title: song-by-song review

text:
Celtic Worship Live runs for 57 minutes and consists of fourteen songs.  Printed lyrics are included.  Most of the songs are originals and a couple are covers.

The songs

The album kicks off with "Praise the Holy Lord Above", skillfully played on acoustic guitar with Sarah Lacy's lovely, serene vocals quietly introducing the song.  It soon kicks into high gear with percussion and Uileann pipes.  This song gets the CD off to an exciting start and the crowd claps appreciatively.

"Prodigal" is a moving ballad about someone who had once been lost coming "home" to faith.  The lyrics are moving and relatable to anyone who has been through hell and longs for home.  The beautiful melody is sensitively played and well sung by Sarah Lacy.

The expansive and peaceful "Stones and Sea" is probably one of my favorite Eden's Bridge songs.  It flows seamlessly from "Prodigal", in the same key with a slightly slower tempo, and evocative lyrics about  collecting beautiful stones on a beach and eventually growing bored of them.  Until one day, the singer realizes that she'd not really noticed how beautiful the sea was... as she searched for precious but boring stones, she had missed how powerful, full of life, and majestic the sea was.  And unlike the stones, the sea is not controllable.  This is a message that you don't have to be into God to appreciate.

"Dante's Prayer" was written by Lorena McKennitt and is played here with an intimate piano and Sarah Lacy's expressive vocals.  Again, it's a song that one doesn't have to be religious to appreciate.  The lyrics are hopeful and invite the listener to remember that they aren't alone in times of trouble.  Whether that means they turn to God or just a good friend or loved one, the sentiment is the same.  It's very comforting.

The band explains that Sarah Lacy wasn't a fan of the original melody of "Hark The Heard Angels Sing" by Felix Mendelssohn.  She wrote a new melody retaining the lyrics to the popular Christmas hymn.  This concert was recorded on a cold night, probably near Christmas time.  I like Sarah Lacy's innovation; it's a nice spin on a classic.  It's immediately followed by "Come Let Us Adore Him", which is basically the chorus from "O Come All Ye Faithful".  It sounds like the crowd might have joined her, though the sound is very subtle.

"Son of Man" is another deep ballad with piano and windchimes.  The lyrics are about Christ's crucifixion.  Sarah Lacy sings with gentle reverence about how Christ died for our sins.  I suspect this song will resonate most with people who believe in Jesus Christ and the story of Christ's resurrection.  It's a poignant song regardless.

"All the Diamonds" is a cover of song written by Canadian Bruce Cockburn.  I have had limited exposure to Bruce Cockburn's music, so I had not heard this song before I listened to Eden's Bridge take on it.  Lacy's vocals are whisper soft and sweet and she's accompanied by guitar and organ.

Sarah Lacy introduces "Little Heaven", saying that it was inspired by the name Jesus and how difficult it is to say that name.  The lyrics suggest that Jesus is always there, lurking in subtle places.  And yet even though Jesus is always there, it's hard to talk about Christ's presence in one's life.  This song is really comforting and pretty.

"The Earth Waits" and "In My Mind" are described as being slightly different.  "The Earth Waits" is a more serious tune, with lyrics about letting go of shame and pain and waiting for the Lord to come back to Earth.  "In My Mind" brightens up the mood a bit as Lacy sings about keeping Christ in her mind, maintaining an intimate relationship and gathering strength from her Father.

"New Land" has the sound of an Irish folk song, with an undulating melody and gentle acoustic guitar accompaniment.  The lyrics are vivid, with descriptions of the wild Irish landscape that must serve as inspiration to this group and its beautiful music.  I think this is one of my favorite songs on this album.

"Eternal Father" is another pretty ballad, this time played on keyboards and pipes, with lyrics that cry out for love and help from God.  As I listen to this song, it occurs to me that some of Eden's Bridge's songs sound a bit similar... but while they have recycled some of their sounds, they've at least chosen the best ones to reuse.

"Watching Time" closes out this live set.  This song is intricately played on an acoustic guitar and Sarah Lacy's delicate vocals sing about companionship.  It could be about a friend, but my guess is that it's about having a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and always having Him with you, "watching time". This review is from epinions.


title: excellent instrumental arrangements of Hindu religious songs

text:
This pack contains four CDs, instrumenal versions of bhajans and other religious songs:
Shraddha, Atma Shraddha, Sur Shraddha and Divya Shraddha, all of them by Times Music.
Artists: Ashit Desai, Rakesh Chaurasiya, Zarin Daruwala, Sunil Das, Ulhas Bapat, Pt. Bhavani Shankar, Rupak Kulkarni and more...
The melodies are excellent. They calm the mind and the soul.

Track listing:
Disc 1:
1. Shraddha - Awakening
2. Enlightenment
3. Homage
4. Serenity
5. Elation
6. Devotion
7. Harmony
8. Solace
9. Eternity
10. Bliss

Disc 2:
1. Atma Shraddha - Hanuman Chalisa
2. He Ram
3. Ab Sop Diya
4. He Govind He Gopal
5. Jai Ram Rama
6. Shri Ramchandra
7. Jeeni Re Jeeni
8. Ram Charan Sukhdayi

Disc 3:
1. Sur Shraddha - Bada Natkhat Hai
2. Humko Man Ki Shakti-Darshan Do Ghanshyam
3. Maili Chaadar
4. Yashomati Maiya Se
5. Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram
6. Prabhu Tero Naam
7. Tora Man Darpan
8. Aye Maalik Tere Bande
9. Tu Pyar Ka Sagar Hai

Disc 4:
1. Divya Shraddha - Sabse Unchi Prem Sagai
2. Mithe Ras Se Bhari
3. Aarti Kije Hanuman
4. Chalo Man Ganga Jamuna
5. Choti Choti Gaiya/Radha Dhoondh Rahi
6. Pag Ghungroo Bandh Meera
7. He Jagrata Vishwa Vidhata
8. Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada
9. Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol


title: Great duets on bansuri and santoor, suitable for yoga or meditation.

text:
Rakesh Chaurasia is the nephew and student of Hariprasad Chaurasia, the most famous player of the bansuri (bamboo flute) in the world. He has recorded many albums in classical and fusion music styles, and I own a dozen of them.

Pandit Ulhas Bapat (31 August 1950 – 4 January 2018) was a santoor player who started recording in the 1970s. See his personal website at santoorulhus com for information. Among several innovations, he modified the kalams (wooden strikers) to enable a meend (slide between pitches), which he performs on this album.

Together they have created this lovely album of quiet, peaceful music for yoga or meditation. There is no tabla, but very light digital percussion marking the tala (teental). There are 6 pieces, each around 10 minutes, each in a different raag. All except the first one will seem 'soothing' to western listerners.

The music is not in a strict classical Indian form and is not meant to be "exciting," so get a different album with tabla if you want to hear that. But the music is beautiful, professionally played, and features a lot of interaction between the 2 instruments. As well as being used for yoga or meditation, it would work at beditme for adults or children. It's not remotely 'muzak' but holds up well in a musical sense. With these things in mind, I rate it 5 stars.


title: Very professional and passionate playing of harp music

text:
Born in the Netherlands and now a professor of harp, she plays classical music on this album, in addition to cross-cultural fusion musics with the 'Elements' ensemble of George Brooks. She's talented, adventurous, and an international leader in music (see her website).

