Skippin' and Flyin'Spruce and Maple Music ~ DownloadsAmerican Chestnuts (Listen)
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Laurie Lewis' new CD, SKIPPIN' AND FLYIN', is a personal tribute to the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, and mixes songs from the bluegrass repertoire and contemporary writers and Lewis' originals. In turns lively, exciting, deep and heartfelt, the songs feature Lewis' expressive vocals and instrumentation by GRAMMY Award-winning bassist Todd Phillips, the legendary Craig Smith on banjo, and mandolinist/vocalist Tom Rozum. Linda Ronstadt is among the special guests.
"Bill Monroe was not a follower of styles but steadfastly played his singular music through the good times and the tough, inspiring me with his example to be free to explore my own musical path. Performed with a 'traditional' bluegrass band (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass), all of the harmony singing stems directly from the school of Bill Monroe. This collection is an installment on those student loans and a warm thank-you to Big Mon." - Laurie Lewis (from the CD liner notes)
Recorded at LewieToons Studio, Berkeley, CA. Engineer: Laurie Lewis
Song TitlesOld Ten Broeck * What's Good For You * The Pharaoh's Daughter * Hartfordtown 1944 * Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues * I Don't Care Anymore * A Lonesome Road * Dreams * American Chestnuts * Carter's Blues * Fair Beauty Bright * Blue Moon of Kentucky * I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow * Going Away
Laurie Lewis' new CD, SKIPPIN' AND FLYIN', is a personal tribute to the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, and mixes songs from the bluegrass repertoire and contemporary writers and Lewis' originals. In turns lively, exciting, deep and heartfelt, the songs feature Lewis' expressive vocals and instrumentation by GRAMMY Award-winning bassist Todd Phillips, the legendary Craig Smith on banjo, and mandolinist/vocalist Tom Rozum. Linda Ronstadt is among the special guests. |
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Blossoms (YouTube video)Spruce and Maple Music ~ Downloads"Here Today" (Listen)
Add to CartLaurie Lewis with many others, including Tom Rozum, Kathy Kallick, Kate MacLeod, Scott Huffman, Craig Smith, Alex Hargreaves, Tristan Clarridge, Brian Rice, Nina Gerber, Todd Sickafoose, Annie, Marie, & Jeannie Burns, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Tim O'Brien, David Grier, Todd Phillips, Brittany Haas, Suzy Thompson, Patrick Sauber, Andrew Conklin, Chad Manning, Darol Anger, Roy Rogers, Billy Lee Lewis, Noe Venable, Art Hirahara, Jim Rothermel, John Gove, and Ches Smith.
Steven Stone ~ Vintage Guitar Magazine, January, 2011 Laurie Lewis is a bluegrass pioneer, and her latest release showcases the breadth of her musical talent-singing, songwriting, and playing guitar and fiddle.
Song TitlesHow Can I Keep From Singing? * Lark in the Morning * Chains of Letters * Cool Your Jets * The Roughest Road * Burley Coulter's Song for Kate Helen Branch * Unfinished Life * Sophie's House * Beaver Creek * Return to the Fire * Here Today * Train of Love * Tell Me True * Sirens
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LiveSpruce & Maple Music"Alaska" (Listen)
Add To Cart"A product of the Bay Area's bluegrass scene, Laurie exemplifies the genre's universal appeal, even as she remains true to its regionalist origins. A superb multi-instrumentalist, Laurie with her group [the Right Hands] . displays its light touch and impeccable taste . they transform their influences into music that feels immediate, personal and even at times eccentric."- Ed Hurt, Nashville Scene, Festival Picks
Laurie Lewis, fiddle, Tom Rozum, mandolin, Scott Huffman, guitar, Craig Smith, banjo, Todd Phillips, string bass, with Tatiana Hargreaves, fiddle on "O My Malissa/How Old Are You?"
Recorded on location by Fred Forssell 3/9/07, First United Methodist Church, Corvallis, OR 3/10/07, Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, Longview, WA 3/11/07, Cashmere Community Coffeehouse, Cashmere, WA.
