An Embarrassment of Riches

You Come From the Lake

Afternoon at the Cave

Country Dancer

Beautiful Penguins

Tiare's Theme

Black Water

Moses of Indiana

Love Chant

Contact Zone

Copyright © 2010-2011 Max Carmichael

Written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by Max Carmichael, ASCAP, 2009-2010. All instruments played by Max.

Album art, photography and design also by Max.

Dedicated to Mother Joan Green and Father Vern Ludington

Special honor to Nigerian apala master Akanni Animashaun for the musical ingredients of Contact Zone. Special thanks to brilliant collaborators Katie Rauh, Mark Twohy, Gary Tanner and Jon Spayde for their contributions to the sessions which inspired the instrumental compositions. Thanks to Wendell Rand for the verse bass riff in Moses of Indiana. Thanks to Tiare Ferrari for the inspiration of Tiare's Theme. See individual song pages for details.

Thanks to Doug Von Gausig for the nature sound samples on Afternoon at the Cave. Thanks to Ian Cohen for providing a critical ear to the early master. Thanks to Jay Howlett for much generous advice and information and for the acoustic guitar used on some of the songs. Thanks to Barbara Patton and Claire Dishman for reviewing cover designs. Thanks to former bandmates Betsy Ayers, Sophie Barnes, Michael Corbett, Jane De Cuir, Mike Elias, John Guffin, Mark Norris, Wendell Rand, Robert "Scott" Rankin, Katie Rauh, Jon Spayde, Gary Tanner and Mark Twohy for their support of Max's music and musical projects.

#4 on NBT Music Radio's Top Albums of 2011.

"At first I couldn't categorize this music. I like it, and some tracks I absolutely love, but I was hard pressed to say what kind of music it was. True, music doesn't have to have a category, but putting things in some form of order, giving them a label, is just something we humans do, and thus my conundrum. Then it struck me: for me, this is folk music. But not your parent's folk music. This is the folk music of our times, of today and just last week. Given how small the world is today, you'll find tracks reminiscent of distant lands, but there is also a sense of how important connections and community are in our world. A sense of longing and love of friendship and connection. Buy the CD, play it, then play it again while you're doing something else, like cooking or driving, and you'll find yourself singing along without even knowing - and in that sense we'll all be connected to the promised land."

"Meaningful. honest. creative. offering ideas. real."

"This is the work of an artist, not just a musician. Humble and real, Max Carmichael’s songs ring true all that is natural and fundamental in our lives. There are samplings of all sorts of historical and cultural references to remind us in a contemporary way where we came from. The album’s complex and varying rhythms speak simply to our soul. This album is timeless."