 Extreme
Spirituals Liner Notes -
For their
13th album and in their 25th year together, post-punk, art-rock
pioneers Birdsongs of the Mesozoic do a 180 degree musical
swerve and link up with bass-baritone vocalist Oral Moses,
one of the preeminent African-American performers of traditional
spirituals. The band demolish all preconceptions about themselves
by presenting a program of heavily rearranged, well known
African-American spirituals and 19th century art songs. The
blend of Birdsongs' cutting-edge instrumentation with the
strength and majesty of Moses' voice creates a very unorthodox
yet deeply moving sound, which The Noise called, "Totally
sublime and deeply moving." This collaboration represents
a new experiment from all parties - something of a meeting
at the crossroads between two creative parties passing in
very different directions. Together they bring these centuries-old
songs kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Extreme
Spirituals
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic with Oral Moses
-
I’m A Rollin’ MP3
-
Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray MP3
-
A Little More Faith In Jesus MP3
-
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child MP3
-
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho MP3
-
Swing Low Sweet Chariot MP3
-
Listen To The Angels Shoutin’ MP3
-
Wayfaring Stranger MP3
-
Great Day MP3
-
Nobody Knows The Trouble I See MP3
-
Oh Freedom MP3
-
Amen MP3
 Oral
Moses-bass baritone
Michael Bierylo-guitar/programming,
sound design
Ken Field-saxophones, flutes, percussion
Erik Lindgren-acoustic grand piano
Rick Scott-synthesizer
Additional
musicians:
Jason Marchionna-percussion
Larry Dersch-drums
Couldn’t
Hear Nobody Pray, I’m A Rollin’, Joshua, Listen
To the Angels Shoutin’, Nobody Knows The Trouble I See,
Oh Freedom, and Swing Low Sweet Chariot arranged by Erik
Lindgren; A Little More Faith In Jesus and Great Day arranged
by Michael Bierylo, Wayfaring Stranger
arranged by Ken Field, Sometimes I Feel
Like A Motherless Child arranged by Harry T. Burleigh and
Erik Lindgren, Amen arranged by Erik
Lindgren and Michael Bierylo.
Produced
by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Recorded
2003-2006 at Sounds Interesting, Middleborough MA and Virtual
Planet, Brookline MA by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic
Mixed
at Mixed Emotions, Middleton, MA by Rich Durkee
Graphic
Design and Digital Imaging by Diane Menyuk, Black Cat Studio
www.blackcatstudio.com
Photography
by Margaret Wiegel
Cuneiform
Records
PO Box 8427
Silver Springs, MD 20907-8427
www.cuneiformrecords.com
Extreme
Spirituals is supported, in part, by grants from
the Massachusetts Cultural Council, as administered by the
Middleborough Cultural council.
Arrangements
for “I’m A Rollin,” “Listen To The
Angels Shoutin’,” and “Oh Freedom”
were composed by Erik Lindgren as part
of the American Composers Forum’s Community Partners
Residency Program. This program, administered by the American
Composers Forum – Boston Area Chapter and funded by
the Cherbec Advancement Foundation, enables community, cultural
and educational institutions to select a composer to create
original musical works designed around the needs of their
specific communities.
Birdsongs’
and Oral
Moses website design and maintenance by Andrew Doss: www.andrewdoss.com
Other
related releases:
Birdsongs
of the Mesozoic:
Sonic Geology (Rykodisc
RCD 20073) 1988, Faultline
(Cuneiform Run 19) 1989, Pyroclastics
(Cuneiform Rune 35) 1992, The
Fossil Record 1980-’87 (Cuneiform Rune 55),
Dancing On A’A
(Cuneiform Rune 69), Petrophonics
(Cuneiform Rune 137) 2000, The
Iridium Controversy (Cuneiform Rune 179) 2003
Oral Moses;
Deep River [with Ann Sears] (Albany Troy 332) , Amen [with
George Bailey)] (Albany Troy 459) 2001, Spirituals In Zion
(Albany Troy 587) 2003 |