Song TitlesAlaska * Before the Sun Goes Down * Just a Lie * Live Forever * Geraldine and Ruthie Mae * O My Malissa / How Old Are You? * Val's Cabin * Curly-Headed Woman * Tall Pines * Love Chooses You * Worried Man Blues * The Rope * Going to the West * The Wood Thrush's Song * Diamond Joe * My Walking Stick * Who Will Watch the Home Place? * Texas Bluebonnets
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The Golden WestHighTone 8194 Complete Liner Notes"Your Eyes" (Listen)
Add to CartFor three days in July of 2005, we five (Tom Rozum, Scott Huffman, Craig Smith, Todd Phillips, and me) lived together in the guest house at Sage Arts Studio outside Arlington, WA and recorded these songs. We had intended to be more prepared when we got there, but life in the twenty-first century being what it is, we just showed up with a general idea of what songs we could do and no arrangements to speak of.
Over the course of the three days, we played, recorded, cooked and ate together, walked in the woods, stared at the nearby Stillaguamish River, and played some more. Everything seemed so fresh and enticing to us, hearing and playing the majority of these tunes for the first time as a group.
Song TitlesYour Eyes * Burley Coulter's Song for Kate Helen Branch * Before the Sun Goes Down * Live Forever * Rank Stranger * Bury Me In Bluegrass * The Golden West * A Hand to Hold * River Under the Road * Hard Luck in Heaven * The Mourning Cloak * Goodbye Waltz
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Guest HouseHightone HCD 8167"Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes" (Listen)
Add to CartGuest House is the new duet album from Bay Area stalwarts Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum. The album features a wide range of styles from bluegrass to folk to country showcasing their many talents. Guest musicians include Todd Sickafoose (string bass), Craig Smith (banjo), Scott Huffman (guitar), Nina Gerber (lead guitar), Mike Marshall (mandocello, guitar) and Tom Sauber (banjo).
Song TitlesWillie Poor Boy * Since You Went Away * Bad Seed * Tramps And Hawkers * Alaska * O My Malissa/How Old Are You? * My Heart's Own Love * Old Dan Tucker * Scars From An Old Love * Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes * Quiet Hills * Just A Lie * Wild Rose Of The Mountain/The Devil Chased Me Around The Stump/Glory At The Meeting House
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Laurie Lewis & her Bluegrass Pals (YouTube video)Rounder 0461 "Blow, Big Wind (Listen)
Add to Cart"This album is a kind of homecoming for Laurie Lewis, a return to the music that claimed her heart as a teenager and set her on her course as a musician. Today she's one of bluegrass music's established stars, a virtuoso picker, fine singer, dynamic bandleader, and unique storyteller. Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals -- Tom Rozum, Todd Phillips, Craig Smith and Mary Gibbons, all talented musicians in their own right -- emphasize the joy of playing bluegrass in a band setting: five people singing and playing acoustically to create a rich and ever-changing musical fabric." --Neil V. Rosenberg, from his liner notes
Song TitlesTall Pines * Stepping Stones * Blow, Big Wind * Going to the West * When I Get Home * Black Waters * Big Eddy * Acony Bell * Wind at Play * Weevily Wheat * Hard Luck and Trouble * The Wood Thrush's Song * Beyond the River Bend
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Seeing ThingsRounder 0428 "Visualize (Listen)
Add to CartLaurie Lewis with Tom Rozum, Todd Phillips, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Billy Lee Lewis, Rob Ickes, Sally Van Meter, Cris Williamson, and more. "Laurie Lewis is a singer, writer and performer of the pure American song. Her music feels like coming home." --Patty Larkin Seeing Things captures Laurie Lewis at her best, expanding on her legacy as a singer / songwriter and acoustic musician and stepping out rhythmically and lyrically into new territory. Accompanied by a cast of stellar West Coast musicians, Laurie delivers her most energized performance to date.
