Earth Mama - A Sense of Place

Poet Wendel Berry opined that we can't really know WHO we are until we know WHERE we are. These songs spring from that idea in many forms-geographical, spiritual, cultural. From the first song, 'Detour Road' (choose love or you'll be on a detour road) played in classic jug band style like Delaney and Bonnie's 'Neverending Love for You' to the last bonus track of a sweet jazzy Christmas love song, 'Jingle Your Heart' the listener will experience the power of place in this world. Michael Buble or Harry Connick Jr. would be wise to cover this Christmas song! 'A Life Well Lived' is idea for celebration of life music, memorials, funerals, honoring the place of those who pass out of this life into the next. 'Ode to an Oriole' was written to the words of Edgar Fawcett's poem, honoring the place of ecosystems in our psyche. 'Heaven Down Below' mourns the loss of mountain habitat to devastation of mountaintop removal, development, mining and roads. 'Ribbon of Stone' is a tribute to the place, history and beauty of the beloved Blue Ridge Parkway, written by Rouse to commemorate the 75th Anniversary celebration of America's favorite drive. There is poetry in these lyrics that reaches into the heart, illuminating the value of each special place on Earth and the spirit of Earth Literacy to help us all become more thoughtful residents on the planet. Appropriate for all ages. 'If You Need a Chair' reggae tribute to building strong local economies, is ideal for families and is currently being developed as a picture book. You WILL dance to this local foods theme song! Lyrics can easily be understood and carefully crafted melodies make it a joy to sing along. There is a lovely diversity of instrumentation woven throughout the tracks, making repeated listening a pleasure. Nuance in the lyrics adds to layered understanding of our own part and responsibility in caring for and co-creating the natural world. This GOOD music for the heart and the head!

1) Detour Road (Choose Love)
2) To An Oriole
3) A Life Well Lived
4) Ribbon of Stone (Blue Ridge Parkway)
5) All That's Gold
6) Heaven Down Below (Whitetop Mountain)
7) Follow the Sun
8) Only One (When She's Gone)
9) If You Need a Chair
10) Jingle Your Heart