Touch

Rick Shadrach Lazar: percussion and rap vocal Collin Barrett: electric and fretless bass Lester Boyke: electric bass and cowbell John Johnson: Woodwinds and triangle Mark Kelso: drums, surdo and gankogui bell 2 Hugh Marsh: electric violin and voice Gordon Sheard: piano, keyboards, organ, accordion, Pandeiro, Tamborim and voice

Special Guests
Luis Angel Marquez “Maikel”: lead vocal and hand claps
Junior Santos: voice
Lazer Currant: ragamuffin rap on Yo Drummer
Daniel Janke: kora
Janet “Collie” McClelland: gankogui bell 3, hand claps and rap chorus
Sonia Collymore: rap chorus on Yo Drummer

1. Canoa Quebrada
— Gordon Sheard — Broken Canoe, a town in Brazil.

2. Dr. Livingstone (I Presume?)
— Gordon Sheard — A night in the life of a musician as he wonders through the musical underground of the big city.

3. Mambo Squad
— music Gordon Sheard, lyrics Luis Angel Marquez, rhythm arrangement Rick Shadrach Lazar — In this composition we pay our respects to the music of Cuba but can't help adding some North American twists.

4. Naomi
— Daniel Jenke — I've always loved this spiralling melody of Daniel's.

5. Toof Ache
— Hugh Marsh — Listening to this song will give you an idea of the twisted complexities of Hubie's wondrous mind.

6. Touch
— Rick Shadrach Lazar, John Johnson — Taksim for two - I touch the drumskin on skin. J.J. is “the call”. Together we touch the spirit.

7. Arabian Nights
— Rick Shadrach Lazar and Gordon Sheard — A musical carpet ride from the Mother roots of Baghdad to 90's Toronto via steamy Havana.

8. Sereza (Siren's Song)
— Gordon Sheard — Gord's Brazilian heart.

9. Trompe - L'Oreille (Fool the ear)
— Gordon Sheard — Where's the one?

10. Prayer

11. Sara Gode

— (A traditional Afro-Cuban melody of the Santeria religion of Cuba...) a beautiful melody - the lyrics in the Arará language are a call to the god of health and bountiful harvest, Asuano.

12. Hangover Tango
— Rick Shadrach Lazar, Mark Kelso, Gordon Sheard — This song has nothing whatsoever to do with tango. It's just a “blowing buzz” for the drums in 7/4 and 2/8.

13. Yo Drummer
— lyrics, Rick Shadrach Lazar - music, Hugh Marsh and Collin Barrett — A Rap history of the path of the drum as it travelled from West Africa to North America.

Produced by Montuno Police
Executive Producers: Rick Shadrach Lazar and Serge Sloimovits
Recording Engineers: Lenny Derose, Dave Horner and Walter Sobczak
Recorded at Reaction Studios, Toronto, Canada
Vocal overdubs on Mambo Squad and Sara Gode recorded at Metal Works Studio, Toronto, Canada
All songs mixed by Jeff Wolpert, except Yo Drummer - mixed by Walter Sobczak and Collin Barrett
Mixed at McClear Pathe Studios, Toronto, Canada
Assistant engineers at Reaction: Tom Heron and Jeff Elliot