Deborah Van Kleef: Home
SING OUT THE VOTE OHIO
I recently had a chance to be part of "Sing Out the Vote Ohio." Organized in a scant 3 weeks by Holly Near, SOTVO was a whirlwind nine-city tour of everybody's favorite swing state, intended to promote early voting, and to celebrate and motivate thousands of Obama campaign volunteers. In addition to concerts, musicians played at rallies, colleges, farmers markets and on the street. I played in the first two events of the tour, in Cleveland on October 20, and Kent on October 21.
Over 20 performers participated in all, in a joyous celebration of the power of music in grassroots movements for change. It was a peak experience for all of us, and judging from their responses, for many audience members as well.
YOUTUBE: Click on "Links" see video of me, along with Holly Near, John McCutcheon, Laura Love, emma's revolution (Pat Humphries & Sandy O), Kiya Heartwood of Wishing Chair, Vanessa & Tamara Torres, Roy Zimmerman, the Prince Myshkins Sue Jeffers in Cleveland and Kent, scroll down to the YouTube links below. That’s me on “Talking Health Care,” and backing up old & new friends on washboard, kazoo and harmony vocals.
If you like what you see and hear, share them via YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc., and by sending this e-mail on to every friend in your address book. You can also give them high ratings and add them to your favorites
XM RADIO: John McCutcheon has produced an hour-long recording of material from the October 22 Columbus concert, with Holly Near, emma's revolution, Laura Love, John McCutcheon, Wishing Chair, Vanessa and Tamara Torres, Roy Zimmerman, Andre dos Santos Morgan, Tory Trujillo and Poet On Watch. It will air on Saturday, November 1, at 4:00 pm Eastern Time, but you can hear it right now. Just scroll down... and again, please let your friends know right away.
WORK IN PROGRESS
I am very proud to say that I released my first CD, "Work in Progress," July 12. A capacity crowd filled the back room at Loganberry Books (check it out at www.loganberrybooks.com), made short work of the refreshments and bought lots of CDs. I got to play live versions of many of the songs on the CD, with the expert backing of Gene Epstein on bass and Seth Rosen on guitar and mandolin. Everyone who attended got a complimentary "Work in Progress" kazoo. After "Banjo on My Knee Blues" (from the 1936 recording by Louisiana Lou), which includes the line "'Way down in Alabama with my banjo on my knee," the audience lifted their kazoos and joined us in a rousing rendition of "Oh Susanna."
Thanks to everyone who helped -- Mom, Dad, Susan, Karen, Gail, Beth, Mary, Jim, Steve, Seth, Gene and Isaac, and especially Harriett Logan and her staff for making such a beautiful space available for us. (I'm sure I've omitted someone -- my apologies...)
Where to get "Work in Progress," the debut CD by Deborah Van Kleef:
• Buy it online at CD Baby
Click "BUY" at left
• Download individual songs or album at iTunes (search on "Deborah Van Kleef")
• In Cleveland, pick it up at Loganberry Books, at 13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights (a block north of Shaker Square), www.loganberrybooks.com, 216-795-9800
• Send a check for $18 ($15 + $3 postage & handling), payable to Third Story Music, Inc. to: Deborah Van Kleef, 3251 Clarendon Road, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118 USA
Early praise for Work in Progress:
After years of being a fan, friend and champion of folk musicians everywhere, Deborah Van Kleef has finally come out with a CD of her own — and it’s a gem. Her long apprenticeship to the likes of Woody Guthrie and Malvina Reynolds is evident in her own luminous compositions, where history, humor and passion combine to give us songs that tell real stories. Whether mining the rich lodes of traditional music, taking on bosses that ride the backs of their workers all the way to the bank, or singing a simple love song to her son, Deborah Van Kleef reminds us and reassures us that music — and we — are powerful.
-- John McCutcheon
Great musical variety, heart and soul!
-- Cathy Fink
What a splendid CD! The choice of songs is excellent, [the] band the same. I started out by making a list of favorites and found that it added up to nearly half the album.
-- Peggy Seeger
Deb has a nice, natural voice, and sings with feeling and conviction. The songs are first rate — about half of them are her own fine compositions, and deal with everything from health care to a local strike against McDonald's to her personal experiences, all well crafted and well performed.
-- Alice Gerrard
Deborah Van Kleef sings with passion and skill on behalf of working people.
-- Bob Franke
Some unexpected accolades:
[T]he songs are in my head... and, for what it's worth, the dog likes them too. If I play this CD she can ride in the car without stress -- it's the only CD we've found that she likes.
–- Mary Kelsey
My seven-year old daughter constantly begs me to switch from NPR to Work in Progress [while riding in the car]. She... sits in back reading the lyrics and gleefully announcing what song comes next. It's provided a good jumping off point for discussing issues that don't always come up with the seven-year old set...
-- Amy Hanauer