Francis, Cleveland
Beyond The Willow Tree (2lp)
'Beyond The Willow Tree' is a hauntingly anthology of folk songs chronicling the experience of a young black man growing up in the segregated south. A balanced mix of covers and originals, Cleveland Francis' body of work seamlessly blends deep, soulful vocals with the stripped down acoustic instrumentation of folk. In the late '60s Francis coined the term 'soulfolk', playing his genre bending music across college campuses and coffee shops while earning a medical degree at William & Mary. This 21-track double LP anthology has been restored and remastered from the original master tapes. It includes Francis' debut release 'Follow Me', as well as a second record featuring unreleased and never before heard covers and demos from 1968. Liner notes written by Cleveland Francis and Forager Records.