New York, NY (Top40 Charts) It was at his show at the Proud Camden in London, only three days after one of the most shocking elections in US history that Chaim Tannenbaum decided to unveil his version of
America The Beautiful. Still reeling from the election results, the audience was left overwhelmed simply by the pure emotion and sincerity Tannenbaum expressed behind every word. The performance stood as an encouraging reminder that now more than ever must the core values and spirit
America was founded on not be forgotten. The couplets at the end of the last two verses below instilled the powerful and relevant message into the minds of the audience.
America, America,
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free.
and
America, America.
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy shining jubilee.
A few weeks after the Proud Camden show, in a New Jersey concert with Loudon Wainwright III, Chaim again sang
America the Beautiful. Wainwright was so moved by the performance that he encouraged him to record it. So Chaim, together with producer/StorySound label head Dick Connette, immediately went to work to record and release a studio version. Wanting to amplify the message of the song, Chaim then collaborated with
Robin Forte-Lincke to make a lyric video, with images that portray what
America has been, and, he hopes, could still be.
As Chaim explains the reasoning behind his performance and recording of the song, "In a former time,
America was the hope of mankind. We had an idea, I, C.J. Camerieri (trumpet, french horn) and Marcus Rojas (euphonium, tuba), that by calling to mind that former time, we might give courage to ourselves and to others who might wish to recover its spirit and mandate."
This is Tannenbaum's first release since May of last year, when he unveiled his self-titled debut album at the age of 68. Having dedicated the majority of his years to the work of other musicians and a teaching career in philosophy, and after constant encouragement from friends, family and fans, Tannenbaum finally decided it was time to begin a music career of his own. Folk Alley premiered the entire album stating, "This feels and sounds like an all-important historical recording from someone who has lived and breathed folk music for decades." Acoustic Guitar Magazine also raved "There's an ancient wisdom to the songs of Chaim Tannenbaum."
Stream Chaim Tannenbaum's self-titled album here on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1ry9iLKIrrW92F71v2EmXO
Since the mid-1960s, Chaim has played a role in the production of over 20 albums as either a player or producer. Having formed a long-term friendship with Kate and Anna McGarrigle in high school, Chaim was on call all the way into the twenty first century to record and tour with the McGarrigle sisters. Through his strong McGarrigle ties, he eventually met Loudon Wainwright III, Kate's husband, who he became fast friends with and who he began regularly performing, recording, and even producing with. Since, he's also collaborated with
Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, and Teddy Thomson, as well as performing with Emmylou Harris, Peggy Seeger, Richard Thompson, and
Martin Carthy.