Song TitlesBlue Days, Sleepless Nights * The Refugee * Visualize * Kiss Me Before I Die * Let The Bird Go Free * Bane and Balm * I'll Take Back My Heart * Tattoo * Angel On His Shoulder * Manzanar * The Blackest Crow
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Earth & SkyRounder 0400 "Girlfriend, Guard Your Heart" (Listen)
Add to CartLaurie Lewis with many others, including Tom Rozum, Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall, Kathy Kallick, Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Mark Schatz. "All of Laurie Lewis' qualities as a vocalist, an instrumentalist and a bandleader are on display here; but the real purpose of this collection is to remind us of what an extraordinary songwriter Laurie is. The terms bluegrass and folk certainly apply, yet her songs stretch far beyond those categories. You'll find Caribbean currents, new age air and the fire of love, as well as the earth of her homegrown country, folk and bluegrass tunes as you listen. Her scope may be broad and her styles diverse, but Laurie Lewis has a singular, steadfast gift -- songs that abide with us and linger in our hearts. Songs that endure. Songs that last like earth and sky." --Robert K. Oermann, from his liner notes Earth & Sky contains highlights from Laurie Lewis' three Flying Fish albums, plus four previously unreleased tracks.
Song TitlesGirlfriend, Guard Your Heart * Green Fields * Don't Get Too Close * Love Chooses You * Texas Bluebonnets * Fine Line * Old Friend * The Maple's Lament * The Bear Song * The Light * The Point of No Return * Restless Rambling Heart * I'd Be Lost Without You * The Hills of My Home * Haven of Mercy * Magic Light
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Winter's GraceDog Boy Records SIG 1251 Snowy Road (Listen)
Add to Cart"Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum celebrate not just the Christmas holiday, but the entire winter solstice season... they explore winter's beauty, joys and hardships. Winter's Grace is one of the few seasonal recordings worth hunting down." "Good music for the holidays can be hard to come by. So when a gem like this comes by, grab it!"
Song TitlesThe Messenger * The Snowy Road * If We Make It Through December * Earth Moves In A Mysterious Way * Wassail Song * The Gift * Christmas Time's A-Comin' * Hot Buttered Rum * Heiligste Nacht * Wintergrace * Cold Frosty Morning
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The Oak and the Laurel
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True StoriesRounder 0300 Who Will Watch The Home Place (Listen)
Add to CartLaurie Lewis with Tom Rozum, Peter McLaughlin, Cary Black, Rob Ickes, Mike Marshall and others. Few artists in the country/folk field today wear as many hats as Laurie Lewis. Many know her as the smoothly melodic, thoughtful songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Kathy Mattea and Patsy Montana. Others know her as one of the premier fiddlers and vocalists in bluegrass and New Traditionalist circles. Her own band, Grant Street, is a fixture on bluegrass and folk circuits. Although her roots dig deep into many traditional and contemporary music forms for strength and inspiration, the music she makes is always very much her own. This is a collection of classic Lewis songs -- songs sung straight from the heart. --Scott Alarik. Lewis won 1994 International Bluegrass Music Awards for Best Female Vocalist and Best Song (for "Who Will Watch the Home Place").
Song TitlesSinging Bird * Val's Cabin * Knocking On Your Door Again * Long Way 'Round * So Beautiful * You'll Be Leaving Me * Sand, Water, Waves * Swept Away * Here Comes the Rain * The Mill * Slow Learner * Still a Fool * Who Will Watch the Home Place? ('94 IBMA Song of the Year!)
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Singin' My Troubles AwayFlying Fish 515 "Diamond Joe (Listen)
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Laurie Lewis & Grant Streetwith Tom Rozum, Scott Nygaard, Tony Furtado and Tammy Fassaert
Originally a classically trained violinist, Laurie Lewis became a California bluegrass and old-time fiddle champion in the 1970s, and went on to found the Good Ol' Persons (along with Kathy Kallick) before forming her own Grant Street String Band in 1979. Mandolinist Tom Rozum joined Grant Street in 1987 and the pair's exquisite vocal blend and sympathetic instrumental interplay immediately became a key part of the trademark Grant Street sound. In addition to Laurie Lewis on fiddle and vocals and Tom Rozum on mandolin, guitar, vocals, the 1990 version of the Grant Street Band includes Tony Furtado on banjo, Scott Nygaard on guitar and Tammy Fassaert on bass and vocals. Songs included come from the repertoire of the Louvin and Delmore Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, the Maddox Brothers & Rose and others.
