Fellow Workers

by Heather PharesSingers/songwriters Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco follow the success of their previous collaboration, The Past Didn't Go Anywhere, with 1999's Fellow Workers. As the title suggests, this album focuses on America's labor movement, telling its triumphs and troubles through stories, songs and poetry. Phillips, DiFranco and her touring band played for 40 guests in the living room of an old New Orleans mansion. This homey, intimate vibe comes across in the recording, adding a freshness to their versions of "Bread & Roses" and "The Internationale," as well as their tributes to Mother Jones and Joe Hill. Fellow Workers celebrates the traditions of American folk and American workers.