Tomorrow's Children

Pete Seeger (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Appleseed Records
• ASIN: B003O5MP42
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,914 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

On Tomorrow's Children, his first new studio album since the 2008 Grammy-winning At 89, the indomitable 91-year-old Pete Seeger continues his life's work of communication and inspiration to action. This CD is like a joyful town picnic featuring Pete as a global village elder, assembling his neighbors to appreciate their past and present, to celebrate their triumphs against environmental threats, to swap old and new stories, to appreciate the natural glories surrounding them and to make sure that the following generations "carry it on" - the unifying spirit and power of music, the "folk process" of adapting or writing songs to respond to current situations.

The 19 newly recorded songs on Tomorrow's Children testify to Seeger's long-held credo, "Think globally, act locally." Once considered a controversial outsider by some of the residents of his adopted hometown of Beacon, NY, the international icon of sociopolitical activism has since involved himself in local activities and issues and became accepted as a neighbor. His concern about the heavily polluted Hudson River alongside Beacon inspired the construction of the Sloop Clearwater, which sails the Hudson spreading environmental education and awareness.

When a local fourth-grade teacher invited Clearwater educator and singer Dan Einbender to teach her students about the Hudson, class sessions became songfests, and where there are songs, there's Pete. He became a regular visitor to the kids' classroom in 2007. These gatherings led to a series of recordings by Pete, Dan, musician/CD co-producer (with Dan) David Bernz, the children (known as "The Rivertown Kids"), as well as adult musicians, high schoolers and grammar school percussion students. The result of such a disparate musical cast is a delight to the ears. Pete is on every track of Tomorrow's Children, singing, storytelling, playing banjo and 12-string guitar, but he shares the studio spotlight with all of his guests. Their voices, instruments and the songs they have adopted or adapted are woven into a colorful quilt depicting our nation's history ("Take It from Dr. King," the tribute to Pete's fellow civil rights warrior performed on the "Late Night with David Letterman" show; the possibilities of an ecologically clean world (the newly co-written Seeger song "Solartopia" featuring guest vocalist Dar Williams), and the natural beauty worth preserving. Perhaps most importantly, Tomorrow's Children contains songs of empowerment and cooperation adapted or written by the kids themselves such as "We Sing Out" ("...so our voices can be heard"), an updated version of the old gospel and union song "We Shall Not Be Moved," and a set of new verses to Seeger's Biblically-inspired standard, "Turn, Turn, Turn," added for the children by Pete's wife, Toshi.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At age 91 Pete can still get kids interested in singing together and learning at the same time., July 27, 2010

By 

Steven I. Ramm "Steve Ramm "Anything Phon... (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tomorrow's Children (Audio CD)

What can you say about folksinger/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/environmentalist/builder/activitist/American icon? The guy is a true legend. And, at age 91, he's still cranking out NEW albums. For his last album - 2 years ago - "Pete at 89" - he had help on a lot of the songs, and didn't even appear on a few tracks. This time his is on every track, whether it be providing a spoken introduction, taking lead vocal with his well-worn voice or providing instrumental backing on the banjo or 12-string guitar.

Seeger has always appealed to children. Many of us were raised on his 10-inch albums on Folkways. This is how Seeger is connecting with kids in the 21st century. He made a few visits to the 4th grade class at the elementary school in Beacon, NY where he lives and the kids gravitated to him immediately. Pete had them join him for his annual Martin Luther King Day concert in Beacon and it went over so well, he decided to include them on this album. There are old standard Seeger songs ("WE Shall Not Be Moved", "Quite Early Morning" and, of course, "Turn, Turn, Turn" - with a new intro spoken by Pete) but there are also new songs like "Solartopia" with a guest appearance by Dar Williams. The musicians backing Pete and the "Rivertown Kids" include multi-instrumentalist, composer and author David Amram (here listed as "Dave Amram").

Don't expect dulcet tones from Pete's vocal chords - which obviously are showing their age. But his enthusiasm and love for "the power of song" is highly evident. This is a good album to enjoy with your young kids as a "family event". When they hear the the Rivertown Kids sings along with Pete, they'll want to also. All that's missing are the printed lyrics.

The CD booklet does have brief liner notes on each of the 19 tracks.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

5.0 out of 5 stars Reaffirming All Good Things, December 7, 2011

By 

zatorskijoan (Tucson, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tomorrow's Children (Audio CD)

If you have even the smallest shred of doubt that music can restore one's faith in the potential of human beings to make the world a better place, please take the time to listen (and then purchase!) this sampling of America's Singing Icon, Pete Seeger's, collection of tunes created with the children of his community in Upstate New York! At 90 years young, Pete's voice wavers and cracks...but his passion, commitment, joy and devotion to the causes of peace, care of the environment, and justice are evident in every single cut! This may be Pete Seeger's own swan song, and it is a pleasure to have in my collection. Give yourself a lift and savor this endeavor!

4.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to love this, September 25, 2010

By 

J. White (Lansing, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tomorrow's Children (Audio CD)

It got 4 stars to Tomorrow's Children from me when really should have given it fewer stars. Pete Seeger is one whom I so respect and the idea of children singing with him seemed perfect at this stage. However, I do not feel it was really thought out, planned, directed and just not what it could have been. Needed some more passion and intensitiy.