IRAQNOPHOBIA/WAKE UP DEAD MAN

RELEASE DATE: JUNE, 2005

Alex Coke's WAKE UP DEAD MAN and IRAQNOPHOBIA are deep meditations on human rights, peace, and social justice. For all their sensuous aesthetic appeal as contemporary ensemble jazz, these compositions are also critical works of musical citizenship. Like Alan Pogue's stunning photographs which accompany the presentation, they directly confront the brutal circumstances of life in prisons and war zones. They cause us to ask about the pain and misery of these places, and in doing so they advocate for compassion and human dignity.

Tina Marsh and Creative Opportunity Orchestra have for many years commissioned and performed works of musical conscience. As the premier aggregation of progressive musical spirits in Austin, Texas, their agenda has been as much social as musical, asking us to remember that music is not just a passive pleasure but also an active form of soul searching. VoxLox is proud to include this recording in our human rights catalog. And we do so with gratitude to Alex, Tina, the players, Alan and co producer Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff for their commitment to creating provocative art in troubled times.