"Love Over War, Ev'ry Time We Play"
"Oh, we're a many / Millions, billions, countin' you / And we feed all the tables / And we fill every Rank / All we want is freedom / That lets us all create / ... "
I hope that YOU, wherever you may be, ENJOY the beautiful, mellifluous playing and ERICA’s singing here, this day before Christmas 2023!
“Love Over War, Ev’ry Time We Play” and “Glory Glory Glory Is For Us All” are songs that came to me on separate mornings in March 2019. As usual, the songs came whole, in one flow, and their lyrics, melodies and rhythms were complete in less than an hour. Gifts, arriving as if from the air.
The band RIVERS ANSWER MOONS recorded these songs and “Get Your JAM On!” (inspired by JAMBAR and JENNIFER MAXWELL’s vision for that ‘Organic Artisan Energy Bar’) on January 31, 2022 in RICK G. NELSON’S Marigny Studio with ADAM KEIL as engineer.
ROGER LEWIS played baritone, alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. HERLIN RILEY played drums-set, KIRK JOSEPH sousaphone, and MICHAEL TORREGANO JR. piano and electronic keyboards. Michael wrote the Charts and Herlin helped to shape Arrangements. Kirk stayed late to “clean up” his bass-lines and harmonies the way he wanted them. As always with these players, the efforts were whole-hearted, filled with skills and expressive feeling.
The photos below are by JAKE RICKE from January 31, 2022 except that of Kirk by RYAN HODGSON-RIGSBEE, as Kirk plays with Rivers … at Sticking Up For Children’s Festiva in the Ashé Power House, New Orleans, December 2017
Roger Lewis by Jake Ricke.
Herlin Riley by Jake Ricke.
Kirk Joseph by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee.
Michael Torregano Jr. by Jake Ricke.
Adam Keil in the Rick G. Nelson’s Marigny Studio by Jake Ricke.
MARIO ABNEY added his trumpet to the Tracks on a morning in mid-February. With Mario, too, lyrics, melodies and harmonies found an interpreter who enlarged their life. “That’s really blowing”, Mario said on hearing playback of his work with “Love Over War, Ev’ry Time We Play.” I couldn’t agree more!
ERICA FALLS joined DAVID FARRELL and me in David’s home-studio a few days later, that February of 2022, to sing on the three Tracks. Erica’s voice and timing and overall sensitive responsiveness make her a musical instrument comparable to any. How she punctuates and weaves with the horns and rhythm-section—the purity and acumen of her delivering lyrics—is to me something marvelous. She fits right in with the band.
David Farrell is another wizard. David helped SO MUCH in bringing out everything that musicians invested into the Tracks and blending their expressions. (“It’s a nice blend,” KIDD JORDAN said to me again—a high compliment from Kidd)
David in his Studio, March 15, 2022.
As David and I worked in their further mixing and mastering, the three Tracks became like rivers themselves, three years after their source, three years after they “dropped from the sky.” I hope that you ENJOY them!
Mario Abney in live performance.
Instrumental version of “Love Over War, …” is below.
Erica Falls from her website.
Lyrics for “Love Over War, Ev’ry Time We Play”, as printed in booklet for the album that was released in June 2022. Listeners and reviewers have said nice things about LOVE OVER WAR, and it stayed with Roger;s album ALRIGHT! among the Top 10 across Louisiana from September 2022 into Febuary 2023.