Stars Lend Their Stripes To The Song Of America
Former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno is showing her patriotism and love of music by executive producing a new three-CD compilation called The Song Of America.
Songwriter/producer Ed Pettersen helped put the package together, and he enlisted an eclectic group of artists that includes John Mellencamp, Devendra Banhart, Martha Wainwright, Andrew Bird, Danielson, John Wesley Harding and Marah to cover songs from America’s past.
“The historical detail of the songs fascinated me and I suggested that Ed [Pettersen] record a whole album of songs focusing on key periods in American history in order to tell our story to young people who might find joy in learning history through music,” says Reno of the concept.
The Song Of America will be released by Split Rock Records/31 Tigers on Sept. 18. Here are its tracks:
- Earl Bullhead — “Lakota Dream Song”
- Julie Lee — “Once More Our God Vouchesafe To Shine”
- Blind Boys Of Alabama — “Let Us Break Bread Together”
- John Wesley Harding — “God Save The King”
- Elizabeth Foster — “Young Ladies In Town”
- Malcolm Holcombe — “The Old Woman Taught Wisdom”
- Ed Pettersen — “The Liberty Song”
- Harper Simon — “Yankee Doodle”
- The Wilders — “Jefferson & Liberty”
- Steven Kowalczyk-Santoro — “Hail Columbia”
- Take 6 — “Star Spangled Banner”
- Beth Nielsen Chapman — “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”
- Freedy Johnston — “Peg And Awl”
- BR549 — “Sweet Betsy From Pike”
- Will Hill and Jehnean Day Washington — “Trail Of Tears”
- Minton Sparks and Pat Flynn — “Declaration Of Sentiments”
- Fisk Jubilee Singers — “Go Down Moses”
- Mavericks featuring Thad Cockrell — “Dixie’s Land”
- Marah — “John Brown’s Body”
- Joanna Smith — “Battle Hymn Of The Republic”
- Janis Ian — “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”
- Tim O’Brien — “Thousands Are Sailing To Amerikay”
- Otis Gibbs — “The Farmer Is The Man”
- Joni Harms — “Home On The Range”
- Jake Shimabukuro — “Stars & Stripes Forever”
- Jen Chapin — “Over There”
- Andrew Bird — “How You Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm”
- Karen Parks — “Lift Every Voice And Sing”
- Danielson — “Happy Days Are Here Again”
- Andy Bey — “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?”
- Jim Lauderdale — “Seven Cent Cotton And Forty Cent Meat”
- Old Crow Medicine Show — “Deportee”
- Suzy Bogguss — “Rosie The Riveter”
- Folk Family Robinson (Black Crowes with Stan Robinson) — “Reuben James”
- Scott Kempner — “Apache Tears”
- Elizabeth Cook And The Grascals — “The Great Atomic Power”
- Devendra Banhart — “Little Boxes”
- The Del McCoury Band — “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
- Kim Richey — “Get Together”
- The Dynamites with Charles Walker — “Say It Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud”
- Ben Taylor — “Ohio”
- Anthony David — “What’s Going On”
- Martha Wainwright — “I Am Woman”
- Matthew Ryan — “Youngstown”
- Bettye LaVette — “Streets Of Philadelphia”
- Gary Heffern and Chris Eckman — “Wave”
- Shortee — “The Message”
- Judith Edelman and Neilson Hubbard — “Sleep, My Child (Schlof Mayn Kind)”
- The Wrights — “Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning”
- John Mellencamp — “This Land Is Your Land”