TracklistHide Credits
1 Sonata in C minor - Allegro
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
2:40
2 Sonata in C minor - Andantino
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
1:54
3 Sonata in C minor - Rondo Allegro
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
2:34
4 Variations On A Theme In The Ancient Style
Composed By – Carlos Salzedo
14:05
5 Préludes - La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
Composed By – Claude Debussy
2:47
6 Préludes - Des Pas sur la Neige
Composed By – Claude Debussy
3:33
7 Préludes - Bruyeres
Composed By – Claude Debussy
2:48
8 Divertissement - A la Francaise
Composed By – André Caplet
4:25
9 Impromptu - op. 86
Composed By – Gabriel Fauré
8:26
10 Fantasia W 58
Composed By – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
7:20
11 La Danse des Sylphes
Composed By – Félix Godefroid
8:26
12 Sonata for Harp - Maestoso quasi allegro
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
6:44
13 Sonata for Harp - Lento
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
5:09
14 Sonata for Harp - Allegro piu possible
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
4:42


title: Good, fairly meditative songs

text:
"Widening Embrace is Carolyn McDade’s newest body of music - a year-long project of singing, meditation, reflection, and the arts. Sung by women from 9 regions of North America, each song arises from the energies of Creation, Earth, Universe, pulling us deep into the learning fields of forest, water, sky, stars."

Songlist:
I Come To You, My Friend

Widening Embrace

Trees

Trees Chant

“Four Teachings”

Remember Here

Yield of Dreams

For This I Know

Lyra

Deep the Love

Deep the Love Meditation

Lament: I Never Got to Say

Ka Man Klajas (with an instrumental preview!)

Serenity

Reprise


title: Songs from around the Mediterranean Sea region, masterful performances!

text:
Excerpted from review by Rootsworld:  Lamia Bèdioui is a Tunisian-born Greek resident who, along with her Desert Fish present a stunning sequence of storytelling in music, a cycle of 14 stories that circle the Great Sea and back again, examining in particular the Greek, Romance and Arabic cultures of the countries known today as Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Algeria, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco. She has a voice that can handle these challenges and takes on each of these traditions...

The Fish are Giorgios Vournas (oud, guitar, mandolin etc), Loukia Konstantatou (qanun and voice), Dimitris Chiotis (lyra, guitar with bow, lute, voice) and Yannis Eustatthopoulos (various percussion)....  [hear samples at the Rootsworld review page]


title: multicultural fun!

text: Review from CD Roots: "This young Norwegian band fuses and melds folk, rock, ambient grooves and jazz into an unusual whole on their first release, driven by Elisabeth Vatn's bagpipes and clarinets, Harald Skullerud's percussion, and Olav Torget's plucked strings (including guitar, bass, banjo Senegambian konting and Chinese moon guitar). It's often a brilliant and daring approach to the tradition, with hints of any number of genres, and ultimately, none."


title: 18th-century Christmas songs from Italy - a terrific album!

text: review from CD Roots: "Towards the middle of the eighteenth century Alfonso Maria de' Liguori and his Redemptorist priests introduced hymns both in the local dialect and in Italian, based on popular songs, to teach the "lazzari" (the destitute) the basics of Christianity. Many of the songs were related to Christmas-tide celebrations. This repertoire spread quickly through the region, promoting the growth of a specific musical genre characterised by lullabies, pastorales for the zampogna (Italian bag-pipes) , alms-seeking chants, and others still in use among the people in the area. This recording presents a number of these tunes, revisited by Ambrogio Sparagna yet preserving the original spirit of these traditional folk prayers. To exalt their simple, natural beauty Sparagna has entrusted the interpretations to Peppe Servillo and a female vocal quintet, accompanied by the eclectic instrumentalist Erasmo Treglia and an trio featuring a majestic giant zampogna, an bagpipe-related instrument of large proportion, along with harmonium, tamburelli, organetto (accordion), ciaramella, ghironda, oboe barocco, violino and more."


title: non-rhythmic, pleasant background music featuring 2 bansuri flute lines

text:
"Reiki (霊気) is a form of alternative medicine developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui. Since originating in Japan, reiki has been adapted into varying cultural traditions.." It reportedly began being taught in India around 1992.

This CD has 14 tracks, unnamed, averaging 4-5 minutes each. The musical focus is 2 (overdubbed) flute lines, with slight musical setting of keyboard and acoustic guitar. The music is all in free rhythm, and there is no drum or meter. One track flows into the next, and sometimes there is a different tonal center ('supporting chord').

The chief musician is Rakesh Chaurasia, the award-winning nephew of Hariprasad Chaurasia, the best and most famous bansuri player of this era.

The album could be simply new-age aural pablum; it's saved from that ignoble fate by the talent of Rakesh. Find his many other recordings to hear his great talent and what he's actually capable of.

It's not "music for listening" nor is it intended to be. It's marketed as music to be played in reiki healing; I'm guessing it will serve that purpose well. It would also work well at a low volume for going to sleep, adult or infant. It's purposefully non-exciting and does not draw attention to itself. It serves well as background music for various purposes.


An excellent 'live' duet by the masters of their instruments. Excellent recording quality from Germany. 1 page of liner notes repeated in English, German and French.


title: Wonderful flute music set in east-west fusion arrangements

text:
The publicity blurb gives an accurate summary: "Flute maestro Pandit Ronu Majumdar offers his tribute to the greatest Bhajans [devotional songs] of all time through a soulful improvised presentation of the classics. The music arrangement uses contemporary Western and Indian elements and vocal harmonies, while still retaining the sanctity of these timeless devotional melodies."

Strong use of keyboards, some use of guitars. Other supporting 'actual' instruments include tabla, sarod, sitar, and solo violin. A 5-voice choir provides an occasional 'vocal pad' (without lyrics). The type of east-west fusion arrangements will be familiar to all who listen to Bollywood songs, and it is done quite professionally here.

The original bhajans have lyrics, and I wish they would have been included in the liner notes ... which only list the musicians and song titles, nothing else. I can see from the song titles that some honor Ram, Mother Ganga, and others. If you buy the download instead of the, you're not missing any written content except the list of musicians.

Since this is an album by a bansuri (bamboo) flute player, the main question is ... how does he sound? As expected, his playing is superb in technique and emotional expression. Pandit Ronu has recorded dozens of albums, from straight traditional to fusion like this one, and his decades of performing and recording have served him well on this album from 2015. Many Indians and non-Indians alike will deeply enjoy these beautiful songs. They reward focused listening, and are also good for purposes such as meditation, yoga, or background music. A lot of the songs make me feel quite happy.

Pandit Ronu was born in 1965 and started winning major awards for his playing in 1981. His style is a mixture of 'Drupad Gayaki' with 'Laykari'.  Pt Majumdar's music is rooted in the Maihar gharana which has musicians of eminence like Pt Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan to its credit. [Wikipedia]


title: Indian vocals, Mediterranean instruments, global band recorded in Paris = gorgeous

text:
Notes from the producer, from Najma's website:

Fariyaad  - (A plea to the creator), 2009 - Connecting Cultures Records

Produced by Serge Glanzberg and recorded in Paris, this is Najma’s 7th album solo album. Musicians from very diverse cultures and backgrounds were used adding even more multiculturalism to the flavour of Najma’s past works. Paris was selected to record the project because Najma felt that, at that time, Paris was the cultural hybrid melting pot of World Music.  She says, “Its charisma and aura”, the availability of musicians and a general good vibe made it the right choice. In this album Najma's soulful, semi-classical Indian voice is the centrepiece, enveloped by music that continues to cross over to the jazz world but this time incorporating semi-acoustic Mediterranean influences and instruments. The songs remain earthy, grounded and consistent with her past recordings. For Najma, it was extremely important to keep the same integrity of her previous recordings. Najma surrounds herself with some remarkable musicians, including Steve Coleman (saxophone), Olivier Louvel (guitarist and Saaz player) and Felix Sabaleco (drums). Najma, easily, switches back and forth between the slightly western vocal ideas for example, the short Staccato breathier phrases to the long dreamy notes of Raags, she has managed to go full circle.

The result is a recording that Najma says, "Is a bit more daring, in terms of opening the doors to a more modern, semi- acoustic, experimental and adventurous journey into Indian World Music.

