AUDIO REVIEW - The Weavers: Vanguard Visionaries
The Weavers
Vanguard Visionaries
Vanguard 73155-2
(www.vanguardrecords.com)
The hearty folk harmonies of the vocal quartet the Weavers, formed in 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert (b. 1926), Lee Hays (1914-1981), Fred Hellerman (b. 1927), and Pete Seeger (b. 1919), continue to enchant and inspire. On this selection of 1960s recordings, they sing "Guantanamera," a yearningly warmhearted 1920s Cuban song: "I am a sincere man/ From where the palm tree grows/ And before dying I want/ To share the verses of my soul." As singer-activists, the Weavers share their souls with us, especially through the rich contralto of Gilbert, one of the most resplendent voices in American popular music. Blacklisted during the McCarthy era, the group sings the proudly inclusive empowering anthem, "This Land Is Your Land," that has particular meaning in our own time of government-trampled liberties. At the 2006 Grammy Awards ceremony, when the Weavers were given the Lifetime Achievement Award, Hellerman declared inspiringly that if listeners "stay the course . . . of decency and good sense, you can outlast your enemies with your honor and integrity intact."
Vanguard Visionaries
Vanguard 73155-2
(www.vanguardrecords.com)
The hearty folk harmonies of the vocal quartet the Weavers, formed in 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert (b. 1926), Lee Hays (1914-1981), Fred Hellerman (b. 1927), and Pete Seeger (b. 1919), continue to enchant and inspire. On this selection of 1960s recordings, they sing "Guantanamera," a yearningly warmhearted 1920s Cuban song: "I am a sincere man/ From where the palm tree grows/ And before dying I want/ To share the verses of my soul." As singer-activists, the Weavers share their souls with us, especially through the rich contralto of Gilbert, one of the most resplendent voices in American popular music. Blacklisted during the McCarthy era, the group sings the proudly inclusive empowering anthem, "This Land Is Your Land," that has particular meaning in our own time of government-trampled liberties. At the 2006 Grammy Awards ceremony, when the Weavers were given the Lifetime Achievement Award, Hellerman declared inspiringly that if listeners "stay the course . . . of decency and good sense, you can outlast your enemies with your honor and integrity intact."
to your door!
Post new comment