Announcing: "Songs on the Green Line"
A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF THE CAFE'S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY TO BENEFIT COFFEE FARMERS IN PERU
Philadelphia, PA -- The fifth anniversary of West Philly’s beloved Green Line Cafe is coming up in January 2008. Co-proprietors Douglas Witmer and Daniel Thut thought that was too long to wait, so they decided to start celebrating a month early with a host of national and regional music talent, and make it a fundraiser while they were at it.
Songs on the Green Line is a 13-song compilation CD featuring nationally recognized acts such as The Innocence Mission, Denison Witmer, and Birdie Busch, and local up-and-comers like Devin Greenwood, Jack Ohly, and Fan of Friends, plus others. 100% of the profits from Songs on the Green Line will be donated to Cooperativa San Fernando, a farmer-owned coffee cooperative located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
The release date is set for December 15, 2007, with several promotional shows at the cafe in advance. More information is available at www.greenlinecafe.com
THE BACK STORY
When it opened it’s doors in 2003, The Green Line made it a point to support the local artists and musicians who populate its West Philly neighborhood. Music shows were booked haphazardly until 2005, when the cafe partnered with local promoter Rich Wexler of Sherman Arts (www.shermanarts.org). Together they developed a program that focused on semi-acoustic shows that fit in the tiny cafe space. The Green Line became known as a great listening room (and, with shows that began and ended on the early side, it became an attractive spot for acts who could book an acoustic show at the Cafe, then head on to rock out later the same night at another venue!) The Cafe began drawing bigger national and international acts (…like that famous Danbert Nobacon [of Chumbawumba] show where it was beyond standing-room-only!) and received good critical press in the Philly papers. We also hosted shows with other nationally known acts including Impossible Shapes, Jana Hunter, David Dondero, Peter and The Wolf, The Castanets, Larkin Grimm, and Local favorites Greg Weeks, Fern Knight, and The Baird Sisters, to name a few.
Meanwhile, The Green Line, which had always served organic fair-trade coffee, was doing exciting work on that front, too, becoming a co-founder of Independents Coffee Cooperative (www.independentscoffee.com). Through their work with Independents, The Green Line formed a unique direct relationship with the Peruvian farmer-owned Cooperativa San Fernando, where The Green Line’s house coffee is grown. This past fall several representatives of Cooperativa San Fernando visited The Green Line and other Independents Coffee Cooperative shops. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the coffee farmers to see where their coffee actually ends up, and also for coffee customers to meet face-to-face the people who grew and hand-picked the coffee in their cup.
Out of this the Green Line and Independents pledged to raise money to help Cooperativa San Fernando build a much-needed solar coffee drying facility.
When it came time to celebrate the cafe’s anniversary, it was an easy fit to bring together the goals of supporting both local independent music and global small-scale independent coffee into one project: Songs on the Green Line!
Cd Release Shows
Thu. Dec 13th - Corndawg, Soltero, Amy Pickard (special guest) 7pm Green Line Cafe, 43rd and Baltimore Ave.
Fri. Dec 14th - Birdie Busch, Jack Ohly, Circles 7pm Green Line Cafe, 43rd and Baltimore Ave.
Sat. Dec 15th - Fan Of Freinds, The Weeds, Little Ocean 7pm Green Line Cafe, 43rd and Baltimore Ave.
Songs on the Green Line
A musical celebration of the cafe’s fifth anniversary to benefit coffee farmers in Peru
13 tracks, total run time: 45:13
Cover art by John Overmyer, Layout and Design by Claire Iltis
Initial pressing of 1500, in recycled cardboard package with full color art
Distribution through CDBaby
Retail $12.00
Track Listing
1. Drag-Out Blues / Soltero
2. Venezuela / Devin Greenwood
3. Song for Tom / The Innocence Mission
4. The Same Light / Jack Ohly
5. All the Days and Nights--Denison Witmer & River Bends
6. There'll be Pizza In the Valley / Little Ocean
7. Slightly Under Water / Red Heart the Ticker
8. Wednesday / Bird and the Buffalo
9. New Song / Birdie Busch
10. Shut Up / The Corndawg
11. Ounce of Understanding / Circles
12. Poison / The Weeds
13. You Deserve a Coffee Break / Fan of Friends
Links
www.greenlinecafe.com
www.shermanarts.org
www.independentscoffee.com
Release Date: Monday, November 26th 2007