‘’This time we had the opportunity as well as the maturity in our collaboration to be able to go all the way in our common and respective eclecticisms, to rediscover ourselves in a reincarnation on several different levels.  With ‘Fariyaad’, Najma wanted to be surprised by a music that emanated from the confrontation of her origins with her desires. Daring confluence, newness, doubt, liberty, she wanted to take the road already walked with and for others, but this time to inverse the relationship of exoticism. To consider jazz, rock, drum ‘n’ bass, etc., as exotic elements from the point of view of her tradition and to be the one who invites.
Thus it was necessary to weave around Najma’s compositions, a new language where several musical universes could find their place and reveal the richness of her influences without them being diluted.
In this album the predominance of Mediterranean instruments distill an impression of India, liberating interpretation from the constraints of tradition. It was, as if, with each respiration, a new breath caused Indian music to vibrate anew. By integrating Ghazal and elements of Indian semi-classical vocals with harmony lines that are more or less contemporary, we have also sought to reincarnate the psychedelic spirit and aesthetic as near as possible to the personality and aspirations of Najma. ‘Fariyaad’, therefore stands as another unique and ground-breaking album from Najma Akhtar’’.


title: a fine mix of fusion collaborations and traditional raags by India's flute maestro

text:
The CD has 4 tracks:
Eternity - Srishti
Eternity - Mukti
The Musical Hour-Glass (Raga Bhopali)
Raga Chandrakauns

The 'Eternity' pair of songs are about 22 minutes each. These are fusion pieces with guitar, keyboard, tabla, and drum machine players - though the instrumentalists are not named anywhere. The guitar and tabla sound great, the keyboard and drum machine make the songs sound dated. Hariprasad's masterful playing - often overdubbed on 2 flutes overlapping in 2 octaves - is pretty much perfect and soaring as always. Parts of each of these lengthy songs are gorgeous.

The last pair of pieces - each about 11 minutes - are traditional raags performed on tanpura drone, tabla, and bansuri - extraordinary playing as always.

I suspect that this CD is a compilation of songs from earlier albums. But since there are zero liner notes, it will take awhile for me to ascertain that for sure. Anyway, it's a fine mix of his fusion collaborations and his traditional raags.


title: Impeccable performance, helpful notes in booklet

text:
6 stars! The performance is impeccable and captivating - Pandit Hariprasad has been recognized as the premier player of the bansuri (bamboo flute) for decades. This album is copyright 1990, so he was in his 50s. The repertoire recorded here is "3 contrasting rags suitable for the evening."

A great feature of this album for those who want to understand the raga system of India is the CD booklet, with notes written by British scholars. There are 4 pages of notes on the music, with 2 or 3 music staves for each of the 3 rags.  There are 2 additional pages of notes about the symbolism of the bansuri and Krishna.

I have about 2 dozen albums by Pandit Hariprasad. They all have excellent performances, but most of them do not have such detailed notes about the music. So if you want to learn about the music you hear, this is a great album to get.


title: piano, tabla, vocal trio

text: Personnel: Russell Churney (piano, keyboards); Kuljit Bhamra (percussion); Barb Jungr (vocals, mandolin, harmonica); James Tomalin (guitar, banjo); Stan Adler (cello).Recording information: Red Fort Studios, England.Illustrator: Vikram Bonthapally.After her fruitful and prolific stint as one-half of the ever-eclectic Jungr & Parker, Barb Jungr returned to school to earn her masters degree in ethnomusicology, which in turn led to the formation of JBC (later changed to Durga Rising), a Hindustani-flavored trio also featuring Kuljit Bhamra -- an expert tabla player and a pioneer in London's bhangra movement -- and Jungr's longtime musical partner, pianist Russell Churney. The group lasted for a couple years, but as a recording unit it only managed the one-off album Durga Rising, an effort that managed to merge Indian, jazz, European cabaret, blues, and pop music into a mostly successful and coherent, though admittedly peculiar, sort of treat. The compelling collisions begin immediately with "The Cutter," which most listeners would be hard-pressed to place as the Echo & the Bunnymen cover that it, in fact, is. In JBC's arrangement, with its viscous raga rhythms and haunting cello, the swirling post-punk song is tweaked into an earthy but exultant psychedelic anthem. The whimsically mooning "Bombay Dreaming," oddly enough, shares with the sprightly "Crimes Against Nature" the honor of being the most theatrical song on the album. In contrast, "Go Down Easy" is a beautiful dirge borrowed from the legendary British folk master John Martyn. Only "Spit It Out," a blues tune, drags on a bit longer than necessary (the other Jungr & Parker contribution, "Tears in a Bottle," is just right), especially in light of the slow-burning, almost operatic revision of "Blind Willie McTell," a Bob Dylan composition that not only serves as the cornerstone of the album but also pointed the way toward Jungr's later masterwork, Every Grain of Sand. An intriguing, adventurous amalgam. ~ Stanton Swihart


title: Hindu chants with lovely arrangements

text:
The musical arrangements, playing/singing and production are very professional. I assume these are all religious chants, no lyrics are given in Hindi or in English. The compositional raag for each song is given on the back cover. There are around 15 different instruments used. The singers, solo and chorus, are all male.

I bought the album partially to hear the bansuri flute of Rakesh Chaurasia, who excels as always.


title: Terrific jugalbandi of violin and sarod

text:
Great album of violin (South Indian) and sarod (North Indian) masters, in the jugalbandi style ("entwined twins" model of 2 lead instruments interacting with each other).

The album begins with a North India raga (Bhopali) followed by a South India raga (Malkauns). The violin and sarod players are accompanied on both tracks by tabla and mridangam, and these drummers have their own jugalbandi section at the end of both lengthy ragas.

The album concludes with 2 short solo pieces: first by the violin, and the last track by the sarod. I think the album was recorded in 1983.

The first 3 pieces are quite exciting; except for the alap section of the 2 main ragas, the last piece (the sarod solo) is the only one that is slow and meditative. All 4 tracks are played exceedingly well. I have 100+ albums of music from India, and this is one of my favorites.

This is a digital re-release of an LP. The CD has the 2 short solos which were not on the LP release. The CD has no liner notes, but the LP does. Search for the LP version on Amazon and you'll see a scan of the LP back cover which has information about the performers and the ragas.
[[ASIN:B00FKQ5NBU South Meets North Jugalbandi / Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Violin; Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Sarod]]

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: a a nice 'sampler of 8 raags' album on bansuri, played with skill and passion

text:
Rakesh is the nephew of the greatest bansuri player, Hariprasad Chaurasia. He's not yet at that 'genius' level of keeping the listener's rapt attention through a 1-hour suite, but he's good. This album (2007) features his compositions in 8 shortish pieces, between 5 and 12 minutes each. The only accompaniment is the excellent pakhawaj drum player.

A minor note: Rakesh's last name is misspelled twice on the album cover! Major note: this album is the same as this one: "Devotion Instrumental Temple Music" which is also for sale on Amazon, with a red cover. Here are notes from that one, not present in this album, though the recording is identical:
"In Hinduism, devotion and worship to the almighty is not confined only to grandiose temples but allows one free reign to connect with the Aatma (the Soul), anywhere, at any time of the day; be it at home, a holy site or simply outdoors. In this album Devotion, the very gifted and talented flautist, Rakesh Chaurasia and the king of Pakhawaj, Pandit Bhavani Shankar come together to create somber yet sublime temple music in Dhrupad style, appropriate for the home or ones own cocoon elsewhere. Eight melodious tracks, beginning with the appropriate dawn Raag Prabhadeshwari, followed by Gerri Todi, Shudh Sarang, Yaman, Jhinjhoti, Main Ki Malhar, Chandrakauns and the late night Raag Jog provide a perfect backdrop to everyday worship and meditation."

