The last Tompkins Square release from their ongoing Imaginational Anthem series (Imaginational Anthem vol. XII: I Thought I Told You) was somewhat daring – while they maintained the showcase element of their previous albums from the series, it transformed into a tribute album. They enlisted the Yorkshire singer-songwriter-guitarist Henry Parker as curator for a Yorkshire tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter, guitarist and proud Yorkshireman Michael Chapman. For Vol. XIII, they have chosen a similar approach, calling on the well-respected indie artist James Toth to curate a tribute to the legendary Bruce Cockburn.
Tompkins Square is known for its guitar connections, but its catalogue of new and archival recordings is far more diverse than most people realise. Label founder Josh Rosenthal wrote a wonderful book titled ‘The Record Store of the Mind‘, and on the back cover is a quote from T Bone Burnett: Josh Rosenthal is a record man’s record man. He is also a musician’s record man. He is in the line of Samuel Charters and Harry Smith. In this age where we have access to everything and know the value of nothing, musicians need people like Josh to hear them when no one else can.
A dip into the stories in that book reveals that while working in promotion, Rosenthal spent some time with T Bone in the early ’90s in Bearsville, where he was producing Bruce Cockburn’s Nothing but a Burning Light (1991), his first release for Columbia, and Dart to the Heart (1994). After moving into an artist development role working for VP Paul Rappaport, they produced shows for the likes of Cohen and Buckley, and his first show was “Christmas with Cockburn”, on which Roseanne Cash and Lou Reed were invited as guests. Rosenthal fondly recalls eating latkes with Lou Reed – “…this was a special moment!”
Cockburn is clearly held in high regard by Rosenthal, and, as the album notes reveal, there is an ambition behind this release – to spread the love of Cockburn’s music to a younger generation:
Bruce Cockburn is one of the most celebrated Canadian artists of all time. Unlike fellow Canadians Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell or Neil Young, Cockburn has not been fully embraced by a younger generation of indie musicians and younger fans. Tompkins Square recruited well-respected indie artist James Toth, known for his work with Wooden Wand, to curate the 13th volume of its guitar series, Imaginational Anthem. Although there is a focus on Bruce as a guitarist, there are also vocal tracks on the album.
Indie stalwarts Bill Callahan, Matt Valentine, Luke Schneider and Jerry David DeCicca all step up and pay tribute to this musical hero, proving that Cockburn is not only influential, but also the keeper of a deep catalog of songs ripe for discovery by a younger generation.
Listen to Jerry David DeCicca performing his poetic Forty Years in the Wilderness from 2017’s Bone on Bone, whose urgent undertones reflect the turmoil and changing times. In the original, Cockburn was joined by a local church choir, but here, gentle shades of colour are provided by Bill Callahan.
Tracklisting: Imaginational Anthem vol. XIII : Songs of Bruce Cockburn
- Eli Winter – Foxglove
- Jerry David DeCicca (feat. Bill Callahan) – Forty Years in the Wilderness
- Matthew “Doc” Dunn – Up on the Hillside
- Powers Rolin Duo – Fall
- Lou Turner – Pacing the Cage
- Wet Tuna – Waiting for a Miracle
- Armory Schafer – One Day I Walk
- Jody Nelson – You Don’t Have to Play the Horses
- Kyle Hamlett Duo (feat. Luke Schneider) – All the Diamonds
Pre-Order via Bandcamp (Digital/CD/Vinyl)
Listening Party
On: May 27, 2024, at 6:00 PM GMT+1
Join James Toth and Tompkins Square for a Record Release Party celebrating the release of ‘Imaginational Anthem vol. XIII – Songs of Bruce Cockburn’. They will also be celebrating Bruce’s 79th Birthday! Details on Bandcamp.