Tina Raymond (drums); Art Lande (piano); Putter Smith (bass).
(Review by Lance.)
I'm not a political animal - politics is beyond my comprehension, it always has been. All I can go by is what I read in the paper which is usually dissed by what I read in another paper which is why I try to keep these pages totally apolitical. It's about music.
Having said that, this album might seem a strange choice.
Tina Raymond is rapidly becoming a first call musician on the Californian scene and, coming from a family with strong labor/union connections it's not surprising that she chooses to make a statement on 'The state of the Union'.
"I was very disillusioned when a man with no qualifications defeated a woman who is probably one of the most qualified people to ever run for president."
The music mirrors her thoughts with a mix of protest and patriotic songs.
Pastures of Plenty (Woody Guthrie); Battle Hymn of the Republic; America; Union Maid (Guthrie); The Fiddle and the Drum (Joni Mitchell); Lift Every Voice and Sing (Art Lande); Xmas in Baghdad (Putter Smith); Saigon Bride (Joan Baez); White Flight (Putter Smith); If I Had a Hammer (Pete Seeger).
It's not a swinger, given the material we wouldn't expect it to be! It is, however, a probing, reflective exploratory look at America today. Maybe looking to the future, remembering the past and always making sure to look both left and right whether it be casting a vote or crossing a road or playing mammy daddy on the drums.
Politics aside, Tina is a name to reckon with. I'd like to think a mention in Down Beat's next drum poll could be worthy of speculation whilst Art Lande and Putter Smith are as good as it gets.
Lance.
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