The liner notes for this album version under review give some good information, though nothing about the raags themselves. But that information is easy to find online. The westerner will find it nice to hear 8 raags represented on a single album, so if you don't like the tonality of one, just skip ahead to the next one.  :-)  No really, it's a nice 'sampler of raags' album, played on my favorite instrument, and done with skill and passion.


title: 10 'sacred Christmas carols' by a trio

text: From website: Ten sacred carols that celebrate the spirit of Christmas, past and present, in a timeless Beauty. Performed by Fred Alley (vocals), Ira Stein (piano), and Hans Christian (cello, nyckelharpa), this CD reaches past trendy interpretations to rediscover the somber and reflective qualities of such classics as Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel; Coventry Carol, and ‘Twas In The Moon Of Wintertime. This collection of carols for the season of Light is bound to become a Christmas classic. Hans Christian is half of the 'Rasa' duet that plays devotional songs from India. Ira Stein is a well-known pianist.


title: Nice jugalbandi (duet) between bansuri (bamboo flute) and santoor (hammered dulcimer) of India

text:
Tracklist
1 Dancing Daffodils
2 Shepherd's Call
3 Meadow Magic
4 Wisp Of Cloud
5 Homeward Bound
Credits
Flute – Ronu Majumdar
Santoor – Tarun Bhattacharya
Tabla – Abhijit Banerjee
Tambura – Vilas Pednekar

This album was earlier published as 'Essence of Jugalbandi' - the 'Dancing Daffodils' was added to the album title on a reissue, apparently. 1993.


title: Excellent non-traditional cross-cultural album featuring bansuri flute and tabla drums with piano

text:
This is a very nice cross-cultural music album from a trio: the pianist and bansuri flautist are Belgian, and the well-known tabla player is from India.

They bill the music as "modern music based on north indian tradition, introducing piano's harmony." That's an apt description. Each of the 9 songs is set in a particular tala (rhythm cycle), and the name and count of the tala for each song is written on the back. So, the rhythmic framework for each song is set firmly in the age-old tala tradition of India - 6 beats, 8 beats 10 beats, 12 beats, or 16 beats in a repeating musical cycle (tala).

The melodies, on the other hand, are intentionally not set within the 'raga' system. And there's no drone instrument. Instead, the melodies - and western harmonies - unfold through the jazzy interplay of bansuri (bamboo) flute and piano. 'Jugalbandi' means "entwined twins." On this album, this doesn't work exactly the way that 'jugalbandi' music traditionally is played in India, where you have 2 different melody instruments interacting with each other on equal footing, neither being a 'support' instrument. On this recording, since the piano is playing chords and there is no drone, it is by nature supporting some musical lines of the bansuri flute. So I think that the trio's name only sorta-kinda fits the actual music in the technical sense. Note that the trio's other album is all based in the raga system of classical Indian music, so if that's what you're looking for, get that album. If you want more of a jazz feel, get this one.

But, you're asking by now, what does it actually sound like? Ahh ... it's terrific! Some of it has an ECM vibe, some is like a slow ballad, some has fast pairing of the flute and piano lines, a little of it passes the melody between the flute and the tabla. It goes between improvisation and composed musical portions (as does more traditional musics of India in the raga system). I find it very pleasant as lower-volume background music, and very rewarding as louder-volume foreground music. It's not too new-agey, it's not musical fluff, it's certainly not 'smooth jazz,' and I like that it's grounded in rhythmic cycles of India, played by a master musician.

By the way, I found the bio of the tabla player (Suman Sarkar) online, and his resume is quite impressive. He's been playing professionally in India since the 1980s, and working in Europe since the 1990s. He is is one of the visiting Tabla teachers at the Sangit School of Indian Music in Brussels, where presumably he met the two Belgians who lead this trio.

I love jazz piano, I love classical Indian musics, I love contemporary global fusion musics, and I love the bansuri flute. Put all these elements together and you get this satisfying album. I have dozens of recordings of the bansuri played in many contexts, and I go searching for it being used in non-traditional as well as traditional contexts. This is one of the better non-traditional cross-cultural albums that features the bansuri, and it is a rich listening experience which I enjoy greatly.


title: sacred chants of popular tradition in Italy

text:
Sacred songs both traditional and 'popular' (ie, folk tunes apart from the formal church liturgy) from Emiliano, Italy, performed by the instrumental group Pivari Trio and vocalists from Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro (The May Ensemble from Frassinoro).

Musicians:
Fabio Bonvicini: flauti, organetto, baghèt, ciaramella, canto
Mario Nobile: violoncello, organetto, ciaramella, canto
Renzo Ruggiero: ghironda, nyckelharpa, mandoloncello, canto

Listen to the mp3 page for this album to see song titles and hear song samples - very professional!

from liner notes:
The work presented in this CD by the Pivari Trio and by the soloists of the May Ensemble of Frassinoro takes its origin from a research on the sacred chants of popular tradition commissioned to Fabio Bonvicini and Mario Nobile by the Cultural Department of the municipality of Nonantola (Modena). The research developed on two main levels: on one hand a field enquiry, which availed itself of some recordings of still existing rites and of the direct testimony of elderly informers who sang and narrated their musical memories; on the other hand – well aware we were in quest of a treasure definitively and inexorably fading away – the close study of researches carried forward by previous scholars at a time when this musical tradition, choked nowadays by imported cultures, was still alive.

Once the enquiry stage was ended, the problem arose of how to elaborate and repropose the rich and evocative material we had collected: thanksgiving chants, songs coming from the liturgy, Passion chants, purely popular melodies played on holy days. The first necessity for the Pivari Trio, in comparison with their previous work on the songs and dances of the Frignano area entitled "Passa e ripassa", was to find voices that still bore upon them the mark of an ancient musical history, common to the repertoire and to the cultures in question. At this point came the meeting with Marco Piacentini and the May Ensemble of Frassinoro, who immediately agreed to the project of working together to the elaboration and reproposal of the repertoire we had assembled in the course of our research. The selection, the arrangements, the instruments, the voices, the project organization, everything was formulated and discussed together, to get to the result which is now presented by the Pivari Trio and by the May Ensemble of Frassinoro.

The order of the songs follows the course of the solar year: from the Epiphany to Christmas. The choice of the instruments and of the arrangements – mainly directed by Marco Piacentini – has been organized according to two main themes: we could call the first one a liturgical one, based on absorbed and intimate sounds, more apt to narrate the events of the Passion and to perform the tunes of more strictly liturgical origin; the second one, which we could define as festive, gathers together, in a more joyful and abounding style, the church songs linked to the celebration of holy days and popular traditions, where the Christian message mingles with ancient pagan festivities such as the Befana (an old fairy bringing toys to children) or with extra-religious musical traditions such as the dramatic May. What hasn't been touched at all but reproposed, on the contrary, in all its transparent authenticity, is the colour, the accent, the vocal expression of the May singers. Like the faces of "The Gospel according to St. Matthew" by Pasolini, or the language of "Funny Mystery" by Dario Fo, the ancient voices of the May singers bring a message from another culture, from a world which today can only be found in the folds, in the salvation oases of a musical landscape too often flattened and reduced to a single, monotonous, deafening colour. - Fabio Bonvicini
Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro - voices

[excerpted from review at CD Roots]


title: good songs

text:
Jabulani Africa - Worship Africa
From The Inside Out - Hillsong United
Whit Ribbon Day - Delirious?
Love Mercy - Andy Bromley
Come Heal This Land - Robin Mark
Army Of Compassion - Solveig
Heal This Land - The Longing
Let My Life Be Like a Lovesong - Vineyard UK
Justice And Mercy - Matt Redman
When It's All Been Said And Done - Robin Mark

Justice and Mercy are the heart of World Vision's work in their numerous programmes around the world and the bonus DVD presents footage of the organisation's work and conatins downloadable additional information and details.


text:
This pack contains four CDs, instrumenal versions of bhajans and other religious songs:
Shraddha, Atma Shraddha, Sur Shraddha and Divya Shraddha, all of them by Times Music.
Artists: Ashit Desai, Rakesh Chaurasiya, Zarin Daruwala, Sunil Das, Ulhas Bapat, Pt. Bhavani Shankar, Rupak Kulkarni and more...
The melodies are excellent. They calm the mind and the soul.

