Joe Troop – Borrowed Time (Free Dirt Records, 2021)
Although Joe Troop has recorded various albums as part of various projects, Borrowed Time is his first solo album. Troop is a talented bilingual singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from North Carolina, who has lived in Argentina for many years. For many years, he successfully combined bluegrass music with Argentine folk music with his band Che Apalache. On Borrowed Time he skillfully goes beyond musically, incorporating Mexican-grounded music, Spanish Flamenco and adding American folk and roots music, with lyrics in English and Spanish.
Even though music is important to Joe Troop, his message is even more crucial. He is a committed activist and supports progressive policies, specially compassion for immigrants. Since the pandemic abruptly ended Che Apalache’s American tour, Troop refocused his attention on supporting voting rights to put on an end the disastrous policies of the previous president of the United States. “Activism is not a thing you do just during an election cycle,” Troop says. “It’s a long haul orientation towards trying to envision a brighter future that is far greater than electoral politics.”
Borrowed Time features high profile guests such as banjo players Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn; multi-istrumentalist and singer Tim O’Brien; and acclaimed jazz bassist Charlie Hunter. The album also features fiddler Nokosee Fields; accordionist Rolando Revilla (Aguila Negra band); percussionist Brevan Hampden; bass player Trey Boudreaux, organist Sam Fribush, North Carolina duo Violet Bell, and the Alamance Justice Choir.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.