Rhiannon Giddens And Silkroad Ensemble Announce ‘American Railroad’ Album
Rhiannon Giddens and Silkroad Ensemble have announced their new album, American Railroad, out on 15 November. The first track, Giddens’s arrangement of the traditional songs Swannanoa Tunnel/Steel-Driving Man, is available now, along with an accompanying performance video, watch below.
pre-order Silkroad Ensemble & Rhiannon Giddens’ ‘American Railroad’ now
The album is part of Silkroad’s multi-year American Railroad initiative, making the history and stories behind the project accessible to broader audiences.
An American Railroad podcast series, hosted by Rhiannon Giddens, will also be released on 14 November, with both the album and podcast series coinciding with Silkroad’s upcoming American Railroad U.S. tour this autumn.
The American Railroad album reflects the programme for Silkroad’s inaugural American Railroad tour in 2023. Its 13 tracks include commissioned pieces by Cécile McLorin Salvant, Suzanne Kite, and Silkroad artist Wu Man, as well as new arrangements of songs by Rhiannon Giddens and fellow Silkroad artists Haruka Fujii, Maeve Gilchrist, and Mazz Swift. Rounding out the album are original compositions and arrangements by Silkroad artists Pura Fé, Sandeep Das, Niwel Tsumbu, and Kaoru Watanabe. American Railroad was recorded live during tour stops at the Green Music Center in Sonoma, CA and Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA; it is co-produced by Giddens, Watanabe, and Jody Elff.
Swannanoa Tunnel is a song written by wrongfully imprisoned Black men and women, who unwillingly risked their lives building the Swannanoa Tunnel in Giddens’s home state of North Carolina. It serves as a tribute to them, ending with a version of the popular traditional tune Steel-Driving Man, about the folk hero John Henry, who beat the steam drill with his hammer, only to die of a burst heart.
American Railroad tracklisting:
1. Invocation (Pura Fé Crescioni)
2. Swannanoa Tunnel / Steel-Driving Man (Traditional, arr. Rhiannon Giddens
3. Rainy Day (Wu Man)
4. Far Down Far (Maeve Gilchrist)
5. Tamping Song (Haruka Fujii)
6. Rela (Sandeep Das)
7. Wíhaŋblapi Mázačhaŋku (Suzanne Kite)
8. Have You Seen My Man? (Cécile McLorin Salvant)
9. Swannanoa Strings (Traditional, arr. Silkroad Ensemble)
10. Milimo (Niwel Tsumbu)
11. Fukagu Sanjurokkei (Kaoru Watanabe)
12. Mahk Jchi (Pura Fé Crescioni)
13. O Shout! (Mazz Swift)