Track listing:
Disc 1:
1. Shraddha - Awakening
2. Enlightenment
3. Homage
4. Serenity
5. Elation
6. Devotion
7. Harmony
8. Solace
9. Eternity
10. Bliss

Disc 2:
1. Atma Shraddha - Hanuman Chalisa
2. He Ram
3. Ab Sop Diya
4. He Govind He Gopal
5. Jai Ram Rama
6. Shri Ramchandra
7. Jeeni Re Jeeni
8. Ram Charan Sukhdayi

Disc 3:
1. Sur Shraddha - Bada Natkhat Hai
2. Humko Man Ki Shakti-Darshan Do Ghanshyam
3. Maili Chaadar
4. Yashomati Maiya Se
5. Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram
6. Prabhu Tero Naam
7. Tora Man Darpan
8. Aye Maalik Tere Bande
9. Tu Pyar Ka Sagar Hai

Disc 4:
1. Divya Shraddha - Sabse Unchi Prem Sagai
2. Mithe Ras Se Bhari
3. Aarti Kije Hanuman
4. Chalo Man Ganga Jamuna
5. Choti Choti Gaiya/Radha Dhoondh Rahi
6. Pag Ghungroo Bandh Meera
7. He Jagrata Vishwa Vidhata
8. Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada
9. Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol


text:
Rakesh Chaurasia is the nephew and student of Hariprasad Chaurasia, the most famous player of the bansuri (bamboo flute) in the world. He has recorded many albums in classical and fusion music styles, and I own a dozen of them.

Pandit Ulhas Bapat (31 August 1950 – 4 January 2018) was a santoor player who started recording in the 1970s. See his personal website at santoorulhus com for information. Among several innovations, he modified the kalams (wooden strikers) to enable a meend (slide between pitches), which he performs on this album.

Together they have created this lovely album of quiet, peaceful music for yoga or meditation. There is no tabla, but very light digital percussion marking the tala (teental). There are 6 pieces, each around 10 minutes, each in a different raag. All except the first one will seem 'soothing' to western listerners.

The music is not in a strict classical Indian form and is not meant to be "exciting," so get a different album with tabla if you want to hear that. But the music is beautiful, professionally played, and features a lot of interaction between the 2 instruments. As well as being used for yoga or meditation, it would work at beditme for adults or children. It's not remotely 'muzak' but holds up well in a musical sense. With these things in mind, I rate it 5 stars.


text:
Born in the Netherlands and now a professor of harp, she plays classical music on this album, in addition to cross-cultural fusion musics with the 'Elements' ensemble of George Brooks. She's talented, adventurous, and an international leader in music (see her website).

TracklistHide Credits
1 Sonata in C minor - Allegro
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
2:40
2 Sonata in C minor - Andantino
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
1:54
3 Sonata in C minor - Rondo Allegro
Composed By – Jan Ladislav Dusík
2:34
4 Variations On A Theme In The Ancient Style
Composed By – Carlos Salzedo
14:05
5 Préludes - La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
Composed By – Claude Debussy
2:47
6 Préludes - Des Pas sur la Neige
Composed By – Claude Debussy
3:33
7 Préludes - Bruyeres
Composed By – Claude Debussy
2:48
8 Divertissement - A la Francaise
Composed By – André Caplet
4:25
9 Impromptu - op. 86
Composed By – Gabriel Fauré
8:26
10 Fantasia W 58
Composed By – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
7:20
11 La Danse des Sylphes
Composed By – Félix Godefroid
8:26
12 Sonata for Harp - Maestoso quasi allegro
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
6:44
13 Sonata for Harp - Lento
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
5:09
14 Sonata for Harp - Allegro piu possible
Composed By – Nicolas Flagello
4:42


title: Good, fairly meditative songs

text:
"Widening Embrace is Carolyn McDade’s newest body of music - a year-long project of singing, meditation, reflection, and the arts. Sung by women from 9 regions of North America, each song arises from the energies of Creation, Earth, Universe, pulling us deep into the learning fields of forest, water, sky, stars."

Songlist:
I Come To You, My Friend

Widening Embrace

Trees

Trees Chant

“Four Teachings”

Remember Here

Yield of Dreams

For This I Know

Lyra

Deep the Love

Deep the Love Meditation

Lament: I Never Got to Say

Ka Man Klajas (with an instrumental preview!)

Serenity

Reprise


text:
Excerpted from review by Rootsworld:  Lamia Bèdioui is a Tunisian-born Greek resident who, along with her Desert Fish present a stunning sequence of storytelling in music, a cycle of 14 stories that circle the Great Sea and back again, examining in particular the Greek, Romance and Arabic cultures of the countries known today as Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Algeria, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco. She has a voice that can handle these challenges and takes on each of these traditions...

The Fish are Giorgios Vournas (oud, guitar, mandolin etc), Loukia Konstantatou (qanun and voice), Dimitris Chiotis (lyra, guitar with bow, lute, voice) and Yannis Eustatthopoulos (various percussion)....  [hear samples at the Rootsworld review page]


title: multicultural fun!

text: Review from CD Roots: "This young Norwegian band fuses and melds folk, rock, ambient grooves and jazz into an unusual whole on their first release, driven by Elisabeth Vatn's bagpipes and clarinets, Harald Skullerud's percussion, and Olav Torget's plucked strings (including guitar, bass, banjo Senegambian konting and Chinese moon guitar). It's often a brilliant and daring approach to the tradition, with hints of any number of genres, and ultimately, none."


text: review from CD Roots: "Towards the middle of the eighteenth century Alfonso Maria de' Liguori and his Redemptorist priests introduced hymns both in the local dialect and in Italian, based on popular songs, to teach the "lazzari" (the destitute) the basics of Christianity. Many of the songs were related to Christmas-tide celebrations. This repertoire spread quickly through the region, promoting the growth of a specific musical genre characterised by lullabies, pastorales for the zampogna (Italian bag-pipes) , alms-seeking chants, and others still in use among the people in the area. This recording presents a number of these tunes, revisited by Ambrogio Sparagna yet preserving the original spirit of these traditional folk prayers. To exalt their simple, natural beauty Sparagna has entrusted the interpretations to Peppe Servillo and a female vocal quintet, accompanied by the eclectic instrumentalist Erasmo Treglia and an trio featuring a majestic giant zampogna, an bagpipe-related instrument of large proportion, along with harmonium, tamburelli, organetto (accordion), ciaramella, ghironda, oboe barocco, violino and more."


text:
"Reiki (霊気) is a form of alternative medicine developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui. Since originating in Japan, reiki has been adapted into varying cultural traditions.." It reportedly began being taught in India around 1992.

This CD has 14 tracks, unnamed, averaging 4-5 minutes each. The musical focus is 2 (overdubbed) flute lines, with slight musical setting of keyboard and acoustic guitar. The music is all in free rhythm, and there is no drum or meter. One track flows into the next, and sometimes there is a different tonal center ('supporting chord').

The chief musician is Rakesh Chaurasia, the award-winning nephew of Hariprasad Chaurasia, the best and most famous bansuri player of this era.

The album could be simply new-age aural pablum; it's saved from that ignoble fate by the talent of Rakesh. Find his many other recordings to hear his great talent and what he's actually capable of.

It's not "music for listening" nor is it intended to be. It's marketed as music to be played in reiki healing; I'm guessing it will serve that purpose well. It would also work well at a low volume for going to sleep, adult or infant. It's purposefully non-exciting and does not draw attention to itself. It serves well as background music for various purposes.


An excellent 'live' duet by the masters of their instruments. Excellent recording quality from Germany. 1 page of liner notes repeated in English, German and French.


text:
The publicity blurb gives an accurate summary: "Flute maestro Pandit Ronu Majumdar offers his tribute to the greatest Bhajans [devotional songs] of all time through a soulful improvised presentation of the classics. The music arrangement uses contemporary Western and Indian elements and vocal harmonies, while still retaining the sanctity of these timeless devotional melodies."

