Dean Olsher - Letters of Transit (2024) [Hi-Res]

Letters of transit, hidden in Sam’s piano, drive the plot of Casablanca. Anyone bearing such a letter could board a plane to Lisbon and evade the Nazis. Eighty years later, Americans were driven to flee political danger by once again escaping to Portugal.

In the 1930s and 40s, those who lacked the means to escape fascism pursued an “inner emigration.” Dean Olsher’s own inner emigration has been to devote himself deeply to what he loves most about America, which is its music. Like himself, it is hybrid in nature; that’s what makes us as Americans interesting, and also vulnerable. "Letters of Transit is about musical pluralism and how it reflects the America I want to live in."

Dean Olsher: accordion
Meg Okura: violin
David Bertrand: bass clarinet
Rez Abbasi: guitar
George Farmer: bass (1-3, 5, 9)
Jerome Harris: bass (4, 6, 8)
Willie Martinez: drums, percussion (2-3, 5, 9)
Satoshi Takeishi: percussion (4, 6, 8)
Rachelle Garniez: vocal (2)
Suzzy Roche: vocal (7)

Tracklist:
1.01 - Dean Olsher - Letters of Transit (3:24)
1.02 - Dean Olsher, Rachelle Garniez - Forget I Was Ever Here (4:08)
1.03 - Dean Olsher - The Perilous Night (4:20)
1.04 - Dean Olsher - Solace (4:19)
1.05 - Dean Olsher - Parfois (3:35)
1.06 - Dean Olsher - Manhattan (3:31)
1.07 - Dean Olsher, Suzzy Roche - Hymn (3:31)
1.08 - Dean Olsher - Mentre l'erbetta (3:47)
1.09 - Dean Olsher - Lullaby (4:54)