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Songs From The Vault: Reel #4
Lo-Flo Records presents Songs from the Vault: Reel #4, a three-song EP written by prolific composer Jane McNealy, and performed by vocalist Sona Lee. These songs—“Give Me All Your Love,” “Hold Me in Your Arms Again,” and “How Do I Know”—have been unearthed from McNealy’s vast archive and never been released before.
The songs on Sona Lee’s EP were written early in Jane McNealy’s music career during the late 1960’s. Having just signed to famed jazz producer/arranger Harold Battiste, Jr.’s publishing company, Marzique Music Company, he tapped into McNealy’s growing catalog for songs that he believed would be a good fit for Lee’s vocals. The resulting recordings sound like long-lost Burt Bacharach classics, or even the blueprint for a Stereolab song. It is now in retrospect that Lo-Flo Records shines a light on these recordings and Sona Lee. Read our Press Release to learn more about these remarkable recordings.
Full-length music videos for each song have been created by French multidisciplinary artist Julie Flogeac and can be viewed on Lo-Flo Records YouTube channel. Listen to Songs from the Vault: Reel #4 on your preferred streaming service: https://hypeddit.com/wvl1wp
The Ghost of Lydia Marcelle (The Instrumentals)
Lo-Flo Records is proud to release The Ghost of Lydia Marcelle, a collection of five instrumental versions of the recently released Lydia Marcelle singles. Written by Jane McNealy in the late 1960’s, these songs range from archetypal pop to piano-led ballads, and are perfect examples of the sounds of that era.
The instrumental versions on this EP have never been released before, and highlight the arrangements by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr., a frequent collaborator and close friend of McNealy’s. Jane elaborates, “Lydia will never leave us, if you listen carefully to these instrumentals, you can hear her and her magic touch.” Listen to The Ghost of Lydia Marcelle on your preferred streaming platform: https://hypeddit.com/blaxei
What Can I Do Now
“What Can I Do Now” is the last song & video from our Lydia Marcelle series. These songs were written in the 1960s by Jane McNealy for Marcelle, a rising New Orleans’ popstar. Arrangement for this piano-led ballad is by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr..
Once again, we have a beautiful video created by French artist Julie Flogeac. For this single, Flogeac turned her eye to the mainstream media's portrayal of life during the ‘60s. A montage created from ads and TV shows of that time period, it coincidentally features Sally Struthers (“All In The Family”) who Jane knew from her time living at Hollywood Studio Club. Listen to What Can I Do Now on your preferred streaming platform: https://hypeddit.com/ijqrg1
What’s On Your Mind
Out now, Lydia Marcelle’s “What’s On Your Mind” is one of five songs written in the ‘60s for Marcelle by prolific composer Jane McNealy and arranged by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr. McNealy wrote even more material for Marcelle during this period, but these particular 5 songs were similar to the teenage pop sound that people associated with the singer, who was flush with success from New Orleans, where she was a star with six hit records.
McNealy recalls, “I sat in this little room in the Studio Club that was a rehearsal space and plucked out songs that I tried out on Lydia, to see if I could give her enough of a range to complement her vocal gymnastics.”
Once again, the video was created by French artist Julie Flogeac and has been color-coordinated with the single’s cover art. For “What’s On Your Mind” Flogeac focused on the music of the era, featuring Patti Smith, The Beatles, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, the Mamas and the Papas, Jimi Hendrix, Yoko Ono and John Lennon.
This Time We’re Really Through
“This Time We're Really Through” is our third in a series of 5 singles, recorded in the 1960s, from New Orleans’ star Lydia Marcelle. Written by prolific composer Jane McNealy and arranged by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr., the song is an archetypal ‘60’s pop ballad that tells the story of a love lost and is brought to life by Marcelle’s bittersweet vocal rendition.
Pulled from McNealy’s vast archive, this single, as well as the four other songs in the series, have never been released before and have been re-mastered by award-winning engineer Sameer Sengupta.
