Tedd Browne: LBJ Musical Portrait

One of the most compelling attractions of music is its ability to transport us in time. Music marks milestones in our life journey. Often, when hearing songs from our earlier days we recall details of the specific places and times of our youth and our adult passages. Through Tedd Browne’s moving baritone and traditional early folk style in LBJ Musical Portrait, we are taken in a time machine from Lyndon Baines Johnson’s Texas tradition of neighborly concern for people, to his early political career working under President Roosevelt’s New Deal program, through the 1960’s with all of its color, intensity, and change in the wind. LBJ Musical Portrait presents the passion and power of four tumultuous decades of American history including recovery from the Great Depression, the fateful day in Dallas when the country lost JFK and the promise of Camelot, through the Great Society and the monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Weedgie Brothers once again offer an amazing Tedd Browne historic musical journey into the fabric and soul of America and her people, this time through the life and eyes of Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36TH President of the United States. Released in 1965 on the Garnet Records label, Tedd Browne was so inspired by the beauty of Lake George in Lake George Village, New York, that he wrote this album immediately after completing Lake George Musical Portrait the previous year. Browne’s album of twelve original songs depict the life of President Lyndon Baines Johnson from his youth until the time of his inauguration on January 20, 1965. Accompanied by Ernest Calabria on Guitar, Walter Raim on Guitar and Bill Lee on Bass. These musicians were some of the “Heavy Hitters” from that era. Calabria and Raim both were players in Harry Belafonte’s Band and Lee, (Father of Spike Lee) a great Jazz Musician in his own right played on many jazz, pop and folk recordings with artists including Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan. Weedgie Music has finally made this music available to the public after over forty years. Locating this rare LP and once again letting Larry DeVivo of Silvertone Mastering digitally remaster the original vinyl, as he did for “Lake George Musical Portrait.” The result is a brand new CD that sounds as audibly pure as his first restoration. Tedd Browne felt his work in composing historical songs was the most important part of his musical career. Now these beautifully written songs come to life for everyone to enjoy. Sadly, Browne was murdered in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio in 1968, a victim of random racist violence. His music will live on!