Mellow Music Masters Create Tsunami Benefit Hands Across The Water CD Marks Disaster’s Anniversary By Jeff Eason Irish band Altan collaborates with singer Vince Gill on the track “Let’s Heal” on the new benefit album Hands Across the Water. Young Irish singing sensation Pauline Scanlon sings “Part of Your History” with Blue Merle on the new tsunami benefit album Hands Across The Water. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were incredible disasters no doubt. But in terms of human lives lost, they were nothing compared to the tsunami that swept across Southeast Asia late last year, killing an estimated 275,000 people. A group of musicians, led by Andrea Zonn and John Cutcliffe, have gone to extreme measures to make sure we don’t forget about the tsunami victims—especially the children—still needing our help. Zonn and Cutcliffe helmed an incredibly ambitious musical project that has resulted in the release this month of the Compass Records album Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami. The album will be released the first week of 2006 top mark the anniversary of the disaster. Advance orders are being taken now. “‘It will never work.’ That’s what I said to John Cutliffe on December 28, 2004,” said Zonn, co-producer of the Hands Across the Water project. “He and I were talking on the phone two days after the devastating Southeast Asia tsunami disaster. We were both overwhelmed by the footage of the destruction. As our conversation progressed, we realized how oddly connected we felt to the victims half a world away, but moreover, how powerless we felt to help in a meaningful way. “An idea evolved; what if we could pool our collective circle of friends and colleagues into one giant creative endeavor to help? Surely we could generate more funds to aid the disaster victims than if we were to reach into our own pockets. What if we could entice our friends to spend a few hours in the studio to contribute to this cause? “And now, here we are. Over 100 musicians, 30 engineers and 30 studios and thousands of emails, phone calls, data transfers and text messages later: 16 gorgeous tracks. Profound moments in time to help rebuild the lives of children we may never meet.” The collection of musical friends that Zonn and Cutcliffe employed for the project was truly impressive. Hands Across the Water features performances by many artists with MerleFest connections such as Darrell Scott, Jon Randall, Bryan Sutton, the Duhks, Alison Brown, Maura O’Connell, Tim O’Brien, Mindy Smith, John Prine, Beth Nielson Chapman, Rodney Crowell, Blue Merle, Stuart Duncan, John Cowan, Jim Lauderdale and Jerry Douglas. Other prominent musicians on the project are Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Paul Rodden, Karen Matheson, Lunasa, Jackson Browne, Solas, Pauline Scanlon, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Cerys Matthews, The Brock McGuire Band and many others. The album is incredible beautiful and mellow—as befitting a collaboration between so many bluegrass and Celtic musicians. The acoustic instruments fairly sizzle and all of the voices sound strong and true. Musicologists and fans of certain artists will definitely want to purchase the album, not only to help the benefit, but also to acquire rare tracks such as Jackson Browne’s version of “A Man of Constant Sorrow,” Tim O’Brien’s lush take on “Fair and Tender Ladies,” John Prine’s “‘Til a Tear Becomes a Rose” and Darrell Scott’s heartfelt “This Beggar’s Heart.” For more information on Hands Across the Water, visit www.handsacrossthewater.com. Back Against the Wall If you are interested in a musical project that includes a bunch of top-flight performers in a more rocking setting, be on the lookout for the new album Back Against the Wall. If you haven’t guessed by now, it is a remaking of the Pink Floyd classic thematic album The Wall. Produced by musician Billy Sherwood in recording sessions last year as a 25th anniversary tribute to the Pink Floyd opus, the album features all of the original tracks in the original order as re-recorded by some of the big names in classic rock, progressive rock and hard rock. Back Against the Wall features Adrian Belew, Alan White, Keith Emerson, Ian Anderson, Tony Levin, Jay Schellen, Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dweezil Zappa, Fee Waybill, Ronnie Montrose, Mike Porcaro, John Wetton, Larry Fast, Robby Krieger, Tommy Shaw, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire, Tony Kaye and others recreating one of the most popular rock albums of all time. And they succeed at it. That’s mainly because the talent level is so high and because Sherwood guides everyone through a delicate balance of staying true to the original material and adding something new to the mix. For example, Ian Anderson’s distinctive flute adds atmospheric texture to “The Thin Ice” while Yes guitarist Steve Howe’s intricate acoustic flurries on “Vera” transforms that song into one of the highlights of the album. Pink purists will probably scoff at a group old geezers like those assembled for this project trying to inject new life into a rock classic. But that’s exactly what they do. Recommended for Pink Floyd and classic rock fans.