News & Reviews

BUY THE ALBUM

Album by L.A. Musician/Activist and Group, Due September 19th on Concord Records, Spans Musical Genres, Also Features Guests Ozomatli, Keb’ Mo’ and Hugh Masekela

Fred Martin, a Los Angeles-based teacher, who for years has used gospel music to rescue kids from the perils of the streets, has joined forces with Jackson Browne and a line-up of extraordinary guests for a unique album, Some Bridges (due September 19th on Concord Records).

Martin’s handpicked group of singers and players, The Levite Camp – named after the Biblical tribe of musician-priests – digs into a powerful set of socially and spiritually engaged material on the disc, including six songs by Browne, who contributed lead vocals on two tracks, played guitar and co-produced Some Bridges with Martin.

Other contributors on the album include Los Angeles’ Grammy winning, genre-blending alternative groove collective, Ozomatli, famed jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela and celebrated bluesman Keb’ Mo’ (who joins in a raucous fusion of the Robert Johnson blues classic “Crossroads” and the gospel standard “Until I Found the Lord”).  Also among the album’s gifted roster of players are percussionist Luis Conte, guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Mark Goldenberg, John Bilezikjian on the Oud, and bassists Kevin McCormick and Alex Al.  Sheven Morris plays drums on the entire album.  Some Bridges combines soul, funk, jazz, pop, rock and gospel into a fiery amalgam, forsaking genre distinctions in the name of a higher purpose.  Martin is fond of noting that Thomas Dorsey, the father of modern gospel, upset some church people when he combined religious music with jazz and blues.  “What’s ironic,” he relates, “is that his music is now considered traditional gospel.”

Martin’s tireless shepherding of Los Angeles youth inspired the album’s title track.  Browne, who has joined the charismatic musician, instructor and choirmaster onstage periodically since the early ’90s, penned the song some years ago; The Levite Camp reprises it here in an especially soulful rendition.  “Some bridges are falling down,” goes the song’s refrain. “Some bridges are still around.”  Martin’s role as a bridge that still stands, even as much of the social infrastructure collapses around him, is at the heart of the project.  The Levite Camp, too, is a bridge – this ever-evolving group provides gifted young performers a path to new horizons.

Browne sings lead on two of his own songs, “World In Motion” and “Don’t You Want To Be There.” Martin, meanwhile, has added a powerful, soul-searching last verse to Browne’s “Lives in the Balance,” which also boasts surging musical accompaniment from Ozomatli.  On other tracks, the Levites (fronted by powerhouse singers Chavonne Morris and Alethea Mills) address issues of faith (“That’s What He Said”), hearing one’s inner voice (“The Next Voice Your Hear,” featuring Masekela’s unmistakable horn) and dedication to truth and social change (“About My Imagination”). 

The Levite Camp is the distillation of Martin’s many years of work as a choir director, teacher and mentor.  In addition to working with Browne, his choirs have backed up the likes of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, the Neville Brothers and many other artists, performed at MusiCares tribute to Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson and appeared at numerous award shows and on film and TV soundtracks.  For four years, they were the featured performers on the stage at the Los Angeles House of Blues’ famed Gospel Brunch. 

A native of the tumultuous South Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, Martin taught himself music through diligent study and played church organ in his youth.  Shortly after graduating from high school, he taught at Lynwood High; he was later hired by the L.A. Unified School District and subsequently taught music at a number of area schools.  In 2002, he launched the Urban Entertainment Institute, which teaches city youth about everything from musicianship to career management.  “These kids were hanging out on the streets, because they had nowhere to go, nothing to do,” he notes.  “We’re giving them a purpose and building up their self-esteem and self-respect.  We’re exposing them to a world they didn’t know exists.” 

It is Martin’s indefatigable dedication that is responsible for Some Bridges. Browne casually mentioned after he and Martin’s choir had performed together at a concert to support the arts at Washington Preparatory High School in South Central Los Angeles that he would like to record the songs that they knew together.  Martin threw himself into developing the rest of the songs and secured the interest of Concord Records before the album was finished being recorded.

“God gave me a gift to work with young people and inspire kids to change their lives,” he muses.  Now Martin and his Levite Camp are ready to build some new bridges, uniting disparate audiences into one foot-stomping, hand-clapping throng.

BUY THE ALBUM

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TRACK LIST
1. World In Motion / Yes We Can Can (Jackson Browne-Craig Doerge) / (Allen Toussaint)
2. Some Bridges (Jackson Browne-Jeff Young-Kevin McCormick-Scott Thurston-Mark Goldenberg-Mauricio Lewak-Luis Conte)
3. The Next Voice You Hear (Jackson Browne)
4. About My Imagination (Jackson Browne-Jeff Young-Kevin McCormick-Mark Goldenberg-Mauricio Lewak)
5. Lives In The Balance (Jackson Browne)
6.  Don’t You Want To Be There (Jackson Browne)
7.  Crossroads / Until I Found The Lord (Robert Johnson-Walter Hawkins)
8.  That’s What He Said (Carl Fred Martin)
9.  These Are They (Revered William Herbert Brewster)
10.  Message To The Church / The Word Of God / The Days Of Yea And Nay (Carl Fred Martin-Chavonne Taneice Morris) / (Marvin Winans)
 
For more information contact:

Joel Amsterdam    
(310) 385-4234
jamsterdam@concordrecords.com 

Sue Schrader
(262) 377-4180
sue@blindambitionmgt.com