Album: Yes We Can /  Maria Muldaur /  13 tracks /  Roots-Blues-Soul / Telarc International

Although Maria Muldaur has been recording and performing for forty-five years, and is still identified with her seventies blockbuster hit, “Midnight At The Oasis,” her newest CD Yes We Can may be the best recording that she has put out in years. Yes We Can reflects Muldaur’s fondness for music that is heavily infused with roots and blues elements. Flying once again under the Telarc International banner, Muldaur originally set out to create a CD of protest songs, which quickly morphed into a booklet of tunes that serve as a call for peace, and at the same time remind us of our obligation to take care of Mother Earth.

Muldaur has always been an evocative singer, but her soulful renditions of songs such as Bob Dylan’s “John Brown,” are reflective of her belief that there is no glory in war. The ballad which depicts the horrors of mangled flesh, features some splendid guitar work from Shane Theriot and bassist Hutch Hutchinson, who formed one half of what Muldaur dubbed The Freed Radicals. The other two instrumentalists are the always-magnificent keyboardist David Torkanowsky and Tony Braunagel (drums / percussion). Muldaur’s gritty vocals brushstroke vivid images across a dirty canvass.

This CD however, is not about presenting grotesque images, but instead as was mentioned earlier, it is a call to harmony and peace. The opening track “Make A Better Way,” is an uplifting Earl King tune that leans toward country swing. Torkanowsky does not quite break out into a full-blown stride piano performance, but there are hints of it in his playing. Muldaur is backed by some wonderful vocalists, collectively referred to as The Women’s Voices For Peace Choir. The singers include, Muldaur’s daughter Jenni Muldaur, Kimberly Bass, Rhonda Benin, Keta Bill, Annie Sampson, Linda Tillery, Jeanie Tracy and Valerie Troutt.

If you love soulful vocals complimented by a stunning show of guitar licks then you are going to love Muldaur’s cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler).”  The singer laments about insurmountable tax burdens, increasing crime and trying to cope in a world seemingly out of control. The ordering of the songs on this album is particularly poignant as “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler),” is followed by Allen Toussaint’s song of hope, “Yes We Can, Can,” a song on which Muldaur was joined by Bonnie Raitt and Linda Tillery. Slide guitarist Joel Jaffe, joins The Free Radicals and delivers some sweet riffs.

Before she headed into the studio to record Yes We Can (the album), Muldaur extended invitations to join her, to some of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries’ foremost voices in the arena of political activism and calls for peace, to join her.  Not all of the people who appear in a singing role on this CD are known for their vocal prowess and in fact, for some this may very well be their first foray into music. Some of the names may be familiar to you, and depending on your age, some you may be less familiar with, but you are encouraged to look into the lives of each of them, because these women have been, and continue to be beacons of hope for all of us.  They are making our world a better place to live. Their names are, Amma, Joan Baez, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Jane Fonda, Anne Lamott, Odetta, Holly Near, Bonnie Raitt, Phoebe Snow and Marianne Williamson.  When you hear these women sing songs such as the Garth Brooks / Stephanie Davis tune, “We Shall Be Free,” and the traditional gospel song, “Down By The Riverside,” you should be encouraged, to find a way, to make sure that your voice is heard, above the political rhetoric and the trendy psychobabble of Dr. Laura and Dr Phil.

The tenth track is an absolute jewel as Muldaur serves up the Timmy Thomas seventies anthem, “Why Can’t We Live Together.”  On an album where Maria Muldaur clearly demonstrates that she is an accomplished multifaceted singer, she delivers a beautiful R&B / Soul cover of Thomas’ hit song. Torkanowsky is incredibly emotive on the keys and The Women’s Voices For Peace Choir provides awesome backing vocals. Theriot backs off on his guitar work, to demonstrate that he is not just about scintillating licks, but the man has a soul.  He is gentle and persuasive.

In her liner notes, Maria Muldaur quotes Pete Seeger, “If you love your country, you’ll find ways to speak up for what is right. Finding the right songs and singing them over and over again is the right way to start.”

I can think of no better way to end this review, than to encourage you to start singing the songs from Maria Muldaur’s Yes We Can, to commit them to memory, and to explore the lives of the women who appear on this terrific album and to embrace their hope for a better world.

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Reviewed July 2008