growing popularity and radio play on more than 200 stations, Austin Skyline and its label, Bohemia Beat, received national distribution through the Rounder Record Group. His second album, Highway Trance, was released in 1994 followed by his third CD, Buffalo Return to the Plains, in 1995.

The grassroots demand and critical acclaim for his music, which led to extensive touring in the United States and Europe, was recognized in 1996 when he was asked to tape a performance for the PBS musical series Austin City Limits, and was invited by Nora Guthrie to appear in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Woody Guthrie. That same year Jimmy won his second consecutive Austin Music Award for Best Singer–Songwriter. His fourth CD, Road Novel, which was released in early 1997, received many glowing reviews. That year he was asked by Nora Guthrie to speak and perform at the induction of Woody Guthrie into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He traveled to Europe twice that year and also toured the USA and Canada and made multiple appearances on NPR's Mountain Stage.

In the fall of 1998, Jimmy and record label President, Mark Shumate, began compiling a 15–year retrospective of bootleg tapes, live performances, radio shows and studio out takes. Jimmy kicked off 1999 with the release of the CD, entitled Trail. The double CD contains 31 tracks, including 12 Dylan songs, answering the demand of fans for a "LaFave does Dylan" CD. In 2001, Jimmy released Texoma, a celebration of the Americana spirit with a heartfelt valentine to the heartland. KGSR Program Director Jody Denberg called it a "phenomenon."

Encouraged by his friend, fellow Austin artist Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave signed with indie label Red House records and in 2005, released Blue Nightfall. This stunningly soulful album was LaFave's first in four years and won him much critical attention. His new album, Cimarron Manifesto, finds him taking a more country road, with sweet and mournful songs about life and loss and special guest appearances by Carrie Rodriguez, Ruthie Foster and Kacy Crowley.

For tickets visit www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003 x2. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. Buy in advance and save! This press release is also available online at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/newsroom/newsmain.htm and also as a RSS Feed at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/xml/newsroom/rss/SwallowHillNews.xml.  

About Swallow Hill Music Association
Helping people make and enjoy music since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association is one of the largest nonprofit institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,300 members, Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 200 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. Swallow Hill’s Julie Davis School of Music offers classes for every interest, skill level and member of the family. Each year, a faculty of 60 instructors provides training to more than 4,000 students. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Swallow Hill has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.