Together with claw-hammer banjo picker and singer Yani Batteau, violinist Noor O’Neill Borbieva, and bassist John Minkle, Collins combines spoken word with music to forge a new tradition. Collins has received numerous awards and honors, including an emerging artist award from the Cambridge Arts Council. The poem “Promised Candy,” included on this album, was named Best Narrative Poem, Cambridge Poetry Awards. The track “Blood Orange” has been featured on National Public Radio’s show “Here & Now.” Guest artists include Zack Nyman, guitar; Eric Kilburn, guitar, mandolin, and harmonica; Dave Rizzuiti, guitar; and Jason Williams, percussion. The CD includes a 20-page full-color booklet with lyrics and reproductions of vintage Kentucky postcards. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from each compact disc will be donated to the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition - http://www.ohvec.org - to help fight against mountaintop removal mining. PRAISE FOR "SUBTRACTING DOWN" “Accessible yet provocative, subtle shifts in voice to evoke subtleties of mood.” “Completely absorbing, takes me into her world so deeply that it invites the listener to get in touch with his or her own storyteller self.” “I love this CD. It’s a fantastic integration of the naturally-transcending bluegrass music and the beautiful and surprising-when-you-turn-the-corner words/poetry of her soul.” “I can listen to CD's voice reading from her heart forever. A True Talent.” CD's Web site: www.cdcollins.com.