Song TitlesDiamond Joe * Don't Get Too Close * The Rope * Beautiful Bouquet * Overdrive * Heartache * When the Cactus Is In Bloom * I Wish It Had Been A Dream * New Day * Singin' My Troubles Away * Hell Among the Yearlings * Raleigh and Spencer * I Miss the Mississippi and You
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Love Chooses YouFlying Fish 487 Love Chooses You (Listen)
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This 1989 collection of eight Lewis originals, and covers of Mark Simos' "When the Night Bird Sings," Sean O'Riada's "The Women of Ireland" and the traditional "Ryestraw," features co-producer Russ Barenberg (guitar, mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Mark Schatz and Mark Hembree (acoustic bass), Kenny Malone (drums), Tom Rozum (vocals), Craig Smith (banjo), Sam Bush (mandolin), Pat Enright (guitar), Buddy Emmons (pedal steel), Jim Horn (tenor and soprano saxophones) and others.
Song TitlesOld Friend * The Hills Of My Home * The Point Of No Return * I Don't Know Why * I'd Be Lost Without You * When The Night Bird Sings * The Women Of Ireland/Ryestraw * The Light * Texas Bluebonnets * Love Chooses You
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Blue RoseSugar Hill 3768
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Laurie Lewis, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Molly Mason, Sally Van Meter
Song TitlesRiver Of Change * Geraldine And Ruthie Mae * Blue Love * Little Birds * Your Friendship Carries Me * Sad But True * Wild Rose Of The Mountain * Careless Love * Train Of Life * Time Has Made A Change
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Kristin's StorySpruce & Maple Music"Kristin" (RA) (Listen)
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I'm pleased to announce the release of "Kristin's Story" on CD.
This charming and imaginative tale for young listeners was written by my dad, Louis W. Lewis, for my older sister when she was little. That's been some time ago now, but the music and story have stuck with me all these years. I finally decided that we just had to record it. My dad, an accomplished flutist who played for a little while with the Dallas Symphony, wrote not only the narrative but the flute music as well. We enlisted the help of Matt Eakle (of the David Grisman Quintet) to play flute and Heather Rowntree to read the story. Artwork was supplied by (my best friend since fourth grade) Dana Everts Boehm.
Louis W. Lewis says:
The Great God Pan invented the Panpipes, which was a bundle of hollow reeds of different lengths, on which he could play music. (If a reed, or any hollow tube, is closed at one end, and you blow across the open end, you can produce a musical tone. Each tube plays one note, depending upon its length. Blowing across the end of a pop-bottle would have the same effect).
Our little elf made his instrument the same way Pan did--- from a bundle of reeds of different lengths. His reeds, or pipes, have a different sound than the sound of the silver flute that plays the rest of the music. Can you hear this different sound?
This story was written for Kristin when she was two years old. When she grew up, she also became a flute player! It's fun to play a musical instrument."
It is recommended for children 7 years and under. I, of course, recommend it for everyone.
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Together ~ Laurie Lewis and Kathy KallickRounder 0318 Add to CartLaurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick with Tom Rozum, John Reischman, Charles Sawtelle, Sally Van Meter and others
From the first duet that Kathy and I sang, there was an immediate feeling of ease and excitement, which heralded the beginning of a collaboration which has lasted over 15 years. In a way, we cut our bluegrass teeth singing together. After a few years together in the Good Ol' Persons, I left to follow my own musical path, and Kathy took charge of the group. Although the time was right for us to move on, I guess it took me a while to really find my own voice without Kathy's. Now, coming back together for this project is in a way like coming back home -- that instant ease is still there, but there's the added excitement of our own personal growth and change (we've gotten better). In a way this project is long overdue, and in a way we just weren't ready until now. It's great to be back home."
