“… may fire light your spirit like a flash from above
And may fire move your body to protect what you love
”
The March 4th Fundraiser and CD Release Celebration was great fun! To be surrounded by wonderful musicians, friends, and community acquaintances in such a loving and upbeat environment was incredibly special. Perhaps most important, it was an honoring of Linda and her role as songwriter, poet, and powerful musical presence in this community, and a loving recognition of the amazing body of work she has produced for over half a century, continuing right up to this remarkable CD, “Emergence.”
Thanks to all!!
Part of that fun, too, also extended beyond the event to being able to hand over to the Food Bank the money that was raised through ticket sales and donations. The picture above is me delivering the check you see to BFB’s Administrative staffer, Erin Vonnahme. And in case you’re a numbers nerd like me, directly above is a snippet of how we arrived at the amount donated,
Scott Slaba
Dear Friends,
After over a year of writing, rehearsing, planning, studio time, art and graphics work….the new recording, Emergence, is complete!
These songs chronicle the personal journey that we’ve been on these last few years - experiences of joy and longing in our personal lives, concern over the fate of our children and our planet, worries about aging, struggles with the problem of homelessness and communities in upheaval, excitement over the growing power of the union movement, and of course, survival in spite of the numbing pandemic.
These last few years have been quite a time I think we can all agree, and hopefully this album will be for you, as it has been for me, a musical journey through the heart of it all.
Emergence contains twenty-two songs, including two previously recorded but which - I believe - are particularly relevant to these times. I’m really pleased with the way this body of songs has grown with the input of this amazing group of musicians - Julian Smedley; Cabin Fever NW (Dianne Bochsler and Tara Caldwell); Louis Ledford; Cary Black; Bob Paltrow; Jeff Willson; Laura Smith; Geof Morgan; Rebel Voices (Janet Stecher and Susan Lewis); Robert Blake; Devin Champlin; Tracy Spring; Karen Reitz; and Jen and Kristin Allen-Zito.
I’m also so very grateful to Phil Heaven, my patient engineer, to Bob Paltrow, my graphic designer, and to Su Skjersaa, my dear friend and the artist who created the background art for the cover. And gratitude always to my beloved Scott Slaba who has supported and loved me for all these many years!
I am excited and relieved. Initially, there will be physical CDs only. Since I’m “old school”, my preference is, of course, for the physical product you can hold in your hand. I know that many people don’t even have CD players in their cars any more, but bear with me here - CDs give me a chance to better show Emergence off to you complete in its cover, with graphic work in full display along with the album notes - all in one “package.” That being said, it will also be available as an online download soon. I will let you know when that happens.
Now to celebrate! The CD Release Celebration will be held on Saturday, March 4th at 6:30 at the Firehouse Arts and Events Center in Bellingham. I will be joined by 11 of the wonderful musicians on the project, and funds raised after expenses will go to the Bellingham Food Bank. Here’s the link to purchase tickets:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5700548
Below is a link to the first song on Emergence.
With love and gratitude -
Linda
You can view the short, 3-minute trailer to the “Here’s to the Women” performance above. For more information on booking a showing of this film, please contact me: www.lindasongs.com
Thank you!!! And please share!
Linda Allen
Women’s Suffrage
One-hundred years ago, Suffragists were state by state launching their final campaigns to secure the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. And then the Pandemic struck, active from 1918 through 1920. As today, people were told to wear masks and to stay home. In 1920, Carrie Chapman Catt was still trying to recover from the flu when she made her way to Nashville for the final push in a dramatic battle for passage.
I’m happy to announce that my 53-minute film of “Here’s to the Women” and the trailer (see above) are now complete! It premiered at Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Historical Park on August 23rd, and is now available for individual or group showings.
You are invited to visit our Suffrage Page to find information about the virtual program, explore both traditional and my more recently composed music of Suffrage, books, movies, links and a host of other Suffrage resources. You can also visit our store to see other Suffrage products: jewelry, note cards and more.
Be safe and celebrate our victories. And, as always, may we honor our ancestors by continuing their work for justice.
Linda
“To the wrongs that need resistance, to the right that needs assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourselves”
“Whether tender or strident, lyrical or percussive, her vocal eloquence adds to the power of her lyrics and music
”
To listen to tracks and read about each song, click on the image above.
““Allen’s life work uncovers the injustice, focuses on that and brings song to help mend and move through our life cycles. Congrats to Allen on fifty years.”
”
“Linda Allen: Hear Her Roar”, Entertainment News Northwest, April 2019. Read the article here.
Back in the late 1970s, when I was newly arrived in Bellingham, I put together a CETA grant to create the Rainy Day Songbook and an accompanying cassette. I worked with the Whatcom Museum, the library, and a host of wonderful musicians, some of whom have now passed on. The Rainy Day Songbook is long out of print, but I recently found the master for the cassette, and Phil Heaven re-mastered it. With copyright considerations, it is not available to download, but you can listen to it all. The Songbook is only available used, but some of the highlights are also online.
I have just loved hearing these voices from out of the past. For a taste of the fun stuff that’s in this collection, click on on the audio track to “Silver Tip” just to the right.
To access all the songs on the album, go to our Washington, My Home link and click the ‘Listen” button.
Have fun!
To listen to an archive of the Rainy Day Band in concert:
The Rainy Day Band