Strong use of keyboards, some use of guitars. Other supporting 'actual' instruments include tabla, sarod, sitar, and solo violin. A 5-voice choir provides an occasional 'vocal pad' (without lyrics). The type of east-west fusion arrangements will be familiar to all who listen to Bollywood songs, and it is done quite professionally here.

The original bhajans have lyrics, and I wish they would have been included in the liner notes ... which only list the musicians and song titles, nothing else. I can see from the song titles that some honor Ram, Mother Ganga, and others. If you buy the download instead of the, you're not missing any written content except the list of musicians.

Since this is an album by a bansuri (bamboo) flute player, the main question is ... how does he sound? As expected, his playing is superb in technique and emotional expression. Pandit Ronu has recorded dozens of albums, from straight traditional to fusion like this one, and his decades of performing and recording have served him well on this album from 2015. Many Indians and non-Indians alike will deeply enjoy these beautiful songs. They reward focused listening, and are also good for purposes such as meditation, yoga, or background music. A lot of the songs make me feel quite happy.

Pandit Ronu was born in 1965 and started winning major awards for his playing in 1981. His style is a mixture of 'Drupad Gayaki' with 'Laykari'.  Pt Majumdar's music is rooted in the Maihar gharana which has musicians of eminence like Pt Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan to its credit. [Wikipedia]


text:
Notes from the producer, from Najma's website:

Fariyaad  - (A plea to the creator), 2009 - Connecting Cultures Records

Produced by Serge Glanzberg and recorded in Paris, this is Najma’s 7th album solo album. Musicians from very diverse cultures and backgrounds were used adding even more multiculturalism to the flavour of Najma’s past works. Paris was selected to record the project because Najma felt that, at that time, Paris was the cultural hybrid melting pot of World Music.  She says, “Its charisma and aura”, the availability of musicians and a general good vibe made it the right choice. In this album Najma's soulful, semi-classical Indian voice is the centrepiece, enveloped by music that continues to cross over to the jazz world but this time incorporating semi-acoustic Mediterranean influences and instruments. The songs remain earthy, grounded and consistent with her past recordings. For Najma, it was extremely important to keep the same integrity of her previous recordings. Najma surrounds herself with some remarkable musicians, including Steve Coleman (saxophone), Olivier Louvel (guitarist and Saaz player) and Felix Sabaleco (drums). Najma, easily, switches back and forth between the slightly western vocal ideas for example, the short Staccato breathier phrases to the long dreamy notes of Raags, she has managed to go full circle.

The result is a recording that Najma says, "Is a bit more daring, in terms of opening the doors to a more modern, semi- acoustic, experimental and adventurous journey into Indian World Music.

‘’This time we had the opportunity as well as the maturity in our collaboration to be able to go all the way in our common and respective eclecticisms, to rediscover ourselves in a reincarnation on several different levels.  With ‘Fariyaad’, Najma wanted to be surprised by a music that emanated from the confrontation of her origins with her desires. Daring confluence, newness, doubt, liberty, she wanted to take the road already walked with and for others, but this time to inverse the relationship of exoticism. To consider jazz, rock, drum ‘n’ bass, etc., as exotic elements from the point of view of her tradition and to be the one who invites.
Thus it was necessary to weave around Najma’s compositions, a new language where several musical universes could find their place and reveal the richness of her influences without them being diluted.
In this album the predominance of Mediterranean instruments distill an impression of India, liberating interpretation from the constraints of tradition. It was, as if, with each respiration, a new breath caused Indian music to vibrate anew. By integrating Ghazal and elements of Indian semi-classical vocals with harmony lines that are more or less contemporary, we have also sought to reincarnate the psychedelic spirit and aesthetic as near as possible to the personality and aspirations of Najma. ‘Fariyaad’, therefore stands as another unique and ground-breaking album from Najma Akhtar’’.


text:
The CD has 4 tracks:
Eternity - Srishti
Eternity - Mukti
The Musical Hour-Glass (Raga Bhopali)
Raga Chandrakauns

The 'Eternity' pair of songs are about 22 minutes each. These are fusion pieces with guitar, keyboard, tabla, and drum machine players - though the instrumentalists are not named anywhere. The guitar and tabla sound great, the keyboard and drum machine make the songs sound dated. Hariprasad's masterful playing - often overdubbed on 2 flutes overlapping in 2 octaves - is pretty much perfect and soaring as always. Parts of each of these lengthy songs are gorgeous.

The last pair of pieces - each about 11 minutes - are traditional raags performed on tanpura drone, tabla, and bansuri - extraordinary playing as always.

I suspect that this CD is a compilation of songs from earlier albums. But since there are zero liner notes, it will take awhile for me to ascertain that for sure. Anyway, it's a fine mix of his fusion collaborations and his traditional raags.


text:
6 stars! The performance is impeccable and captivating - Pandit Hariprasad has been recognized as the premier player of the bansuri (bamboo flute) for decades. This album is copyright 1990, so he was in his 50s. The repertoire recorded here is "3 contrasting rags suitable for the evening."

A great feature of this album for those who want to understand the raga system of India is the CD booklet, with notes written by British scholars. There are 4 pages of notes on the music, with 2 or 3 music staves for each of the 3 rags.  There are 2 additional pages of notes about the symbolism of the bansuri and Krishna.

I have about 2 dozen albums by Pandit Hariprasad. They all have excellent performances, but most of them do not have such detailed notes about the music. So if you want to learn about the music you hear, this is a great album to get.


title: piano, tabla, vocal trio

text: Personnel: Russell Churney (piano, keyboards); Kuljit Bhamra (percussion); Barb Jungr (vocals, mandolin, harmonica); James Tomalin (guitar, banjo); Stan Adler (cello).Recording information: Red Fort Studios, England.Illustrator: Vikram Bonthapally.After her fruitful and prolific stint as one-half of the ever-eclectic Jungr & Parker, Barb Jungr returned to school to earn her masters degree in ethnomusicology, which in turn led to the formation of JBC (later changed to Durga Rising), a Hindustani-flavored trio also featuring Kuljit Bhamra -- an expert tabla player and a pioneer in London's bhangra movement -- and Jungr's longtime musical partner, pianist Russell Churney. The group lasted for a couple years, but as a recording unit it only managed the one-off album Durga Rising, an effort that managed to merge Indian, jazz, European cabaret, blues, and pop music into a mostly successful and coherent, though admittedly peculiar, sort of treat. The compelling collisions begin immediately with "The Cutter," which most listeners would be hard-pressed to place as the Echo & the Bunnymen cover that it, in fact, is. In JBC's arrangement, with its viscous raga rhythms and haunting cello, the swirling post-punk song is tweaked into an earthy but exultant psychedelic anthem. The whimsically mooning "Bombay Dreaming," oddly enough, shares with the sprightly "Crimes Against Nature" the honor of being the most theatrical song on the album. In contrast, "Go Down Easy" is a beautiful dirge borrowed from the legendary British folk master John Martyn. Only "Spit It Out," a blues tune, drags on a bit longer than necessary (the other Jungr & Parker contribution, "Tears in a Bottle," is just right), especially in light of the slow-burning, almost operatic revision of "Blind Willie McTell," a Bob Dylan composition that not only serves as the cornerstone of the album but also pointed the way toward Jungr's later masterwork, Every Grain of Sand. An intriguing, adventurous amalgam. ~ Stanton Swihart


title: Hindu chants with lovely arrangements

text:
The musical arrangements, playing/singing and production are very professional. I assume these are all religious chants, no lyrics are given in Hindi or in English. The compositional raag for each song is given on the back cover. There are around 15 different instruments used. The singers, solo and chorus, are all male.

I bought the album partially to hear the bansuri flute of Rakesh Chaurasia, who excels as always.


title: Terrific jugalbandi of violin and sarod

text:
Great album of violin (South Indian) and sarod (North Indian) masters, in the jugalbandi style ("entwined twins" model of 2 lead instruments interacting with each other).

