RAW by The Free Will
Originally recorded for commercial use, RAW has become a rallying cry for American support for the horrifying war in Ukraine. Our dear friend and founding member of The Free Will, Yakiv, and his wife Marianna are citizens of Ukraine, and have been volunteering funds and essential services since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year.
Today is October 10th, and the news from Ukraine this morning was devastating: Russia deployed 84 bombs and 24 drones hitting civilian targets across Ukraine. We were moved by this awful news to release this record today.
All of us in The Free Will believe in the power of art, and though the music was not recorded with war in mind, both the tone of the album and the content of specifically Yakiv and Marianna's contributions speak to the times, and are expressions of their identities as Ukrainian people. The album art is from Ukrainian artist Liudmyla Natsvlishvili, and we are indebted to them for the beautiful and sorrowful images they created for us. The second track of the album "This Real Moment" features the poetry of Lina Kostenko. We, in the States, are grateful to these artists, and feel deep solidarity with their voices and with their struggle against violent and oppressive Russian forces.
Tracklist
| 1. | A Basement on Stewart Street | 8:26 |
| 2. | This Real Moment | 5:46 |
| 3. | Hymn and Her | 9:35 |
| 4. | Do You Want to Be My Friend | 8:53 |
| 5. | Raw | 7:28 |
| 6. | Eleanor's Terrible Terrible | 5:07 |
| 7. | The Weary, Beaten Path | 5:11 |
| 8. | Who Perceives the Perceiver | 6:40 |
| 9. | Swingin' in the Library | 6:54 |
Credits
Yakiv Tsvietinskyi: Trumpet
Ben Schmidt-Swartz: Saxophones, and Bass Clarinet
Caleb Elzinga: Saxophone
Rufus Ferguson: Piano
Marianna Tsvietinska: Voice (2,7)
Ethan Bouwsma: Drums (1, 3-6, 8-9)
Gordon Lewis: Bass (1, 3-6, 9)
MJ Epperson: Bass (8)
Recorded at Overneath Creative Collective in Kalamazoo MI
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Garrett Gagnon
Artwork by Liudmyla Natsvlishvili
Album design: Yakiv Tsvietinskyi and Ben Schmidt-Swartz
The Free Will would like to offer special thanks to the jazz faculty at Western Michigan University for making this project possible
License
All rights reserved.
The Free Will is a collective of four core musicians who compose, arrange and perform all original music. The band was formed in 2017 in Kalamazoo by Caleb Elzinga, Yakiv Tsvitienskyi, Rufus Ferguson, and Ben Schmidt-Swartz. The Free Will has roots in the American and European improvised music traditions, which is reflected in the makeup and individuality of the group's performers and composers.