Grammy-winning producer David Amlen pairs songs written by his late sister Jenny Amlen with rare Elton John covers from 1969’s Empty Sky – sung by five powerhouse vocalists
Freedom, the debut album from Dave and the Divas, arrives worldwide Friday, September 18 on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and all major streaming and download platforms. The album is being released in both stereo lossless and Dolby Atmos spatial audio by East Main Media and distributed worldwide by MVD Entertainment Group, one of North America’s leading independent distributors of music and entertainment, bringing the record to a global audience for the first time.
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Freedom is a concept album built on pairs. Grammy-winning producer and engineer David Amlen, founder of Sound on Sound Studios, wrote and performed with his sister Jenny Amlen for decades before her death. The two had planned a full-band recording of Elton John’s “Skyline Pigeon,” the song they closed their last show with, but never got the chance. Freedom completes that plan and expands it: five songs by Jenny, chosen for their optimism and their anthem-like choruses, each matched with a rarely covered track from Elton John’s 1969 debut Empty Sky. Each of the five Divas – Julie Dobrow, Meg Beattie Patrick, Iris Schaffer-Hall, Stacia Thiel, and Cecilē Williams – sings one Jenny Amlen song and one Elton John song, with all five voices joining on the choruses of the album’s biggest moments.
“This has truly been a labor of love,” said Amlen. “My sister and I always felt her songs should have reached a much larger audience. Several of them have that anthem quality that could be sung in any language. Having East Main Media and MVD behind it now means people who’ve never heard of us are going to find it, and that’s the whole point. I’m hoping Jenny somehow knows her legacy continues.”
Recorded at Sound on Sound in Montclair, NJ, the album was made the way classic records were made: every instrument performed by a human, with no loops or sequenced parts. Amlen handled arrangements, production, and all guitar, bass, piano and keyboards, joined by Kevin Carrillo on drums, Eric Goletz on trombone, and twin brothers Gary and Mark Blackman on trumpet and tenor saxophone. The album was mastered by multiple Grammy winner Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound, whose credits include Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges, and Paul Simon’s Graceland. The Dolby Atmos mix puts listeners inside the ensemble, with the five-voice choruses surrounding the listener from every direction.
The Aquarian praised the album as a beautiful collection arranged with intimacy and intricacy, crediting a producer with a personal connection to the material.
The title track, “Freedom,” performed by Cecilē Williams, leads the album as its first single, with “Changing World,” performed by Julie Dobrow, follows. Both are accompanied by music videos produced by East Main Media and available on the Dave and the Divas YouTube channel. Live performances are being planned for the coming months, with dates to be announced.
The project brings together longtime colleagues Amlen and East Main Media founder Brian Brodeur, whose careers span a combined 75 years in the music industry. Amlen’s studio work is behind more than 150 million albums sold, including projects by Sting, Christian McBride, and Living Colour. Brodeur’s 35-plus-year career spans studio recording, broadcast production, and media for clients across the New York metro area and beyond. Freedom follows East Main Media’s release of Greg Canestrari’s Sliding Doors album, also distributed by MVD.
“David made a record that stays with you – five great singers, a band playing live in the room, and songs with real history behind them,” “East Main Media exists to get great work in front of the audience it deserves, and MVD gives Freedom a real global path from day one, not just a link in a bio. A record that pairs a sister’s songs with early Elton John, sung by five singers of this caliber and produced by someone with David’s ears – that doesn’t happen often, and we wanted to make sure it didn’t go unheard.”
Track listing with Composer and featured vocalist (total run time 46:33)
- Freedom (Jenny Amlen) – Cecilē Williams
- Valhalla (Elton John / Bernie Taupin) – Meg Beattie Patrick
- Changing World (Jenny Amlen) – Julie Dobrow
- Empty Sky (Elton John / Bernie Taupin) – Stacia Thiel
- Western Ford Gateway (Elton John / Bernie Taupin) – Iris Schaffer-Hall
- Sister (Jenny Amlen) – Stacia Thiel
- Gulliver (Elton John / Bernie Taupin) – Julie Dobrow
- Faith (Jenny Amlen) – Iris Schaffer-Hall
- Skyline Pigeon (Elton John / Bernie Taupin) – Cecilē Williams
- What If (Jenny Amlen) – Meg Beattie Patrick
Freedom will be available worldwide September 18, 2026 on all major streaming and download platforms in stereo lossless and Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
Release details: Artist: Dave and the Divas | Title: Freedom | Label: East Main Media | Distributor: MVD Entertainment Group | Street date: September 18, 2026 | Format: Digital | Genre: Pop Rock / Classic Rock | Run time: 46:33 | UPC: 195269349752 | SKU: EMM002