The album begins with a North India raga (Bhopali) followed by a South India raga (Malkauns). The violin and sarod players are accompanied on both tracks by tabla and mridangam, and these drummers have their own jugalbandi section at the end of both lengthy ragas.

The album concludes with 2 short solo pieces: first by the violin, and the last track by the sarod. I think the album was recorded in 1983.

The first 3 pieces are quite exciting; except for the alap section of the 2 main ragas, the last piece (the sarod solo) is the only one that is slow and meditative. All 4 tracks are played exceedingly well. I have 100+ albums of music from India, and this is one of my favorites.

This is a digital re-release of an LP. The CD has the 2 short solos which were not on the LP release. The CD has no liner notes, but the LP does. Search for the LP version on Amazon and you'll see a scan of the LP back cover which has information about the performers and the ragas.
[[ASIN:B00FKQ5NBU South Meets North Jugalbandi / Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Violin; Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Sarod]]


text:
Rakesh is the nephew of the greatest bansuri player, Hariprasad Chaurasia. He's not yet at that 'genius' level of keeping the listener's rapt attention through a 1-hour suite, but he's good. This album (2007) features his compositions in 8 shortish pieces, between 5 and 12 minutes each. The only accompaniment is the excellent pakhawaj drum player.

A minor note: Rakesh's last name is misspelled twice on the album cover! Major note: this album is the same as this one: "Devotion Instrumental Temple Music" which is also for sale on Amazon, with a red cover. Here are notes from that one, not present in this album, though the recording is identical:
"In Hinduism, devotion and worship to the almighty is not confined only to grandiose temples but allows one free reign to connect with the Aatma (the Soul), anywhere, at any time of the day; be it at home, a holy site or simply outdoors. In this album Devotion, the very gifted and talented flautist, Rakesh Chaurasia and the king of Pakhawaj, Pandit Bhavani Shankar come together to create somber yet sublime temple music in Dhrupad style, appropriate for the home or ones own cocoon elsewhere. Eight melodious tracks, beginning with the appropriate dawn Raag Prabhadeshwari, followed by Gerri Todi, Shudh Sarang, Yaman, Jhinjhoti, Main Ki Malhar, Chandrakauns and the late night Raag Jog provide a perfect backdrop to everyday worship and meditation."

The liner notes for this album version under review give some good information, though nothing about the raags themselves. But that information is easy to find online. The westerner will find it nice to hear 8 raags represented on a single album, so if you don't like the tonality of one, just skip ahead to the next one.  :-)  No really, it's a nice 'sampler of raags' album, played on my favorite instrument, and done with skill and passion.


title: 10 'sacred Christmas carols' by a trio

text: From website: Ten sacred carols that celebrate the spirit of Christmas, past and present, in a timeless Beauty. Performed by Fred Alley (vocals), Ira Stein (piano), and Hans Christian (cello, nyckelharpa), this CD reaches past trendy interpretations to rediscover the somber and reflective qualities of such classics as Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel; Coventry Carol, and ‘Twas In The Moon Of Wintertime. This collection of carols for the season of Light is bound to become a Christmas classic. Hans Christian is half of the 'Rasa' duet that plays devotional songs from India. Ira Stein is a well-known pianist.


text:
Tracklist
1 Dancing Daffodils
2 Shepherd's Call
3 Meadow Magic
4 Wisp Of Cloud
5 Homeward Bound
Credits
Flute – Ronu Majumdar
Santoor – Tarun Bhattacharya
Tabla – Abhijit Banerjee
Tambura – Vilas Pednekar

This album was earlier published as 'Essence of Jugalbandi' - the 'Dancing Daffodils' was added to the album title on a reissue, apparently. 1993.


text:
This is a very nice cross-cultural music album from a trio: the pianist and bansuri flautist are Belgian, and the well-known tabla player is from India.

They bill the music as "modern music based on north indian tradition, introducing piano's harmony." That's an apt description. Each of the 9 songs is set in a particular tala (rhythm cycle), and the name and count of the tala for each song is written on the back. So, the rhythmic framework for each song is set firmly in the age-old tala tradition of India - 6 beats, 8 beats 10 beats, 12 beats, or 16 beats in a repeating musical cycle (tala).

The melodies, on the other hand, are intentionally not set within the 'raga' system. And there's no drone instrument. Instead, the melodies - and western harmonies - unfold through the jazzy interplay of bansuri (bamboo) flute and piano. 'Jugalbandi' means "entwined twins." On this album, this doesn't work exactly the way that 'jugalbandi' music traditionally is played in India, where you have 2 different melody instruments interacting with each other on equal footing, neither being a 'support' instrument. On this recording, since the piano is playing chords and there is no drone, it is by nature supporting some musical lines of the bansuri flute. So I think that the trio's name only sorta-kinda fits the actual music in the technical sense. Note that the trio's other album is all based in the raga system of classical Indian music, so if that's what you're looking for, get that album. If you want more of a jazz feel, get this one.

But, you're asking by now, what does it actually sound like? Ahh ... it's terrific! Some of it has an ECM vibe, some is like a slow ballad, some has fast pairing of the flute and piano lines, a little of it passes the melody between the flute and the tabla. It goes between improvisation and composed musical portions (as does more traditional musics of India in the raga system). I find it very pleasant as lower-volume background music, and very rewarding as louder-volume foreground music. It's not too new-agey, it's not musical fluff, it's certainly not 'smooth jazz,' and I like that it's grounded in rhythmic cycles of India, played by a master musician.

By the way, I found the bio of the tabla player (Suman Sarkar) online, and his resume is quite impressive. He's been playing professionally in India since the 1980s, and working in Europe since the 1990s. He is is one of the visiting Tabla teachers at the Sangit School of Indian Music in Brussels, where presumably he met the two Belgians who lead this trio.

I love jazz piano, I love classical Indian musics, I love contemporary global fusion musics, and I love the bansuri flute. Put all these elements together and you get this satisfying album. I have dozens of recordings of the bansuri played in many contexts, and I go searching for it being used in non-traditional as well as traditional contexts. This is one of the better non-traditional cross-cultural albums that features the bansuri, and it is a rich listening experience which I enjoy greatly.


text:
Sacred songs both traditional and 'popular' (ie, folk tunes apart from the formal church liturgy) from Emiliano, Italy, performed by the instrumental group Pivari Trio and vocalists from Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro (The May Ensemble from Frassinoro).

Musicians:
Fabio Bonvicini: flauti, organetto, baghèt, ciaramella, canto
Mario Nobile: violoncello, organetto, ciaramella, canto
Renzo Ruggiero: ghironda, nyckelharpa, mandoloncello, canto

Listen to the mp3 page for this album to see song titles and hear song samples - very professional!

from liner notes:
The work presented in this CD by the Pivari Trio and by the soloists of the May Ensemble of Frassinoro takes its origin from a research on the sacred chants of popular tradition commissioned to Fabio Bonvicini and Mario Nobile by the Cultural Department of the municipality of Nonantola (Modena). The research developed on two main levels: on one hand a field enquiry, which availed itself of some recordings of still existing rites and of the direct testimony of elderly informers who sang and narrated their musical memories; on the other hand – well aware we were in quest of a treasure definitively and inexorably fading away – the close study of researches carried forward by previous scholars at a time when this musical tradition, choked nowadays by imported cultures, was still alive.

Once the enquiry stage was ended, the problem arose of how to elaborate and repropose the rich and evocative material we had collected: thanksgiving chants, songs coming from the liturgy, Passion chants, purely popular melodies played on holy days. The first necessity for the Pivari Trio, in comparison with their previous work on the songs and dances of the Frignano area entitled "Passa e ripassa", was to find voices that still bore upon them the mark of an ancient musical history, common to the repertoire and to the cultures in question. At this point came the meeting with Marco Piacentini and the May Ensemble of Frassinoro, who immediately agreed to the project of working together to the elaboration and reproposal of the repertoire we had assembled in the course of our research. The selection, the arrangements, the instruments, the voices, the project organization, everything was formulated and discussed together, to get to the result which is now presented by the Pivari Trio and by the May Ensemble of Frassinoro.

