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Mara Levine / Digital Tracks Available / Radio Release: January 1, 2019 / Public Release March 1, 2019 / Label: Mara's Creations/Independent
Note: Shipping within the US $4 additional, International $15
“Mara Levine has done it again! Beautifully articulated, Mara's latest recording, "Facets of Folk" is a perfect complement of her gorgeous vocals
Mara Levine / Digital Tracks Available / Radio Release: January 1, 2019 / Public Release March 1, 2019 / Label: Mara's Creations/Independent
Note: Shipping within the US $4 additional, International $15
“Mara Levine has done it again! Beautifully articulated, Mara's latest recording, "Facets of Folk" is a perfect complement of her gorgeous vocals with a strong sense of who she is and how she wants to express herself. She meticulously picks each song and orders them so that you will be taken on a moving journey. The album reflects a strong theme of social conscience throughout.”
- Jeanne Holton, WMNF-FM Tampa, FL
Called "one of the best singers of her generation" by Christine Lavin, folksinger and jewelry designer Mara Levine, like a skilled gem cutter, selects songs with inherent beauty, examines them carefully, then crafts and polishes them to a glittering brilliance. According to folksinger and activist Si Kahn, “Layering harmony line on top of harmony line, Levine creates rich tapestries of sound and emotion.”
With her third album, FACETS OF FOLK, Levine has found her true voice and it rings clearly and powerfully like a bell or chime, reminiscent of her inspirations Judy Collins and Joan Baez, as she explores some of the different faces of the folk genre. Most songs on the project are filled with Levine’s lush harmony arrangements and invite the listener to sing along.
“As I was selecting material for my third” CD said Levine, “I was inspired by the current political and social challenges facing us today, and thought a great deal about the importance of speaking out against injustice, both societal, and for people in our lives who are being wronged.”
On FACETS OF FOLK, Levine presents a number of songs of social conscience with themes of taking a stand, making a difference, considering the treatment of others and becoming a better person. Those tunes, written by popular contemporary songwriters as well as emerging talents, are all carefully set among folk favorites and lesser known songs. The lead off track, “You Reap What You Sow,” (Susan Shann) recorded with bluegrass luminaries Greg Blake, Bob Harris, Rob Ickes, Andy Leftwich, Mollie O’Brien, Mark Schatz and Scott Vestal, was extremely well received when it was released as a single in November 2017, hitting #1 on the Folk DJ chart and spending 22 weeks on the Bluegrass Today Grassicana chart.
A traditional holiday song from the Scottish Hebrides, “Taladh Chriosda” has been re-recorded with frequent touring partners Gathering Time. Four additional songs were recorded with Gathering Time, including a rousing version of the Tommy Sands protest anthem, “Daughters and Sons”, featuring special guests Kim and Reggie Harris swapping lead vocals with Levine, and “By My Silence” a provocative warning about the perils of remaining passive in the face of injustice, written by award winning Florida singer-songwriters Ellen Bukstel and Nick Annis, which reached #1 on the Folk DJ Chart when it was released as a single in September 2017.
FACETS OF FOLK was co-produced by Bob Harris, (Johnny Cash, Vasser Clements, Girlyman) who plays guitar and helped with arrangements on many of the tracks, and also with John Guth (Tom Chapin, Galt MacDermot) who plays various instruments and helped with arrangements on five of the tracks. Other contributing musicians; Kim and Reggie Harris, Robin Greenstein, Michael G. Ronstadt, Ed Trickett, Josh Joffen, Terry Kitchen, Caroline Cutroneo, Jan Alba, Harold Morton, Sean McComiskey, Barbara Novick, Cheryl Prashker, Tilman Reitzle, Akiva Wharton and Patrice Avsharian Wiseman.