‘The Alchemy of Fire’ Record Released
Ojai Musicians Come Together to Raise Funds
Although it’s been a year since the Thomas Fire blazed through Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Ventura, the recovery is ongoing. To help allay the myriad costs of rebuilding and repairing, singer/songwriter Ted Lennon has spearheaded a compilation album of Ojai musicians, with the proceeds going to Greater Goods Ojai Relief Fund (greatergoodsojai.org/relief).
The idea for the album, called The Alchemy of Fire, came to Lennon, an Ojai native, not long after the devastating fire swept through town. “I had to evacuate and felt like I didn’t pitch in to help with the fighting of the fires,” said Lennon. “In retrospect … I found myself feeling helpless … thinking ‘What can I do?’ My response: to curate a music compilation and donate 100 percent of proceeds.”
Lennon put a call out to his friends and received a plethora of responses. “There were over 40 songs submitted, of which 20 were selected,” said Lennon. The record contains tracks from musicians including Lissie, Orpheo McCord, Dan Malloy, Todd Hannigan, and Jack Johnson. “The artists I chose were either based in Ojai or have ties to this small-knit community and were interested in helping with the recovery process,” explained Lennon.
