DANCE TILL THE MUSIC STOPS (2025)
"Dance Till The Music Stops is a real tour de force, a smorgasbord of musical styles by one of the most versatile musicians in the Indie world. Yummy!"
- Susan Werner
Winner of 2025 International Folk Music Album of the Year
Ron Sowell, the longtime Musical Director for Mountain Stage, returns to his roots as a singer-songwriter with an eclectic and well crafted collection of original songs. Lyrically and thematically this ten song album finds it's center in the sheer joy of living. As Sowell says "It's about being fully present in every moment Aging is inevitable, but growing old is optional”
In the space of 10 songs, Sowell explores a wide range of genres. He moves from folk to jazz, R&B to samba, and conjunto to creole. Along the way, Sowell never tries to mimic these styles. Instead, he applies them to his songwriting craft. What we hear are Ron Sowell songs that happen to be jazz or creole or folk. His artistic personality shines through no matter what instrumentation.
Sowell is joined on the album by longtime Mountain Stage bandmates -Ammed Solomon (drums/percussion), Ryan Kennedy (guitar) & Julie Adams (harmony vocal). Kathy Mattea guests on “Do You Think it’s That Easy” and renowned accordion player Joel Guzman (Joe Ely, Paul Simon) on “I Never Knew (Nunca Sabia). Additional musicians are ; Lars Swanson (fretless electric/ acoustic bass & saxophone), Jeff Haught (piano, organ, melodica), Randy Gilkey (piano on In Search of Some Creole Soul), David Porter (trumpet), Alex Cardwell (trombone), Jeff Carter (clarinet), Ted Harrison (Tuba),Alasha Alqudwah - violin. Additional BG vocals by Mira Costa, Kira Small, Jon Wikstrom, Chuck Rives, Tommy Williams, & Bill Kimmons.
Produced by Ron Sowell
Recorded by Dan Bailey Elmridge Productions, Beckley, WV
Mixed by Dan Bailey & Ron Sowell
Mastered by Eric Conn, Independent Mastering, Nashville, TN
Additional tracking ; Patrick Damphier, Pentavarit Studios, Nashville, T
Ritchie Collins, Chandler Audio, Ashland, KY
J. Gabriel, Guzman Fox Studios, Austin, TX
Everything That goes Round Comes Round
It’s All Up To You
Dance till The Music Stops
There Is Only Love
At Home In The World
Who But A Fool
Do You Think It’s That Easy
In Search Of Some Creole Soul
I Never Knew (Nunca Sabia)
Out There In the Hall / Old Songs