MP3 Lui Collins - Closer

Richard Curocco, Acoustic Live: "a shimmering set of jewels, celebrating every aspect of her crossing to the hopeful place she has found for herself." Of the final poem, Hanging Up the Snowshoes: "staggeringly beautiful," â the entire album: "a keeper."

22 MP3 Songs in this album (66:19) !
Related styles: Folk: Modern Folk, Spoken Word: Poetry, Type: Acoustic

People who are interested in Cheryl Wheeler Patty Griffin Rosalie Sorrels should consider this download.


Details:
Shh
Come close and closer still
And tell me what you see. What reflection
dim and hazy in the ancient clouded glass

Shh
Lean close and closer still
And still your mind. Turn gently back
Turn gently back, remembering

And carry the burden gently

Richard Cuccaro, in Acoustic Live of NYC, describes Closer as "a shimmering set of jewels, celebrating every aspect of her crossing to the hopeful place she has found for herself." He calls the final poem, Hanging Up the Snowshoes, "staggeringly beautiful," â and the entire album "a keeper."


Produced by Anand Nayak

Musicians:
Lui Collins: vocals, guitar and banjo
Anand Nayak: acoustic and electric guitars and basses, mandolin, banjo, shaker, harmony vocals
Rani Arbo: fiddle
Scott Kessel: percussion
Keith Murphy: piano, harmony vocals
Dana Robinson: guitar, banjo
Rose Sinclair: accordion
Larry Unger: banjo

Recorded by Greg Steele, Derek Studios, Dalton MA,
Anand Nayak, Dizzydog Recording, Northampton MA,
and Alan Stockwell, SouDesign Studios, Brattleboro VT

Mixed by Huck Bennert, Dog Earz Recording, Portland ME
and Anand Nayak

Mastered by Colin Sapp at Specialized Mastering, Framingham MA


LUI'S NOTES ON THE RELEASE OF THIS CD, FROM HER FEBRUARY 2006 MUSINGS:

Closer, at Last

Itâs hard to believe itâs been so long since I wrote a Musing â but considering what Iâve packed into the last couple of years itâs not so surprising. The teaching alone has kept me busy â my classes have grown so that Iâm now teaching 3 days a week, 7 classes in all. This spring I will celebrate a complete round of the 9 collections that comprise the Music Together repertoire â which means Iâve been teaching a full 3 years. On top of that â and parenting a high school senior through the college application process â Iâve taken on, and finally completed, a huge recording project.

Ever since I began reciting poems during my concerts, folks have been asking me if I had them recorded. And of course I had to say no. In 2001 I put together my Moon of Ripe Berries poetry chapbook, which is now in its second printing â with my younger daughter Maggie doing the assembling and hand-stitching this time. But nothing was represented on my recordings. So in 2004 I decided to remedy that situation. I invited Anand Nayak, guitarist, singer/songwriter, and member of the wonderful eclectic band Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, to produce the album with me. Together we began what would become a year and a half long project, recording 22 tracks of songs, poems, and instrumentals.

And now itâs finished at last. Closer will be officially released on April 18 on Waterbug Records, but advance copies are available now by phone and website and at concerts. Iâve known Andrew Calhoun, creator and head of Waterbug, for years, and known his music for much longer, and have the utmost respect for him - and for the artists heâs chosen to represent on his artist-cooperative label. So Iâm thrilled to be joining their ranks with this recording. Closer consists of 10 songs, 10 poems, and two original banjo tunes. All the poems, the tunes, and most of the songs, are my own compositions. In addition, Iâve recorded a version of Harry Woodsâ 1926 song âRed Red Robin,â Patty Griffinâs âMaking Pies,â and Cheryl Wheelerâs âHis Hometown.â

Hereâs a complete track list:

Spring!
Red Red Robin
The Creek
Susquehanna
Making Pies
Precipice
Step Into the Water
Astilbe
Blood Red the Stain
Journeyâs End
Someone to Come Home To
Holiday
Gone but not Forgotten
Glance in a Mirror
Where?
Bells of May Street
Shiny White-Toed Hightops
All the Pretty Birds
His Hometown
I Wrest My Joy
Blessed
Hanging Up the Snowshoes
You may notice that both âStep Into the Waterâ and âBlessedâ are re-recordings of older songs. They found their way into this collection in connection with particular poems, and theyâve both received new treatments in line with the arrangements on this particular recording. Iâm particularly happy with the new version of Blessed â which youâll also find on the new Waterbug sampler, Born Into the Whisper. Anand had been coming up with some great ideas for song arrangements. But when he pulled out his resophonic guitar on Blessed I was rather taken aback â until I heard how amazing it sounds on the song. And Keith Murphy (of Nightingale fame, awesome musician) sings harmonies on it.

Youâll hear Anand all over the album, actually, playing all manner of acoustic and electric guitars and basses, mandolin, banjo, harmony vocals, and even shaker on an otherwise a capella track. Keith sings harmony on a number of songs, and plays a lovely piano part on âSomeone to Come Home To.â Rani Arbo herself plays fiddle on a few songs, and Scott Kessel, percussionist for daisy mayhem, provides the percussion, including his offbeat (oops, bad term for a drummerâs equipment) Drumship Enterprise and much more. Rose Sinclair, who has recorded with me before on Leaving Fort Knox, plays accordion. Dana Robinson makes an appearance on a couple of songs on guitar and banjo, as does Larry Unger, playing a second banjo part on my two original banjo tunes.

One interesting note: there are actually five people playing banjo on this recording. Can that be right? Letâs see, thereâs me, playing most of it, three songs and two tunes worth. Larry plays on the two tunes, Dana on one song, and Anand on another. Nope, thatâs just four of us. But for all of you whoâve been asking me for banjo on a recording, thereâs banjo all over the place, thatâs for sure.

Warmly, Lui