Introduction

Hello and welcome, one and all
This is your host, John Tyler Trautman
What we have here is The Ledger's Voice
A reworked, supplemented version of
The Folk Fantoccini by Vold Book
First published in June of 2021
This new edition presents eighty-five percent
Of the material that came out of the recording
Sessions for this project, which began in
September of 2020 and went through
May of 2021

I began to work under the name and concept
Purgatorio, which underwent considerable
Transformation in the course of events
At one point, the project was even called
Longfellow's Cough Drop Extravaganza
Which I intended to be a Lewis Carroll
L. Frank Baum, or Roald Dahl-style
Children's story read over music
It was enjoyable to explore those ideas
However, I realized that I had substance
To convey to an older audience

The Ledger's Voice is best understood
As a series of short stories, vignettes
Speeches, and poems, bound together
By a common wish: to authentically convey
Inner visions that were pressing on the mind
And the heart of the artist. I set out to deliver
A thematic narrative through spoken word
Alongside music of course, that would be based
Upon my experience of moving through the world
I have covered social, political, personal
And spiritual territories, all the while hopeful
To entertain, surprise, and enlighten

The original Folk Fantoccini album lacked
Completeness, and therefore structure
I have since laid out all tracks and arranged
Them with greater command of the material
Having spent some months away from the project
After editing out everything that is not truly needed
To finalize the exhibition, only a handful of cuts
Remain unreleased. I poured my heart and soul
Into every song on here; each one is a member of
The family, and I cannot exclude anyone

Thank you for entertaining my indulgence to address
You directly regarding the scope of the work. Now
Let us engage with the spoken word, and feel the music
That comprises the full, unabridged collection. Jump in
And experience for yourself, what I personally consider
To be my most treasured creation. I present to you
The Ledger's Voice, by Vold Book
Take care and enjoy