it's still relevant. at the least you're giving the bookers of the faire (club) a chance to see what you look like(photo) find out what you're all about (bio) and hear you without having to travel all the way there (demo CD). usually something about the length of a half-page bio and photo should be enough. there's something called an elevator statement that works. imagine someone asking you what you're like while in an elevator where you don't have much time to go into detail. and don't forget contact info.

It's good for musicians to know that journalists are trained from the very beginning to make sure to cover the Five Ws--Who, What, When, Where, Why--as early as possible in a story. Therefore, it's important for press kits (and press releases) to give that information right up front.

For this reason, I recommend these documents as the most basic:

photo (head shot with good contrast and brightness levels--newspapers don't always reproduce subtleties very well)

bio

overview of performance history

"tear sheets" (copies of previously printed material) of past articles and interviews

These four basic ingredients are applicable to any performer in any genre.

A press kit has some things in common with a promotional package, but the two things are not the same. A promotional package is used to secure a booking; a press kit is used to generate media coverage of bookings already on the calendar. The items I've mentioned are useful in both a press kit and a promotional package, but as you develop your print (and corresponding electronic) materials, you will wind up with some materials that will belong in one place rather than, or at least more than, the other.