Pete Seeger: Storm King, Vol. 2

Percussionist and producer Jeff Hayers has seamlessly worked the songs, narratives, and poems of Seeger, the late American folk singer and political activist, into a variety of haunting international melodies. Seeger died in 2014 at age 95, so it’s both joyous and painful to listen to him in his 90s; his voice is raw, but his sweetness, humanity, and commitment to equality, justice, and human decency remain as strong as ever. In this second Storm King album, Seeger describes the history of prison songs, his work with Ledbelly and Martin Luther King Jr., the purchase and environmental purpose of the sloop Clearwater, and the racist response to peaceful songfests in upstate New York. Throughout, listeners will remain mesmerized by that instantly recognizable voice. (Mar.)