By – Paul Cordes Wilm

A Change Is Gonna Come

In the most beautiful way, this album could serve as Lonnie Holley’s musical epitaph. In an epic sense, it is not only his most complete and whole sounding work in his canon, there is a slightly historic feel to Tonky not present in his previous works, both personal and worldly. And Lonnie Holley is by all means a historic figure in his own right.

He was born here in Birmingham, AL and made his mark in the visual art world as far back as 1981, creating incredible raw, found material sculptures with such objects as cinder blocks, rusty metal scraps, abandoned toys, bike parts etc.His talents also branched into the realms of painting and his own yard, along with many empty lots near his home became an immersive folk art garden celebrated by visitors from all over. It was sadly torn down by Birmingham International Airport officials, which prompted Holley to move to Atlanta, GA where he presently resides.

Considering all of these amazing facts, it should come as no surprise that Lonnie Holley approaches the realm musical expression with equal fervor. His latest (and truly greatest) opus, Tonky (a nickname he acquired as a child) bears witness to the wonderful idea that music (and in turn creating music) can carry one through even the toughest trials and tribulations in life. Holley repeatedly makes references to the long, turbulent journey of the American black man.

From the start to the finish of the album he tells us  a powerful story that is simultaneously unique to Holley as an individual and his race and his heritage. And as the historic tale expands and breathes, his words (both spoken and sung) reach out spiritually beyond those constructs to become a universal experience for humankind in general. That in itself is a profound feat, especially when you consider that these incredible songs are coming from a 75 year old man. Clearly, he has a message and clearly, he wants it to be heard.

From the humble dawn of his recorded musical career in 2012, Lonnie Holley has always been more or less political. This comes to mind when simply reading the title of a song called  “I Woke Up in a Fucked Up America” on his outstanding 2018 album Mith.  And even though Tonky presents the listener with a grandiose, immersive and highly produced sound, the style of protesting (which has always been uniquely his own, from his signature gravelly voice to his playful, down-to earth choice of words) has only gotten more and more profound. In a confessional manner, Holley presents himself as a narrator of changing times. And in each given situation (touching not only on past history but also current history; today’s war casualties, the tragic destruction caused by climate change storms, Holley always remembers to include the shining  element of hope. He truly believes his works (be it art or albums) can open up his fellow humans’ eyes and change this world for the better.

In short, Tonky is an astounding achievement. If Lonnie Holley decided to never record music again, at least he could rest assured that with the release of this album, he can now add the words  “musical masterwork” to his list of accomplishments.