Once again, the groovy accompanying music video in this 5-song series was created by French artist Julie Flogeac. This time Flogeac connects the music with fashion and beauty of the era especially in its advertisements, and spotlighting relationships between men and women in entertainment at the time. Among the footage, world renown model Twiggy is featured.
Where Has It Gone
“Where Has It Gone” is the second in a series of 5 singles from the late 1960’s featuring New Orleans pop star Lydia Marcelle. Composed by Jane McNealy and arranged by the legendary Harold Battiste, Jr., it is a wistful R&B song that is brought to life by Marcelle’s stunning vocals. Each of the 5 songs will have a companion video created by Julie Flogeac. The music video for this song includes scenes from Woodstock, the Selma riots, Martin Luther King speaking, various anti-Vietnam, racial equality and animal protection protests and demonstrations; all from the sixties. Special thanks to the BNF (French National Library), the INA (National Audiovisual Institute of France), and Le Monde (French newspaper) for the content. It is available on all streaming platforms. Find links to music and our YouTube page on Lo-Flo’s Linktr.ee page.
I Want To Know
“I Want To Know,” the first in a series of five singles from the late 1960s by New Orleans star Lydia Marcelle, written by prolific composer Jane McNealy. Out on June 30, 2023, this first single—as well as the four other songs—have been pulled from McNealy’s vast archive and never released before. All five singles have been remastered by Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Sameer Sengupta. Full-length music videos for each song are being created by French multidisciplinary artist Julie Flogeac who said, "I am creating a family of content binding together the essence of this rich period of time." Based on McNealy's lyrics, Flogeac's videos will focus on a different aspect of American culture for each song: artists, civil unrest, media, fashion, and for “I Want To Know,” iconic global couples. For more information, please see the full press release.
Lydia Marcelle, Jane McNealy, and Harold Battiste Jr. Photo credit: Jane McNealy.
I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Jane McNealy’s new single, “I Lay Me Down To Sleep,” featuring mesmerizing vocals by Mana Contractor is out now! Inspired by one of Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian murals, McNealy wrote the composition in 1971. When McNealy and collaborator Alice Kuhns first started researching Gauguin’s life with the idea of turning it into a musical, McNealy wrote, "The more I learned about Gauguin’s life, the more there were so many unanswered questions; What happens when we look back and reevaluate our life? Are we filled with regret and questions that cannot be answered? How do we resolve our doubts and justify our existence? Does it matter?"
Although "I Lay Me Down To Sleep" was never used in the musical, McNealy worked with the multi-talented singer to bring the song to life. "Mana gave a compelling performance and delicate interpretation," said McNealy, who accompanied Contractor on a solo piano. "I only wanted to use a piano to allow Mana to freely express the complexity and subtlety of the lyric versus the French version of the song, which had a rich symphonic accompaniment by the talented, Ari Fisher."
Mana Contractor photo by Daniel Daleon, Jane McNealy photo courtesy of the artist.
Dormir Pour Rêver
“Dormir Pour Rêver,” was inspired by the Tahitien mural, “D'où venons-nous ? Que sommes-nous ? Où allons-nous ?” or translated, “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?” painted by the artist, Paul Gauguin. When composer Jane McNealy and collaborator Alice Kuhns first started researching Gauguin’s life with the idea of turning it into a musical, McNealy recalled, "The more I learned about Gauguin’s life, the more there were so many unanswered questions: What happens when we look back and reevaluate our life? Are we filled with regret and questions that cannot be answered? How do we resolve our doubts and justify our existence? Does it matter?"
Although "I Lay Me Down To Sleep,” written in 1971, was never used in the musical, it was later translated into French, by her mother, Ann McNealy, in 1972. Fluent in French, and a poet in her own right, Ann’s translation, "Dormir Pour Rêver," is uniquely original. As Jane likes to say, “‘Dormir Pour Rêver’ was born with my mother’s own deeply creative interpretation and her own life questions.” The composition is beautifully sung by Emmanuelle Raoul-Duval and accompanied by Ari Fisher’s elegant string and horn arrangement.
