Tomorrow the Birds Will Sing (1985)
Available for download at https://richardruane.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-the-birds-will-sing
By the time Feast or Famine had begun work on a second recording, Michael Corn had left the band, leaving the trio of Ron Rost, Michael Chorney, and Richard Ruane. However, Corn came back to play some crucial parts on the record.
Feast or Famine’s live performances at that time consisted of original compositions, traditional music from North America and the British Isles, acoustic jazz, and improvisations. Ruane would switch off from stringed instruments to play a percussion set with an array of cymbals, while Chorney would pick up a saxophone and Rost would play piano or recorders. They also were exploring other instruments such as the balafon, mbira, and a full piano soundboard (as seen in the picture below). Their first set would be straight forward, but the second set would mix in some more free-form improvisational material.
Tomorrow the Birds Will Sing attempted to capture the range of their material.
Information about Feast or Famine’s other recording, Brecon Beacon, is available by clicking here.
1 Colored Glass – Michael Chorney
2 Vermont Driller (Great Plains, Green Mountains) – Richard Ruane
3 October – Richard Ruane
4 Behind the Houses – Richard Ruane
5 For the Baker – Michael Chorney and Ron Rost
6 Bus Ride – Richard Ruane
7 Maybe You Should Drive – Michael Chorney, Ron Rost, Richard Ruane, and Peter Reit
8 Summertime – George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
9 Domani Gli Uccelli Canteranno – Michael Chorney
10 Ode to the Falling Stars - Michael Chorney, Ron Rost, Richard Ruane, and Michael Corn
11 The Mask of the Muse / Sfumato - Michael Chorney, Ron Rost, and Richard Ruane
12 With This Thing (The Recessional) - Michael Chorney, Ron Rost, and Richard Ruane
Full Credits:
Colored Glass
Michael Chorney – Vocal, Irish bouzouki, bells
Richard Ruane – Mandolin, harmony vocal, bells
Ron Rost - Dulcimer, bells
Michael Corn – Classical guitar, bells
Vermont Driller (Great Plains, Green Mountains)
Michael Chorney - Guitar, harmony vocal
Richard Ruane – Vocals, mandolin
Ron Rost – Bass, harmony vocal, bowed dulcimer
October
Michael Chorney - Guitar, harmony vocal
Richard Ruane – Vocal, mandola
Ron Rost – Bass recorder
Peter Reit – French horn
Behind the Houses
Michael Chorney - Saxophone
Richard Ruane – Vocal, mandola
Ron Rost - Bass
For the Baker
Michael Chorney – Soprano saxophone
Richard Ruane - Percussion
Ron Rost - Piano
Bus Ride
Michael Chorney – Guitar, mbira, harmony vocal
Richard Ruane – Vocal, mandolin
Ron Rost - Bass
Maybe You Should Drive
Michael Chorney – Mbira, bass
Richard Ruane – Electric mandolin, percussion
Ron Rost – Piano, dulcimer
Peter Reit - Piano
Summertime
Michael Chorney - Vocal, guitar
Richard Ruane – Vocal, mandolin
Ron Rost - Bass
Domani Gli Uccelli Canteranno
Michael Chorney - Guitar
Richard Ruane – Mandolin, percussion
Ron Rost - Bass
Michael Corn – Classical guitar
Ode to the Falling Stars
Michael Chorney, Ron Rost, Richard Ruane, and Michael Corn – Mbira, balafon, piano soundboard, cymbals, tongue drum, bell gong, bells, various percussion instruments
The Mask of the Muse
Michael Chorney, Richard Ruane, Ron Rost – Piano soundboard, bells, cymbals, recorders, ocarina, balafon, tongue drum, bell gong, various percussion instruments
Sfumato
Michael Chorney – Balafon, vocals
Richard Ruane – Congas, bongos, shakers, vocals
Ron Rost – Balafon, vocals
Additional vocals by the Local Vocals Jammin’ with Famine Chorus:
Andrea Chesman, Andy Fulton, Bryan Smyth, Catherine Hall, Chip Patullo, Claire Schub, Hilton Heber Dier III, India Tresselt, Jim Lienau, Mary Metcalf, Michael Corn, Montana Martin, Steve Rosenfeld, Su White, Tom Learmonth
With This Thing (The Recessional)
Michael Chorney - Bass
Richard Ruane - Bongos
Ron Rost – Soprano recorder, piano
Original cover art by Julie Mitchell
Produced by Feast or Famine
Recorded at Audiovisions Studio, Colchester Vermont
Doug Lang Engineer
Except "Ode to the Falling Stars"
Recorded at Bussoftlhee Mememormee Studio, Bridport, Vermont
Steve Rosenfeld Engineer