Roots Music Report

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Ken Dunn's New Album "Ashes In The Morning" Releases to Radio May 1 

Trespass Music is pleased to release Ken Dunn's brand new album "Ashes In The Morning" to radio worldwide May 1, 2020.  This album is the followup to recent albums "Live In L.A." and "Wondrous Beauty" and "The Great Unknown" all well-received by the folk community.  

Ken Dunn | HAMILTON ON CANADA | FOLK 

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From Ken Dunn - "After two years of writing, rehearsing, arranging, and recording I am thrilled to announce the completion of my 9th album of original music, entitled "Ashes in the Morning" which will be released by Trespass Music in May 2020.   

I feel very passionate about this record which I view as a clarion call to embrace love, compassion, hope, gratitude, and non-violent activism as positive change agents in this unprecedented and challenging era of COVID-19, climate change, species loss, and upheaval on so many levels. I hope the music contained herein serves to inspire positive change both within yourself and the fragile world we share." 

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Words and music by Ken Dunn © 2020. SOCAN/ASCAP *Focus Tracks

*1.  KING HIGH TIDE (4:25) – Increasingly confronted by the reality of environmental destruction, I find that I can no longer hide from my responsibility to create a better world. 
*2. COME BACK JONI (6:29) – A song in which I conjure the spirit medicine of Joni Mitchell, while literally running from wildfires in British Columbia. 
3. TALKING TALES OF WANDERING (2:40) – A tale whereby the human race emerges from apocalyptic crisis with a stronger sense of home and purpose. 
4. RED AND PURPLE TOO (5:43) – This is both a warning against the peddlers of darkness and a reminder that we are rainbow warriors in the service of love. 
*5. DEEP IN THE HIVE (4:42) – Whether against ourselves, our fellow humans, other species, or the environment – war is never winnable. Now is the time to stop. 
6. WATER IS LIFE (3:00) – A modern cliché perhaps, but this song was written in honor of the indigenous water protectors around the globe. 
7. DOOMED (5:33) – This song emerged from some random thoughts during an extended power outage, although I may need to add a verse about
COVID-19. 
8. LAUGHTER IN YOUR VEINS (2:49) – This is a call to celebrate the magic and wonder of life with every breath we have the good fortune to draw. 
9. FAREWELL TO THE CAGES (2:52) – Though we shed these mortal coils and say goodbye to Mother Earth, the human spirit will never die. 

CREDITS AND THANK YOUS

Words and music by Ken Dunn (SOCAN, ASCAP) © 2020 Ken Dunn. Mixed, mastered, and produced by Ken Dunn. 

Ken Dunn – vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, keyboard, & white deer drum on Track 2 
Mark Mariash – drums & percussion on all tracks 
Randy Martin – bass on Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 
Anna Green – backing and harmony vocals on Tracks 1, 2, 4, 8, & 9 
Ben Grossman – hurdy gurdy on Tracks 2, 3, 6, & 9 
Tyler Beckett – fiddle on Tracks  1 & 3 
Michael G. Ronstadt – cello on Track 5 
Dean Drouillard – electric tremolo guitar on Track 8 

Recorded at Orca Sound, Garden Bay, B.C. by Ken Dunn and Track6, Durham, Ontario by Randy Martin. Additional drums and percussion recorded by Mark Mariash at StarBird in Durham, Ontario. Hurdy gurdy recorded by Ben Grossman in Toronto. Cello recorded by Michael G. Ronstadt in Cincinnati. Tremolo electric guitar recorded by Dean Drouillard at Hepbourne Lab in Toronto. 

Orca recording on Track 2 from “Sounds of Dolphins and Whales” on the coast of Venezuela by José Morillo & Wilfredo Rodriguez, licensed under Creative Commons. Cover and disc art “Noch Slak” by Wilfred Langdon Kihn, also licensed under Creative Commons. Inside booklet art “Haida Carving” courtesy Tony Hisgett, Birmingham, UK. 

Many thanks to everyone who inspired and contributed to the realization of this recording. In particular, I am forever grateful to my life and musical partner, Anna Green for her patience, love, and support. 

Thanks also to the indigenous and settler communities of British Columbia, with special thanks to Mark Trevis for the gift of the white deer drum heard on “Come Back Joni”. Special thanks to my Trespass Music team of Michelle Fortier and Larry Ahearn and the team at Indie Pool in Toronto.

