February news: The new CD, Earthbound, is here and the Release Concert is February 25 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Percussionist, Marc Anderson, and Bassist, Enrique Toussaint, will be my special guests. The Cedar is the premier Twin Cities venue for Folk and World music, and I’m delighted to celebrate the release with you at this fine venue. Reserve your tickets now at www.thecedar.org/tickets Earthbound was recorded in St. Paul with engineer and co-producer Marc Anderson. It features 14 original songs, ranging from contemporary folk ballads to traditional, country gospel & bluegrass. Lyrically, it traverses the Earth, the heart, mysteries of God, politics, women, love, disillusionment, joy, and the whimsical. The CD also features Peter Ostroushko’s mandolin and fiddle, Adam Granger’s flat picking, Prudence Johnson’s vocal harmonies and Dirk Freymuth’s electric guitar. Percussionist, Marc Anderson, & bassist, Enrique Toussaint, also grace the album and will be accompanying Barb at the live concert. Included on this release are the title track "Earthbound" a lively celebration of the creative process, "90 Years 28 Moves", the melancholic tale of an old woman who can’t settle down, "This Empire Is Falling", a challenge to the power elite and a call for change, "Song For the Mother’s Gospel", an archetypal questioning of the fate of God the Mother in the face of praises for God the Father, and in keeping with her gift for topical humor, "Spam Me", an adaptation of Roger Miller’s "Dang Me" bemoaning the woes of email spam.