"Keep The Light Alive: Celebrating The Music Of Lowen & Navarro," is a new tribute album to longtime songwriters Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro with heartfelt covers from the duo's extensive catalog, recorded by such famous friends as Jackson Browne, Keb' Mo', The Bangles, The Refugees, Stonehoney, and Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik, among others.
This 13-song collection is a salute to the stellar songwriting/performing duo who have been creative partners for nearly a quarter century, as well as honoring the amazing strength and dignity with which Eric Lowen has, for the last six years, battled with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
After his diagnosis, Lowen continued to write, record and tour and has insisted on living in the moment. Sadly, this celebratory album comes just after the debilitating disease finally forced Lowen into retirement this past summer.
Proceeds from"Keep The Light Alive: Celebrating The Music Of Lowen & Navarro" benefits The Eric Lowen Trust and The ALS Association Greater Los Angeles, to help people afflicted with the disease and help fund research to find a cure for ALS.
"This recording honors the gentle, jovial, supremely talented Eric, whom we all love and admire. It highlights some of the amazing songs this duo has written and performed over the past 20-plus years," says Mike Gormley, who served as Lowen & Navarro's manager for over a decade and co-executive produced and assembled this collection.
Jackson Browne opens the powerfully, harmonizing with his brother Severin Browne on the L&N tune, "Weight of the World"
Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik covers the heart-rending "Keep The Light Alive," and remarked, "Eric is an inspiration to all of us. His grace, strength and class are unmatched."
One of the most shining moments on this collection of gems is when Keb' Mo' (who began his career opening shows for L&N) delivers a soul-stirring version of "If You Love Me Like That."
Another is The Bangles' powerful treatment of "We Belong," an early L&N songs that became a platinum-selling single and international hit for Pat Benatar early in her career.
Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs, who has known Eric and Dan since 1985, said "We all fell in love with the blend of their distinct voices -- Eric's angelic purity and Dan's resonant soulfulness. They wrote and performed song after beautiful song and we Bangles recorded a few of them. 'We Belong' is our thank you performance to Eric and Dan, for so many years of heartfelt and gratifying music."
The opinions expressed are solely the writer's. Reach him at beatboss@aol.com.
