People walk down a street in Kampala, Uganda (2025)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA / KAMPALA, UGANDA: Blending traditional songs from Uganda and the United States with original compositions, Generations continues Joe Sheehan’s evolving exploration of folk music through a contemporary jazz lens.
The album includes arrangements of Ugandan songs Omugongo and Nabirye, the British and Irish folk ballad Sprig of Thyme, and the spiritual This Little Light of Mine, alongside five originals by Sheehan and his ensemble, Kinetic. Inspired by fieldwork and performance in Ghana and Uganda, these songs reflect on how we might live more fully and wisely.
Generations expands the ensemble’s mission of cross-cultural dialogue, drawing on global folk traditions to create music that speaks across generations.
Let’s discover the power of folk music!