Album Notes

Announcing the release of our live soundtrack recording of "Singin' the Moon Up: The Voice of Jean Ritchie" from our critically-acclaimed theatre production at Penn State Centre Theatre in September, 2005. The CD recording features folk and bluegrass recording artist Susie Glaze, multi-instrumentalists (and Ritchie sons) Jon and Peter Pickow, and East coast fiddling legend Kenny Kosek, performing 22 selections from the Jean Ritchie collection, both traditional family ballads and play-party tunes, as well as Jean's stunning original songs about the Kentucky coal mining culture. Part concert, part story-telling, this theatre piece was loosely adapted from Jean's wonderful memoir "Singing Family of the Cumberlands" by writer/director Steve Rankin.

Reviews:
"The life of legendary singer Jean Ritchie and the essence of her authentic folk music style is captured in ...an evening filled with happy and sad, serious and humorous stories told with love and grace...the brightest star of the evening is Susie Glaze...her clear, clean angelic voice could not be more perfectly suited to the music she performs, from the most mournful ballads to...upbeat tunes. Glaze delivers the kind of performance that audiences hope never ends, filled with love for the material and the life it captures." - Harry Zimbler, Centre Daily Times

"...Pennsylvania Centre Stage's world premier production of "Singing the Moon Up" delivers the music and times of an American folk legend...Director Steve Rankin's adaptation of writings, songs and commentary by folk icon Jean Ritchie is rich, complex slice of American music and culture...The wide range of songs and snippets from Ritchie's life are delivered with reverent presence, matter-of-factness and clean technique by an ideal cast…Susie Glaze is nothing less than transfixing as the youthful Ritchie, with warm, piercing eyes and unpretentious, angelic voice. Glaze's delivery has a mesmerizing quality as she draws a song from deep inside and delivers it straight into the eyes and heart of her listener…and fiddler Kenny Kosek, who played with Ritchie in the 1970s, lend brilliant yet subtle detail and polish to make each tune resonate newly. The performance belies more than a reverence ~ there is a relishing of the song and the moment in which it lives..." - Michael Casper, Altoona Mirror

The CD will be available for online sales beginning in early July 2007 on CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com) and Amazon (www.amazon.com). To view photos and video from the 2005 production, please visit www.susieglaze.com

“These songs will live on, as long as there is a porch, and a family, to Sing the Moon Up!”