For the non French speakers who want to dive deeper into the lyrics, you can check out the video for “Dormir Pour Rêver,” produced by Julie Flogeac, which includes English subtitles.
Jane McNealy photo and Emmanuelle Raoul-Duval photo courtesy of the artists.
Epiphany (The Instrumentals)
Epiphany (The Instrumentals) is the companion release to the full length album, Epiphany, which was released last week. The four-song EP includes gems from Jane McNealy’s vast multi decade archive. These instrumental versions really shine a light on the lush, rich orchestrations that are present throughout Jane’s compositions. Opening with “Barnaby Finn’s Cafe,” the song that was originaly written for McNealy & Alice Kuhns’ musical, Primrose Hill. The lush orchestration and arrangement by Mike Watts on strings and flutes complements a jazzy rhythm section, and two saxophone solos continue into the final rousing chorus. The second track—“Fly Away,” originally recorded with vocals by Petula Clark for the movie Never, Never Land —is newly orchestrated and arranged also by Watts with cascading harps, magical percussion, and mysterious flutes that infuse the song with a haunting refrain. Crafted in 2010, “Who Are You” is a ballad whose instrumental arrangement is as delicate and sweet as a kiss. The EP closes with “Forever,” richly orchestrated and arranged by Ari Fisher, its stirring strings and grand horn section bring to mind classic ballads and cinematic moments of heartbreak and love. The second half of the track is peppered with a triumphant electric guitar that leads to a finale in the form of a four note string arrangement. Epiphany (The Instrumentals) is now available on your preferred streaming platform. See buttons for links.
Epiphany
Lo-Flo Records is excited to present Epiphany, a masterful compilation of songs written by prolific composer Jane McNealy.
Epiphany includes five tracks from Jane’s archive that have been reworked with Mike Watts to create new arrangements and orchestrations.
Epiphany opens with “Barnaby Finn’s Cafe,” an emotive jazz allegory with a dazzling vocal rendition sung by Donna Bacalla. With a little bit of fairy dust, vocalist Julie Flogeac transports us to “Fly Away” re-imagined from the original version sung by Petula Clark in the 1980 feature film Never Never Land. “Who Are You” continues in a twinkling melancholic fashion with vocalist Veronica Scheyving. “This Can’t Be The End” features stunning vocals by New Orleans star Lydia Marcelle. Epiphany winds down with the instrumental version of “Forever” featuring stirring and horn sections, conjuring cinematic moments of heartbreak and love.
Who are You (feat. Veronika Schevving)
Love is complicated. It’s like a spidery shadow, its seductive fingers reaching into every crevice of our lives and hearts. But self-love is the most complicated and conflicted of all. Is how we see ourselves, and who we are, a reflection of the way people around us see us?
“Who Are You” is the ultimate existential question. Do we only exist because we are a reflection in the eyes of others? Or are we who we are because of who we think we are.
Fly Away
“Look, and you’ll find me I’m not far away, as the light through your window moves slowly away…“ so starts the lyrics by Jane McNealy and Alice Kuhns to the song “Fly Away,” the theme to the movie, “Never Never Land,” starring Petula Clark. Like the movie, this updated version of “Fly Away,” sung hauntingly by Julie Flogeac, is a fantasy woven into the fabric about the drama of lost children, and the Peter Pan myth. Richly orchestrated and arranged by Mike Watts, cascading harps, magical percussion, and mysterious flutes infuse the song with a haunting refrain. For the song is a fable, about dreams and everlasting fantasy ”… And wherever you go, whatever you do, I’ll always be there with you… And we’ll fly way.