Song TitlesLost John * Going Up On The Mountain * Don't You See That Train? * Just Like Rain * Don't Leave Your Little Girl * That Dawn the Day You Left * Is the Blue Moon Still Shining? * The Touch of the Master's Hand * Hideaway * Maverick * Lay Down My Old Guitar * Count Your Blessings
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JublieeDog Boy Records (SIG 1246)
Currently available as a download
"Don't Fix Up The Doghouse" (RA) (Listen)
Tom's Debut CD Produced by Tom Rozum with Laurie Lewis with: Todd Phillips, Herb Pederson, Mike Marshall, Rob Ickes, Darol Anger, Craig Smith, Bobby Hicks, Charles Sawtelle, Mary Gibbons, Peter McLaughlin, Cary Black, Sylvia Herold
Song TitlesDon't Fix Up The Doghouse * Jubilee * One Sweet Hello * Sweet Sally Brown * On The Old Kentucky Shore * Muddy Weather/Jeff City * Love Is A Lonely Street * Without My Walking Stick Ramblin' Blues * Mason's Lament * Walk Downtown
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Good Ol' Persons
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Laurie Lewis: fiddle, mandolin, vocals Kathy Kallick: string bass, vocals Barbara Mendelsohn: banjo, hammered dulcimer, spoons, vocals Paul Shelasky: mandolin, fiddle, vocals Dorothy Baxter: guitar Laurie says: "This was my very first time in a recording studio, and I like to think that we've all improved a bunch since then... but it is very charming, and the song selection is excellent. " The original Good Ol' Persons recorded this in 1976, at Bay Records, in Alameda, CA. It was issued in 1977 on the Bay label, after Laurie had left the band. The CD reissue features a bonus track, and the music is still fresh and new-feeling, even after nearly thirty years. A must for the complete-ist among you. Midwest Record Recap (June, 1978) had this to say: "The classic back porch record. In which we are delighted to the California hippie version of old-time bluegrass music. It works well in its non-commercial way."
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Craig SmithRounder Records 0357 "Rose Of Alabama" (RA) (Listen)
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Laurie also sings a lot on this one. "Craig Smith is a neat banjo player in the same way I think Allen Shelton is -- clever, witty, precise, orderly and logical. His album is full of neat tunes, breaks, licks, chord selections and timing intricacies. Taken altogether, Craig demonstrates a deep understanding of music and the five-string banjo tradition. His innovations can and will become welcome additions to the standard five-string banjo fare. Craig's playing is a pure pleasure to listen to." --Alan Munde Song TitlesSandy River Belle * Two Long Years * St. Louis Blues * Charade * Curly Headed Woman * Humoresque * The Memory of Your Smile * The Girl I Left Behind Me * Annie Laurie * Rose of Alabama * Clinch Mountain Backstep * My Old Kentucky Home * Moscow Nights
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True Life Blues ~ The Songs of Bill MonroeSugar Hill 2209 "True Life Blues" (RA) (Listen)
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GRAMMY WINNER! 1997 IBMA Album of the Year!30 bluegrass greats pay tribute to the father of bluegrass music. Includes performances by Sam Bush, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, John Hartford, Tim & Mollie O'Brien, Del & Ronnie McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, David Grier, Alan O'Bryant, and many more. Extensive liner notes trace Monroe's career. Song TitlesMolly and Tenbrooks * True Life Blues * I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home * Highway of Sorrow * Old Ebenezer Scrooge * Memories of You * Rawhide * Can't You Hear Me Callin' * Letter from my Darlin' * Sittin' Alone in the Moonlight * Big Mon * Get Down on Your Knees and Pray * Used to Be * Scotland * Travelin' This Lonesome Rd. * Heavy Traffic Ahead * Little Cabin Home on the Hill ('97 Grammy Winner!)
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In the PinesTodd Phillips Gourd Music 122
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Laurie plays fiddle, with Stuart Duncan, Tim O'Brien, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, Scott Nygaard and others.
