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Steal Away - Songs of the Underground Railroad | 
 enlarge | Artist: Kim & Reggie Harris
Label: Appleseed Records
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $11.64
You Save: $6.34 (35%)
New (21) Used (11) from $6.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 48268
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 611587102225
EAN: 0611587102225
ASIN: B000005BPI
Release Date: January 20, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new and factory sealed. Order from our huge inventory and we ship directly from our warehouse to you within 24 hours. Buy from us with 100% confidence.
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| Tracks:
| • | Oh, Freedom - Kim & Reggie Harris, Traditional | | • | No More Auction Block - Kim & Reggie Harris, Traditional | | • | Let Us Break Bread Together - Kim & Reggie Harris, Traditional | | • | Wade in the Water | | • | Go Down Moses | | • | Harriet Tubman/Steal Away - Kim & Reggie Harris, Robinson, Walter | | • | Now Let Me Fly | | • | Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass | | • | Trampin' | | • | Follow the Drinking Gourd | | • | Deep River/Swing Low | | • | Great Day | | • | Heaven Is Less Than Fair - Kim & Reggie Harris, Harris, Reggie | | • | Free at Last | | • | Ain't I a Woman - Kim & Reggie Harris, VanWagenen, Isabell | | • | Steal Away (Reprise) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Before the Civil War, when a slave's every action was monitored by his "owners," songs became a powerful and vital form of private communication and expression on Southern plantations. Emotions and information that a slave could never plainly voice could be sung in coded spirituals and folk songs. When daring slaves sought a path to freedom in the North on the so-called Underground Railroad, actually a series of travel routes and safehouses, these songs became tools to transmit information and advice about escape plans, to assert defiance, inspire runaways, and express fear and elation at the harrowing journey ahead. On "Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad," veteran folk duo Kim and Reggie Harris capture the power, spirit and messages of these encrypted songs in a rich and moving collection of largely traditional material. This album, the core of an ongoing series of workshops and presentations for students, teachers and families by the Harrises, has become an important educational tool and is stocked in many libraries and museums around the country. The CD's booklet includes informative, detailed liner notes and the lyrics to its 16 selections, shedding light on their hidden or inherent meanings: "Wade in the Water" reminded runaways to follow rivers and streams for direction, cover, and food; "Follow the Drinking Gourd" taught slaves to use the Big Dipper to find the North Star as a celestial signpost to freedom; "Let Us Break Bread Together" signaled secret planning meetings. Other traditional songs here such as "Oh Freedom," "Now Let Me Fly," "Free at Last," and "No More Auction Block for Me" require no decoding. These standards are joined by three contemporary songs - "Harriet Tubman," a tribute to the escaped slave who became one of the most famous Underground Railroad "conductors"; "Ain't I a Woman," a musical arrangement of a famous speech by Sojourner Truth, a 19th century crusader dedicated to slavery's abolition and women's rights; and the Harrises' own "Heaven is Less than Fair," based on narrative accounts of escaped slaves about their flight to freedom and the loved ones they left behind. The Harrises present these songs with simple grace, using yearning harmonies and acoustic guitar accompaniment to convey the melancholy of slavery, the glimmerings of hope for a better life, and the joy of achieving a hard-won freedom.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Just Brilliant! March 23, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have had the pleasure to know Kim & Reggie Harris in the 1990s. They are gifted musicians and story tellers and they are gifted at making you feel like a passenger on the underground railroad, the Train that remains Bound for Glory!
I just love the collection of songs; you learn about the code terms for freedom as you come along for the ride. Just hop on board! This Train is Bound for Glory and it's making stops for freedom all along the way. Next stop - No More Auction Block for Me - an excellent statement against an atrocious period in history when people were sold at auction blocks on the open market. Now it's time to Follow the Drinking Gourd on the next stop. Kim has a beautiful voice and when you hear her sing "Free at Last," don't be surprised if you are very moved.
Abolitionists - those opposed to slavery; Quakers opposed slavery and helped many people escape to the Promised Land outside the slave states.
Conductor - people who helped lead the Underground Railroad and keep that train moving!
Drinking Gourd - North Star, used by many to travel northward out of the slave states.
Heaven - Code word for Canada, the desired northern stop. Canada recognized all free citizens, regardless of race. The Train that was Bound for Glory made many successful runs to Canada.
Safe Houses, stops - homes that were used to shelter runaway slaves. These safe houses were stops the train made en route to freedom.
Slave Catchers - self explanatory.
These gifted story tellers are not only wonderful musicians, but they are also historians who bring to life a vital part of history that should never be forgotten.
 Listen While I Tell You a Story! January 15, 2007
As background music while I tell the story of the hidden symbols and meanings in my Underground Railroad Quilt, this is the best collection I have found. I was pleased with the sound quality and clarity of the words. My only complaint was the unevenness of the volume. Perhaps I can adjust the timing of my story so the lower volume sections of the music correspond with the more somber parts of the talk!
Great for kids September 4, 2003
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
My pre-schooler liked this tape after she read about Harriet Tubman
The Most Beautiful Music March 29, 2000
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This is quite simply the most beautiful music I've ever heard in my life - not just one song, but the entire CD. Kim and Reggie Harris's voices are extraordinary, their harmonies are perfect, and their guitar work supports each song ideally. In addition, the selections are so moving that more than one of them brought me to tears. I don't think the samples nearly do it justice.
Songs of power, protest and defiant hope May 26, 1998
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Kim & Reggie have done it again with their latest release. This extraordinary collection features a diverse collection of the "code" songs of the Underground Railroad, the brave group of African-Americans who escaped the oppression of slavery in the U.S. South and then joined Harriet Tubman, the group's "foundress," in her quest to bring others to freedom. The songs in this collection truly touch every human emotion as they convey a history that is too often forgotten in our society which is more racially divided than ever. I am struck by the confident hope expressed by songs such as "Harriet Tubman/Steal Away," "Great Day," and "Wade in the Water." The story & accompanying song "Heaven Is Less Than Fair" brings home the brutality of slavery that separated families and loved ones from each other. All the songs carry a messaage for today, especially songs like "Ain't I A Woman?" as we discover that these words of Sojourner Truth could still in some ways be spoken today. This CD is a great listen, a great gift, and a great teaching tool. Highly recommended to all.
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