Barnaby Finn's Café (feat. Donna Bacalla)
The emotional narrative of “Barnaby Finn’s Cafe” explores the boundaries between sanity and self worth. Originally written for the musical Primrose Hill, which ran in Portland, Oregon, and in Los Angeles at ANTA (The American National Theater Alliance), the song portrays a woman’s inner struggle to find acceptance, and to ultimately accept herself for who she is. The song is a fantasy, an allegory as it were, where self-deprecation and morality are the driving force behind how we behave according to how we see ourselves and what our needs are, no matter how unrealistic. Its orchestration is lush—strings and flutes complement a jazzy rhythm section, and two saxophone solos continue into the final chorus to accent McNealy’s topline melody, which is sung beautifully by vocalist Donna Bacalla.
This Can't Be The End (feat. Lydia Marcelle)
On this, what would be Lydia Marcelle's 74th birthday, we celebrate her extraordinary life and talent with her beautiful rendition of “This Can't Be The End”. Described by songwriter Jane Mcnealy as “a soul torn apart, only to be reinvented,” “This Can’t Be The End” (TCBTE) was originally written in 1968 for New Orleans popstar prodigy, Lydia Marcelle. Because of Marcelle’s 2 1/2 octave range, McNealy had the unique opportunity to write many challenging songs for her, but TCBTE is the preeminent example of their collaboration. A haunting and driving soliloquy, TCBTE evokes the desperate and emotional urge to reverse the end of a relationship. The song is accompanied by a classical, full bodied orchestration combined with a jazz/blues New Orleans template that pushes the song into high gear and ultimately, the lasting power of the song itself. “This Can’t Be The End” features arrangements by R&B legend Harold Battiste and Plas Johnson on jazz saxophone, who is best known for soloing on Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme.”
Songs From The Vault: Reel #3
"Road Show (feat. Jim Androne)” is a ballad directly inspired by a friend of songwriter Jane McNealy's who tirelessly toured with her husband, performing night after night for years in shopping mall bars across the country. To quote McNealy, “…they represent the faceless but talented musicians working on the fringes who have spent their lives in obscurity for the sake of their art." The track’s chord progression, voiced on guitar and piano, is bittersweet, yet becomes triumphant during the chorus—a fitting stage for this tale about the joys and sorrows of life on the road.
Forever (Instrumental)
"Forever (Instrumental),” with its stirring strings and grand horn section, brings to mind classic ballads and cinematic moments of heartbreak and love. The second half of the track is peppered with triumphant electric guitar that leads to a finale in the form of a four note melody voiced by soaring strings.
Written and composed by Jane McNealy
Orchestrator / Arranger: Ari Fisher
Mixing and mastering: Navneet Rao
I Never See That Rainbow Anymore
“I Never See That Rainbow Anymore” A timeless story of heartbreak and love. With music and lyrics by Jane McNealy, “I Never See That Rainbow Anymore” is the final single from Marsha Bartenetti Sings McNealy and Kuhns. In this searing and bittersweet taste of the blues, Bartenetti’s vocal interpretation searches the soul of unrequited love. A bluesy ballad punctuated by swelling strings and a gentle upright bass, it was originally performed in concert by Sarah Vaughan near the end of her life. The song is indigenous to the origins of the blues/jazz tradition with its complex and classic interpretations as Bartenetti mines the depths of a lost soul.
Kite In The Clouds
Welcome to the world of “Kite in the Clouds,” a nostalgic song about lost innocence. It is out now as a single (with the instrumental version as well) and can also be found on our recently released album, “Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns.” Note: It is dedicated to Jane‘s father, a musical prodigy who grew up in the era of this song. It can be found on Spotify, Apple,… everywhere.
Running Around
Lo-Flo Records’ inaugural full-length release, Running Around, reflects, and is indicative of, the free style, melody-driven songs Jane McNealy wrote while working with Harold Battiste, Jr. The jazz/funk/soul influence becomes more sophisticated and prevalent in the late ‘70s with jazz greats performing her work. From soulful vocal performances to instrumentals from the pre-autotune era, McNealy’s legacy endures.