ABOUT KEN DUNN 

"Highly evocative and intriguing" (fRoots, UK), the music of Ken Dunn "sneaks into your feet, heart, and soul" (No Depression, USA), offering "refreshing insight into human complexities" (Festival of Friends, Hamilton) with a style characterized as "the folk tradition, with integrity and sincerity" (Chart, Toronto). Whether mining the depths of human emotion or pleading the case for social and environmental justice, Ken's songs are "filled with the human spirit" (CFMU Radio, Hamilton). 

Combining an adept finger style acoustic guitar technique with "strong, distinctive vocals" (R2, Dublin), and "brilliant songwriting" (Hemifran, Sweden), Ken delivers his positive message directly to the soul of the listener with a style compared to that of Neil Young (Roots Time, Germany).  Known for his engaging stage presence, sense of humour and delightful storytelling, Ken performs either solo or with partner Anna Green, whose vocal harmonies add an ethereal dimension to live performances. 

A veteran Canadian folk singer-songwriter, Ken has performed at hundreds of venues over the past 30 years, across Canada, the U.S., and Central America from concert halls to festivals and cafes, sharing the bill with folk and roots icons as diverse as Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie P. Bennett, Valdy, and Garnet Rogers. More recently, he has showcased with a number of emerging young Canadian artists including Annie Sumi, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, and Moonfruits to name but a few. 

Ken's passion for social and environmental justice is evident in the many benefit concerts he performs, supporting charities as diverse as the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Amnesty International, Playing For Change and LA Family Housing. 

Ken has released 8 albums featuring some of Canada's finest studio musicians, including Dennis Pendrith (Tom Paxton), Dean Drouillard (Jill Barber), Mark Mariash (Buffy Sainte Marie), Randall Hill, and Roly Platt. Ken's recordings have received critical acclaim, extensive airplay, and placement in film scores. His most recent albums, "Live in L.A."  and "Wondrous Beauty" were released to radio worldwide by Trespass Music in February 2019 and September 2017 respectively. In support of the album, Ken will tour Canada and the U.S. 

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Discography

change album image	Anthology, Volume 1 Details Label: Trespass Music Genres: Folk Styles: Contemporary Folk Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre 1 If You're Lost Contemporary Folk Folk 2 Fukushima Nightmares Contemporary Folk Folk 3 Letter to My Son Contemporary Folk Folk 4 Tahlequah (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 5 Hold on Contemporary Folk Folk 6 Forsaken by These Blues Contemporary Folk Folk 7 Laughter in Your Veins Contemporary Folk Folk 8 Winds of Emotion (Live) Contemporary Folk Folk 9 Heart of Mine Contemporary Folk Folk 10 Old Pouring Rain Contemporary Folk Folk 11 Dance of the Winter Fairies Contemporary Folk Folk 12 Arms of Reason Contemporary Folk Folk 13 Mermaid of Avila (Live) Contemporary Folk Folk 14 Still I Believe Contemporary Folk Folk 15 Hard Yellow Light Contemporary Folk Folk 16 Hills of Strathavon Contemporary Folk Folk 17 One Last Question Contemporary Folk Folk 18 St. James Infirmary Contemporary Folk Folk 19 By a Windowsill Contemporary Folk Folk 20 Don't Believe (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk
change album image	Ashes in the Morning Details Label: Trespass Music Genres: Folk, Rock Styles: Contemporary Folk, Roots Rock Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre 1 King High Tide Contemporary Folk Folk 2 Come Back Joni Contemporary Folk Folk 3 Talking Tales of Wandering Contemporary Folk Folk 4 Red and Purple Too Contemporary Folk Folk 5 Deep in the Hive Contemporary Folk Folk 6 Water is Life Contemporary Folk Folk 7 Doomed Contemporary Folk Folk 8 Laughter in Your Veins Contemporary Folk Folk 9 Farewell to the Cages Contemporary Folk Folk
change album image	Live in L.A. Label: Self-Release Genres: Folk Styles: Contemporary Folk, Folk Songs on the Album Track # Song Title Style Genre Heart of Mine (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk Shifting Sand - details Contemporary Folk Folk St. James Infirmary (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 1 Shifting Sand (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 2 Lifestream (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 3 Tahlequah (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 5 Precious Life (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 6 Fire, Wind, the Earth, and Rain (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 7 Farewell to the Cages (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 8 Don't Believe (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 10 Naked and Amazed (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 11 Wild Horse (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk 12 Saskatoon (Live) - details Contemporary Folk Folk