Музыкант Джордж Манн выпустил новый альбом Mayday! и продолжает гастролировать по США и Австралии

It’s been 16 years since George Mann left New York City for Ithaca, and he is releasing a new album, as he continues singing with veterans and the elderly, and folk audiences near and far. Growing up on Long Island with a teacher mom, a truck-driving dad, and three sisters, George Mann was playing music in bands by the time he was a teenager. While working on a degree in English and Journalism at SUNY Stony Brook, George was a reporter for The New York Times and a stringer for Newsday. He knew what he loved to do and started figuring out how to combine what he loved with making a living. While working on his master’s degree in creative writing, Mann became an organizer and editor for the Communication Workers of America union, during an eight-year battle to form a union for the 3,000 graduate employees of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. After graduate employees voted overwhelmingly for unionization in 1992, George was hired as an organizer for Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, based in New York City. During his 14-year stint in NYC, George delved deeply into the challenges facing working-class families, which he had seen and lived growing up. “My time as a union organizer, and in New York City under [Mayor] Giuliani, shaped the direction of my songwriting. I began performing and recording more folk-oriented music after discovering the music of songwriters like Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, and Pete Seeger,” George said. “The power of these songs, the subjects of the lyrics, and the stories that are told and kept alive by some of our greatest folk songs are a big part of our history.” One of the most influential people George met in the labor movement was Julius Margolin, an 80-year-old songwriter and member of the New York City Labor Chorus, which George also sang in for 10 years. They made three albums together and toured the country, singing songs of struggle and labor classics, until Julius passed away in 2009. By 2010 George had worked, lived and played in the NYC music scene for 14 years. He was proud of his time as a union organizer, but wanted to focus on music to support his life, with a flexible schedule for performances around the country and beyond. He also wanted to leave the city, and its noise and congestion, behind. George had begun traveling to Ithaca to work with recording and sound engineer Will Russell, the proud owner of Electric Wilburland Recording Studio in Newfield. While George labored in NYC, he composed many songs that he recorded at Wilburland, releasing two albums before finally moving here in 2010. When George was ready to give up his steady paycheck, he chose Ithaca, and it has turned out to be a fine base for his colorful life. While playing and producing albums of original folk songs, George began sharing his music with many people unable to get out and go to concerts easily. George hit the road most days, making fans and friends in veterans’ hospitals and nursing homes. Over time, he has built a base of more than 40 homes that hire him regularly to perform with residents. He continues to play for seniors throughout upstate New York, on the West Coast, and even when he tours Australia. When musician friends invited George to perform in Australia, George decided to give that a go, and began touring there each year. This year’s Australia tour will be his 16th visit, and he will perform at many now familiar folk clubs and festivals. As George settled into his varied juggling routine, he has continued to compose music for albums orchestrated with Will Russell. In 2024, George produced the album Labor Day with noted folk singer Si Kahn to celebrate Si’s 80th birthday. That album featured 21 of Si’s songs, recorded by George and Si, and also featured such folk legends as John McCutcheon, Peggy Seeger and Billy Bragg. This year, George and Si are releasing Mayday!, a new album of 13 original songs. George says, “We began recording at Wilburland in February and wrote several new songs for the album.” It also has five other previously unreleased songs from Si’s archives. Mayday! was recorded by Will Russell and many of Ithaca’s finest musicians, including Michael Wellen, Doug Robinson, Molly MacMillan, Rich DePaolo, Tim Ball, and Dave Davies, are on this album. “For almost 20 years, I’ve been making music with Will Russell at Wilburland, and a core of great musicians and singers,” George said. “This album was a joy to create. We added lots of harmonies, and even horns and strings, to produce a rich collection of songs that focus on current events, including the upcoming election.” Mayday! is available on major streaming platforms and from George’s website. For more info about George’s music and the Mayday! album, visit www.georgemannmusic.com.