This album features gems from her archive of reel-to-reel tapes. All of the works she wrote and recorded in the 1960s and ‘70s. These songs include collaborations with great artists such as Harold Battiste Jr., Joyce Dunn, Judy Karp, Tami Lynn, and Lydia Marcelle. See album press release here.
Album Track List:
This Can’t Be The End (feat. Harold Battiste)
Never Let the Music End (feat. Tami Lynn)
Running Around (feat. Judy Karp)
What Is Today Without You (feat. Tami Lynn)
Turn Away From Darkness (feat. Joyce Dunn)
Make It Happen (feat. Judy Karp)
A Good Thing (feat. Lydia Marcelle)
What is Today Without You
What is Today Without You, is a love song from the musical, To Be Fred. A young man comes back from Vietnam and escapes into the problem free world of Fred Astaire movies… Written and composed by Jane McNealy & Alice Kuhns.
Love
"Love," the fourth single from Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns, combines elements of vocal jazz and musical theater building into a swelling celebration of the power and mystery of romantic feelings. Songwriter Jane McNealy knew that the key to bringing to life a project that has such meaning and significance was finding the right voice to illuminate the songs. The tracks were already complete when Marsha Bartenetti entered the picture.
Bartenetti, who is also an actor and well-known voiceover artist reflected, “Lyrics are everything to me. Whenever I choose songs to record, my first consideration is the lyric and how I resonate to the story… and then, of course, melody. Jane and Alice’s songs paint very evocative pictures – like you are walking into an impressionistic painting. And the lush arrangements of the songs create depth and texture, supporting each lyric. I was very drawn to the longing and hope in their lyrics as well.”
McNealy knew what she found in Bartenetti, saying, “The subtlety and depth of Marsha’s interpretation, the haunting quality that she infuses into each song, her light touch, the fluidity of her vocal range - all this and more is interwoven into a fine tapestry of musical poetry on the album.”
One Day At A Time
An introspective song written in the aftermath of love, “One Day At A Time” came out on May 6, 2022, as a single from Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns. It is a mélange of jazz, Latin, and Afro Cuban music poignantly voiced by Marsha Bartenetti.
Legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan sang “One Day At A Time” along with three of the other songs that appear on the album.
“At the time I wrote ‘One Day At A Time,’ I had just begun composing and working on esoteric and dissonant chord changes with melodies almost incongruous to the accompanying arrangements,” explained composer Jane McNealy. “When you’re young, you’re either in love or falling out of love, a universal theme that interests everyone. As a writer though, one of the reasons I started writing musicals was to get more variety in the stories and lyrics that I was putting to music. The entire process is a great challenge and a great source of inspiration. You never run out of ideas. You can’t be in love forever; it’s too exhausting.”
Bach to Christmas: Hymns and Chorales to Listen and Sing To
Lo-Flo Records, the eclectic label launched by the unstoppable Jane McNealy, is excited to announce its forthcoming release, Bach to Christmas: Hymns and Chorales to Listen and Sing To, a joyous album available just in time for the holidays. A collection of Christian works for organ and voice, the 10-track album features ancient hymns and chorales. Seven of the songs were set by Johann Sebastian Bach while the remaining three on the album are attributed to Martin Luther. All tracks were performed by local, beloved musical director and organist Dr. James Smith in the Baroque and Classical tradition of holiday hymns. The album will be out on all digital platforms on Black Friday, November 26, 2021. For more information, please see the full press release.
Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns
Legacy and chocolate mousse: songwriter Jane McNealy serves up both on Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns.
Advancing years and a stage four cancer diagnosis spurred songwriter, composer, arranger and librettist Jane McNealy to sift through the pages of her songbook of jazz, pop, soul, funk and folk tunes as well as theatrical material penned for stage and screen, selecting what she felt are some of the best songs, many of which she wrote with longtime collaborator Alice Kuhns.
“This album is extraordinarily rich, expressive, layered and complex. It’s a lot to take in in one listen. It is a combination of everything that I love that I’ve written over the years that shows in total what my artistic life has been about,” said McNealy.
