Beautiful Dreamer (2004)

Product Summary Label: Emergent/92e UPC: 00635759159428 Release Date: 8/24/2004 Buy.com Sku: 61702551 Item#: MFHR92 Buy.com Sales Rank: 25654 Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Beautiful Dreamer - Raul Malo ~ Various Artists 2. Slumber My Darling - Yo-Yo Ma/Alison Krauss/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor ~ Various Artists 3. Don't Bet On the Shanghai - BR5-49 ~ Various Artists 4. Nelly Was A Lady - Alvin Youngblood Hart ~ Various Artists 5. No One To Love - Judith Edelman ~ Various Artists 6. Camptown Races - The Duhks ~ Various Artists 7. My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight - John Prine ~ Various Artists 8. Autumn Waltz - Henry Kaiser ~ Various Artists 9. In the Eye Abides the Heart - Beth Nielsen Chapman ~ Various Artists 10. Old Folks At Home (Swanee River) - David Ball ~ Various Artists 11. Oh! Susanna - Michelle Shocked/Pete Anderson ~ Various Artists 12. Willie We Have Missed You - Grey DeLisle ~ Various Artists 13. Hard Times Come Again No More - Mavis Staples ~ Various Artists 14. Gentle Annie - Ollabelle ~ Various Artists 15. Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair - Roger McGuinn ~ Various Artists 16. Ah, May the Red Rose Live Always - Suzy Bogguss ~ Various Artists 17. Holiday Schottisch ~ Various Artists 18. Comrades Fill No Glass For Me - Ron Sexsmith ~ Various Artists   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info Though Stephen Foster died in 1864, his songs have remained part of the essential fabric of American culture. But even while most people can hum the melodies to "Camptown Races" and "Oh! Susanna," not many recognize Foster's name. BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, a tribute album that gives life to 18 of songwriter's most enduring compositions, may rectify that situation. The collection showcases Foster's witty, indelibly catchy tunes in inventive, diverse cover versions by an eclectic array of contemporary artists. Raul Malo gives voice to the lilting title track, while Alison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma team up for a near-ambient treatment of the lullaby "Slumber My Darling." The Duhks turn in a calypso-touched version of "Camptown Races," and John Prine's ragged, weary version of "My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight" suits the song's haunting sense of nostalgia. Roger McGuinn's chiming, Byrds-esque take on "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" keeps things varied, but the highlight might be Mavis Staples's inspired, gospelized reading of "Hard Times Come Again No More." The proceeds from the album go to American Roots Publishing (a non-profit organization that preserves rural American culture and art). All told, the project is a fitting tribute to one of the great-grandfathers of American song. Producer: Steve Fishell; David Macias   Technical Info Release Date : 08/24/2004 Original Release Date : 2004 Catalog ID : 591594 Label : Emergent Music Marketing Number of Discs : 1 Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Stereo SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00635759159428   Professional Reviews Entertainment Weekly (No. 809, p.73) - "[An] earthy tribute to America's first great professional songwriter..." - Grade: B