Song TitlesRye Straw * Train on the Island * Bury Me not on the Lone Prairie * Liza Jane * Midnight on the Stormy Deep * Sugar in the Gourd * Down in the Valley to Pray * In the Pines * Spotted Pony * I Truly Understand * Whistlin' Rufus * In the Willow Garden * Sally Ann
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Masters of the BanjoGourd Music 122 ~ Arhoolie Records 421 "Sweet Fern" (RA) (Listen)
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Live performances from the acclaimed tour, Masters of the Banjo, organized by the National Council for the Traditional Arts.
Song TitlesThe Eldest of All*A Family Quarrel on Sunday*If You Come, Come*If You Go, Go*John Brown's Dream*Let Me Fall*Yellow Rose of Texas*Oh My Little Darling*The Wild Fox*Wind Chimes and Nursery Rhymes*Cherry Blossom Waltz*Hand In Hand*Bird In The Tree*Charleston / Mason's Apron*Lark In The Morning Medley*Laurie Lewis and Dudley Connell: The Lover's Return*The Johnson Boys*McMitchen's Reel*Say Old Man, Can You Play The Fiddle?*Mississippi Sawyer*Sweet Fern*On My Mind*Evergreen*Nobody's Love Is Like Mine*I Just Think I'll Go Away*Children, Go Where I Send Thee*Frailing Medley
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Charles Sawtelle
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Cliffs of Vermilion
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Bird SongSpruce and Maple"The Wood Thrush's Song" (RA) (Listen)
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A compilation of eleven songs that have in common abundant bird imagery. Some of them are taken from previously released CD's, and I thank Rounder, Sugar Hill, Dog Boy record companies, and all the writers and publishers, for letting me use these cuts on a royalty-free basis for this worthy fund-raiser. The beautiful artwork on the cover was painted by Debby Cotter Kaspari, former banjo-player with the SF bay area's All Girl Boys. In addition to the previously-released material, I recorded two more songs especially for this CD.
Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) is a non-profit organization that owns and operates three nature preserves in Marin and Sonoma Counties, California: The Bolinas Lagoon Preserve in Stinson Beach, the Bouverie Preserve in Valley of the Moon and Cypress Grove Preserve in Marshall.
Each year more than 22,000 people visit the Bolinas Lagoon Preserve during its open season from March to July. Resource management research and environmental education programs are conducted throughout the year. Last year, more than 3,000 school children learned about the preservation of the immediate area's habitats and the biology of its flora and fauna. The Bolinas Lagoon Preserve is currently looking for volunteers who would like to be trained to lead these programs. - Laurie
All profits go to Audubon Canyon Ranch. For more information visit their web site or call ACR at 415/868-9244.
Song Titles
Bird in the Wood * Tell Me True * The Wood Thrush's Song * When the Night Bird Sings * Singing Bird * Let the Bird Go Free * Haven of Mercy * Acony Bell * Solitary Singer * Little Birds * The Blackest Crow
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Kristin's StorySpruce & Maple Music"Kristin" (RA) (Listen)
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I'm pleased to announce the release of "Kristin's Story" on CD.
This charming and imaginative tale for young listeners was written by my dad, Louis W. Lewis, for my older sister when she was little. That's been some time ago now, but the music and story have stuck with me all these years. I finally decided that we just had to record it. My dad, an accomplished flutist who played for a little while with the Dallas Symphony, wrote not only the narrative but the flute music as well. We enlisted the help of Matt Eakle (of the David Grisman Quintet) to play flute and Heather Rowntree to read the story. Artwork was supplied by (my best friend since fourth grade) Dana Everts Boehm.
Louis W. Lewis says:
The Great God Pan invented the Panpipes, which was a bundle of hollow reeds of different lengths, on which he could play music. (If a reed, or any hollow tube, is closed at one end, and you blow across the open end, you can produce a musical tone. Each tube plays one note, depending upon its length. Blowing across the end of a pop-bottle would have the same effect).
Our little elf made his instrument the same way Pan did--- from a bundle of reeds of different lengths. His reeds, or pipes, have a different sound than the sound of the silver flute that plays the rest of the music. Can you hear this different sound?
This story was written for Kristin when she was two years old. When she grew up, she also became a flute player! It's fun to play a musical instrument."
It is recommended for children 7 years and under. I, of course, recommend it for everyone.
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