Giving voice to the opulent, exquisitely orchestrated collection—released on April 1, 2022—is award-winning vocalist Marsha Bartenetti.
Songs from the Vault: Reel #2
Songs from the Vault: Reel #2 is the second installment in our ongoing archival series that aims to explore the immense songwriting catalog of artist Jane McNealy.
Truly unable to be pigeon-holed, McNealy follows up Reel #1’s soft folk Americana offering with these three soulful R&B ballads on Reel #2. Written in 1979/'80, they feature incredible performances by Tami Lynn on vocals. Coming out on September 17, 2021, it includes three compositions from McNealy’s catalog: “Where Are You Now,” the opener, “Make It Happen,” and the jazz standard “One Day At A Time.”
Songs from the Vault: Reel #1
Lo-Flo Records announces a new series, Songs from the Vault, stemming from prolific songwriter Jane McNealy’s extensive catalog. Dipping into her vast reel-to-reel library, the series will include past recordings dating back to the 1960s as well as compositions from her film, TV, and musical theatre career.
The first release is comprised of two songs written & recorded in 1974: “Chickee-ada-la-deeay,” and “Tenderly” with tender and masterful vocals by Kit Fuller, with Ben Short on guitar. Commissioned for an Appalachian slice of life film, the movie was never produced. Although the spirited, naive dreamer will face danger and heartbreak, these songs are ultimately uplifting. Each song has its own video on Lo-Flo’s YouTube Channel.
Je t'Aime Haiti
A ballad both bittersweet and tenderly optimistic, Jane McNealy’s "Je t'Aime Haiti" (I Love You, Haiti) captures an artist writing about her love for the titular nation. Steady acoustic guitar strums and warm, soothing keys create a scenic background for McNealy’s beautiful description of Haiti’s scenery and animals; mentions of the sea and birds build to a chorus in which she declares her love: “Je t’Aime Haiti.” As she closes the last chorus of the song with the final declaration “We’ll never be apart,” a stirring saxophone solo brings her love letter to the island nation to a close. Originally written by McNealy in light of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, the artist is now releasing it in an official capacity as a way to honor the destruction wrought by the most recent earthquake of August 2021.
One Day At A Time
An introspective song written in the aftermath of love, “One Day At A Time” came out on May 6, 2022, as a single from Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns. It is a mélange of jazz, Latin, and Afro Cuban music poignantly voiced by Marsha Bartenetti.
Legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan sang “One Day At A Time” along with three of the other songs that appear on the album.
“At the time I wrote ‘One Day At A Time,’ I had just begun composing and working on esoteric and dissonant chord changes with melodies almost incongruous to the accompanying arrangements,” explained composer Jane McNealy. “When you’re young, you’re either in love or falling out of love, a universal theme that interests everyone. As a writer though, one of the reasons I started writing musicals was to get more variety in the stories and lyrics that I was putting to music. The entire process is a great challenge and a great source of inspiration. You never run out of ideas. You can’t be in love forever; it’s too exhausting.”
Slim Gourmet
"Slim Gourmet" is an upbeat ragtime instrumental played by American jazz and blues pianist Henry Butler, and is the second single from Lo-Flo's upcoming album One Day At A Time. The original track was written in 1982 by Jane McNealy and Alice Kuhns in connection with the cookbook author and columnist Barbara Gibbons, who worked together on a culinary television series in which the theme would be sung by McNealy herself. Butler’s version is a later interpretation of that creative effort, and was arranged by Harold Batiste Jr. “Slim Gourmet” is yet another example of McNealy’s stylistic versatility, set to be released on June 11, 2021.
To learn more about the full length album, please see our press release here.
Gotta Find A Way
In 1967’s "Gotta Find a Way" (To Make it Without You), New Orleans’ teen vocal star Lydia Marcelle takes a soulful journey of conflict and longing in her search for impossible answers. The composition was written by Jane McNealy and arranged by Harold Battiste Jr., with Tami Lynn on backup vocals.
