Unsilent Majority / ACLU Benefit Record / Ross Hammond

A liberation record with a purpose. Unsilent Majority is a 20-piece improvising orchestra and six-poet ensemble that came together to record this benefit album for the ACLU on Gold Lion Records, with 100% of proceeds going directly to the organization.

The cover art called for something with weight and urgency — a raised fist rendered in gold, set against a field of red and blue, with hand-lettered type that feels part protest poster, part soul record. The design reaches for a Saul Bass sensibility: bold, graphic, and immediate. With apologies to Saul Bass. Limited edition prints of the poster were sold alongside digital downloads of the album.
The ensemble featured Jon Bafus, Tina Raymond, Dana Wendel, Alan Ernst, Lynn Michael Palmer, Henry Robinett, Victor Contreras, Jason Roberts, Amy Reed, Megan JG, Linda Michelle Hardy, Kimberly Dunning, Vinny Golia, Kevin Robinson, Tony Passarell, Kenneth Martin, Geoffrey Neill, Charles Sharp, and Vincent Di Fiore, with Ross Hammond conducting and on slide guitar. Poets included NSAA 360, Rachel Leibrock, Laura MmaMma Laura Cook, Russell Rawlings, Marcus Crowder, and Charles Smith.
Tony Passarell, a cornerstone of the Sacramento improvised music scene and a vital voice on this record, passed away in January 2025. This recording stands as part of his enduring legacy.