features acoustic musical stories of people making a difference in the world--mothers on a peace mission, community garden organizers, a wiz kid with a computer--plus some catchy fight-back songs on today's social justice issues

12 MP3 Songs in this album (37:37) !
Related styles: FOLK: Political, FOLK: Modern Folk

People who are interested in Pete Seeger Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Tom Paxton should consider this download.


Details:
This CD begins with TOYS FOR PEACE, a new song that Ray and Pete Seeger wrote about a powerful peace-making initiative that touched the lives of many US soldiers and Iraqi families in Iraq. Ray sings the lyrics that tell the story and Pete joins band members Ivice and Ellen Davidson who energize the chorus with strong vocal harmonies. Pete provides a spirited banjo accompaniment backed by Barry Kornhauser on bass and Ray on acoustic guitar.

LISTEN TO THE EARTH follows with a beautiful folk-style melody and musical arrangement. Its lyrics expose the hammering our planet is getting from horrendous environmental practices and policies. At one point, Ray sings: "When I go outside at night, I really want to see stars, not the blur of deadly smog around a planet full of scars." The band asks: "Did they ever hear of solar power? Ever see a windmill go? Feel the pull of an ocean wave? The heat from a volcano? There's so much we could do. There's so much we could know, if we listen to the earth." Gina's flute and Ivice's dulcimer greatly enhance the song's lyrical musicality.

TRIMMING THE FAT RIGHT OFF THE BUDGET, performed at demonstrations and major labor rallies, uses biting humor and rock solid percussion from African hand drum players Lara Gonzalez and Yael Shacham to make its points. This is followed by T0MMY-The COMPUTER KID, a satirical send-up of a familiar character found in many households around the world today.

Mandolin wizard Barry Mitterhoff (A Mighty Wind; Hot Tuna tour, etc.) weighs in on TOMMY and then offers some gorgeous sounds to join fiddle impresario Sharon Abreu in providing the musical landscape for the compelling human portrait in the reflective MEANT TO BE.

The CD contains twelve songs--all written by Ray, except for TOYS as noted earlier. Among them, the CD includes a haunting and memorable grand piano rendition of WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO THE RAIN? This heartfelt ballad features the playing of the late world class concert musician, Andrea Goodzeit. The CD carries us out with the joyful peace song, PEOPLE WILL BE DANCING that overflows into a musical jam session sparked by fiddle, mandolin, bass, shekere, djembe and guitar.

THE SAFE THING TO DO CD contains a colorful booklet complete with all the lyrics and lots of photos of the band in action. For a preview of the lyrics, more about the band, a newsletter, photos and lots of musical activist links, visit the artist website.