This is the lead single off of Lo-Flo Record’s sophomore album One Day At A Time (out June 18, 2021).
To learn more about the full length album, please see our press release here.
A Good Thing
Written in the '70s by virtuoso melodist Jane McNealy, “A Good Thing” features Lydia Marcelle, a New Orleans “ex-pat” teen-age recording star. With her complex interpretations, Marcelle performed some of McNealy‘s most diverse songs at Hollywood Central Recorders, the apex of a new generation of jazz/funk-soul musicians.
Please see our album press release here.
This Can’t Be The End
Written in 1968 by virtuoso melodist Jane McNealy, the instrumental version of “This Can’t Be The End"—showcasing R&B legends Harold Battiste (on bass, piano and alto saxophone) and Melvin Lastie (on cornet & percussion)—was originally released on a collaborative LP in 1976. McNealy describes the song as, “A soul torn apart only to be saved and reinvented.”
Featuring the rhythmic sensibilities of funk and soul jazz, the haunting refrain echoes from two jazz greats during a time of shared personal struggle and artistic conflict. This instrumental version of McNealy’s song came at a time when both men were establishing their jazz roots in Los Angeles and Battiste was trying to distance himself from the pop giants Sonny & Cher. See our Press Release here.
Turn Away From Darkness (7” vinyl single)
A song for the ages about hope in the face of despair, “Turn Away from Darkness” was originally released in 1969 as the B-side of a 7". Sung by the incomparable Joyce Dunn (who had a brief stint with Santana), McNealy calls it "a gospel tribute to triumph over adversity.” With piano accompaniment by the legendary Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), the track was arranged and produced by New Orleans’ Harold Battiste, Jr. with words and music by McNealy. The song is a moving testament to the reckoning America faces today. On the B-side: “This Can’t Be The End". In Jane’s words:
"I have written a song about the spirit of hope and the challenge that comes with change. 'Turn Away From Darkness,' was released on Mercury Records in 1969. To bring relevance to the present, I have merged this song with a video reflecting society’s eternal struggle to survive conflict and pain. As we face tomorrow, we face ourselves, but the foundation of hope is a flame that burns eternally, guiding us through darkness to peace." See our Press Release here.
Running Around
This full length album features gems from Jane McNealy’s archive of reel to reels. Many of the works she wrote and recorded in the 1960s and ‘70s. These songs include collaborations with great artists such as Harold Battiste Jr., Joyce Dunn, Judy Karp, Tami Lynn, and Lydia Marcelle. See album press release here.
Album Track List:
This Can’t Be The End (feat. Harold Battiste)
Never Let the Music End (feat. Tami Lynn)
Running Around (feat. Judy Karp)
What Is Today Without You (feat. Tami Lynn)
Turn Away From Darkness (feat. Joyce Dunn)
Make It Happen (feat. Judy Karp)
A Good Thing (feat. Lydia Marcelle)
Turn Away From Darkness (feat. Joyce Dunn)
Lo-Flo Records was a germ of an idea in the 1970s, and ultimately conceived in 2015 by the inimitable songwriter, composer, arranger, librettist, Jane McNealy. The label officially launched with its very first release, “Turn Away from Darkness,” a gospel tribute to triumph over adversity, which premiered on August 28, 2020, along with a timely music video. The single preceded the label’s debut album, Running Around, release on October 2, 2020.
A song for the ages about hope in the face of despair, “Turn Away from Darkness” (TAFD) is sung by the incomparable Joyce Dunn (who had a brief stint with Santana). Piano accompaniment comes from the legendary Mac Rebennack (Dr. John). The track was produced by New Orleans’ legend Harold Battiste, Jr., with words and music by McNealy.
The black-and-white video is comprised of McNealy’s own photos shot in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, as well as recent photos taken during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests by a dozen different photographers from around the country. It is dedicated to the memory of esteemed composer, arranger, performer, educator, and activist Harold Battiste, Jr., a longtime mentor and friend of McNealy’s.