The 2012 installment of Harvest Sessions, presented by 88.1 KDHX, kicked off on Saturday, May 5 at the Tower Grove Farmers' Market with family friendly performances by Farmer Jason and Ryan Spearman.

As the year comes to a close, KDHX is pleased to present some of our favorite live in-studio videos of 2011 -- and there were so many, we just couldn't narrow it to 10!

Deck the halls with boughs of great music this season. 88.1 KDHX presents KDHXmas 2011: A Holiday Sampler -- 12 festive tracks, recorded live at KDHX.

Obviously, 2011 has been a phenomenal year for artists releasing stellar albums in St. Louis. Here's the local albums this year that caught our ears over and over again.

"American music is alive and well. This is the new classical music," Pokey LaFarge emphasized partway through his first-ever concert with Ryan Spearman. Appropriate, since they were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Folk School of St. Louis at the Sheldon on December 1 (an event welcomed by KDHX).

The Folk School 10th Anniversary show brought Ryan Spearman and Pokey LaFarge, two of the city's finest musicians, together for their first shared performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Lock up the liquor and hide the tinder. When Pokey LaFarge and Ryan Spearman get down to the old-time bootleg blues, the sparks fly and the melodies flow.

Ryan Spearman calls upon folk and blues music -- fiddle, guitar, banjo and mandolin -- to create a sound that reflects his Midwestern roots.

“…you’re the one that’s been causing all them riots over in vietnam. immediately turns t a bunch of people an says if elected, he’ll have me electrocuted publicly on the next fourth of july. i look around an all these people he’s talking to are carry blowtorches / needless t say, i split fast go back t the nice quiet country…”(2)

Bob Reuter's Alley Ghost, Ryan Spearman and Beth Bombara performed in-concert for KDHX's Harvest Sessions in Tower Grove Park on Saturday.

All photos by Sara Finke. See more at my Flickr stream.

Ryan Spearman is a one-man, acoustic music force of nature. He's worked with bands like the River City Buskers and High on the Hog, and as a solo artist he employs an arsenal of stringed instruments to express his love for blues, folk, country, rock and jazz.

Tap your foot with the recently reunited, St. Louis-based, and aptly named River City Buskers. You'll be yearning for a front porch to sip a beverage and nod along to the beat during their live session.