The order of the songs follows the course of the solar year: from the Epiphany to Christmas. The choice of the instruments and of the arrangements – mainly directed by Marco Piacentini – has been organized according to two main themes: we could call the first one a liturgical one, based on absorbed and intimate sounds, more apt to narrate the events of the Passion and to perform the tunes of more strictly liturgical origin; the second one, which we could define as festive, gathers together, in a more joyful and abounding style, the church songs linked to the celebration of holy days and popular traditions, where the Christian message mingles with ancient pagan festivities such as the Befana (an old fairy bringing toys to children) or with extra-religious musical traditions such as the dramatic May. What hasn't been touched at all but reproposed, on the contrary, in all its transparent authenticity, is the colour, the accent, the vocal expression of the May singers. Like the faces of "The Gospel according to St. Matthew" by Pasolini, or the language of "Funny Mystery" by Dario Fo, the ancient voices of the May singers bring a message from another culture, from a world which today can only be found in the folds, in the salvation oases of a musical landscape too often flattened and reduced to a single, monotonous, deafening colour. - Fabio Bonvicini
Compagnia del Maggio di Frassinoro - voices

[excerpted from review at CD Roots]


title: good songs

text:
Jabulani Africa - Worship Africa
From The Inside Out - Hillsong United
Whit Ribbon Day - Delirious?
Love Mercy - Andy Bromley
Come Heal This Land - Robin Mark
Army Of Compassion - Solveig
Heal This Land - The Longing
Let My Life Be Like a Lovesong - Vineyard UK
Justice And Mercy - Matt Redman
When It's All Been Said And Done - Robin Mark

Justice and Mercy are the heart of World Vision's work in their numerous programmes around the world and the bonus DVD presents footage of the organisation's work and conatins downloadable additional information and details.


title: Great covers, here's the songlist.

text:
My favorite J-Pop group does a good job covering these classics from Brazil. Songs include:
Track 1. Corride De Janada
Track 2. Se Voce Pensa
Track 3. Aguas De Marco
Track 4. Basta De Clamares Inocencia
Track 5. Upa Neguinho
Track 6. Zazueira
Track 7. Vera Cruz
Track 8. Madalena
Track 9. O Bebado E A Equilibrista
Track 10. Roda
Track 11. O Trem Azul


title: Classic album out of print, don't miss it!

text:
Comments on the album from Bob's Website: Six String Prayers is my 2007 release with guitarist
extraordinaire John Standefer.  This collection marks
our first recorded collaboration and is an interesting
musical departure for both of us.  Normally my guitar
is front and center on all my recordings.  Here, I play
on two tracks. My focus is singing to John's amazing
guitar arrangements and creative accompaniment on
the album's eleven songs.

John has a string of wonderful instrumental albums
and many years of concert appearances and guitar
workshops across the country.  SSP is the first time
he's recorded an entire album with a vocalist.

01 Six String Prayers (John Standefer & Bob Bennett) (6:04)
  02 Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional) (6:07)
  03 All the Diamonds (Bruce Cockburn) (3:33)
  04 Defiant Lamb (Bob Bennett) 4:47)
  05 Sometimes (Felice Mancini & Henry Mancini) (1:34)
  06 Psalm 5 (Bill Sprouse, Jr.) / Awaken Me (Billy Batstone) (5:42)
  07 Change My Heart O God (Eddie Espinosa) / I Love You Lord (Laurie Klein) (6:09)
  08 Let All Things Now Living (Katherine K. Davis / The Ash Grove) (4:23)
  09 Thankful Boys and Girls (Billy Crockett & Milton Brasher-Cunningham) (4:07)
  10 Abba Father (Bruce Wickersheim) (4:45)
  11 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Traditional / O Waly, O Waly) (4:08)


title: classic jazz from 1966 with the great Paul Horn

text:
A1 Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) 2:35
A2 Here's That Rainy Day 2:20
A3 How Insensitive (Insensatez) 2:44
A4 The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme From "The Sandpiper") 3:15
A5 In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning 3:54
B1 Girl Talk 3:11
B2 Moment To Moment 1:51
B3 Ecstacy 4:39
B4 Laura 3:15
B5 On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) 3:21
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor, Chorus Master [Choral Director] – Ralph Carmichael
Bass – Bill Plummer
Chorus [With The] – Ralph Carmichael Singers*
Clarinet – Paul Horn (tracks: A4, B5)
Drums – Bill Goodwin
Engineer [Recording] – Dave Hassinger
Flute – Paul Horn (tracks: A2, A3, B1, B3)
Flute [Alto] – Paul Horn (tracks: A1, B2, B4)
Flute [Bass] – Paul Horn (tracks: A5)
Liner Notes – Al Schmitt
Photography By [Liner Photos] – Patrick Regan
Piano – Mike Lang
Producer – Al Schmitt
Vibraphone – Lynn Blessing


title: liturgical folk songs

text: Ray has been writing liturgical music for years. His music has evolved into melodies that are ingenuous and engaging, easy to sing and well-fitted to his thoughtful words--truly "folk" music. This is a collection of 19 songs, mainly guitar-based and simple enough for any parish. "We Come to the Hungry Feast" is especially notable.


title: CD + live DVD, Finnish a cappella group

text:
Helsinki, Finland-based 3-men, 3 women Sextet Rajaton has been drawing our rave reviews since their formation in 1997. "Best of 1999-2009" is their 10th album in the PAC catalog (plus one excellent DVD), and it features a CD of 20 of the group's favorite recordings; plus a DVD of 11 of their favorite live videos. The songs in English are all exquisite selections, "Butterfly," Queen's "Under Pressure," the dramatic, amazing "Fernando," "Dobbin's Flowery Vale," and "I Was Brought to My Senses." English songs on the DVD include "Butterfly," "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" Lennon/McCartney's "Lady Madonna," Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Songs in Finnish and other languages include the lovely "Me kuljemme kaikki kuin sumussa," "Kaipaava," the powerful, previously unreleased "La Dolce Vita," the previously unreleased live cut "Tosi lapsellinen joulusikerma," "Pukki tietaa," the haunting "Varpunen jouluaamuna" and the soaring "Stabat Mater." Non-English favorites on the DVD include "Tiernapojat," "En etsi valtaa, loistoa," "Kulku," "Lunta," and Kertosakeen nainen." If you haven't been turned on to Rajaton, "Best of" will make you an instant fan. If you have, "Best of " will delight and amaze you from beginning to end, as have the other Rajaton albums in your collection. The liner notes are extensive and loaded with photos. A marvelous collection from one of our favorite Contemporary Jazz/Pop groups ever to pick up microphones!

review from singers dot com


title: song-by-song review

text:
Celtic Worship Live runs for 57 minutes and consists of fourteen songs.  Printed lyrics are included.  Most of the songs are originals and a couple are covers.

The songs

The album kicks off with "Praise the Holy Lord Above", skillfully played on acoustic guitar with Sarah Lacy's lovely, serene vocals quietly introducing the song.  It soon kicks into high gear with percussion and Uileann pipes.  This song gets the CD off to an exciting start and the crowd claps appreciatively.

"Prodigal" is a moving ballad about someone who had once been lost coming "home" to faith.  The lyrics are moving and relatable to anyone who has been through hell and longs for home.  The beautiful melody is sensitively played and well sung by Sarah Lacy.

The expansive and peaceful "Stones and Sea" is probably one of my favorite Eden's Bridge songs.  It flows seamlessly from "Prodigal", in the same key with a slightly slower tempo, and evocative lyrics about  collecting beautiful stones on a beach and eventually growing bored of them.  Until one day, the singer realizes that she'd not really noticed how beautiful the sea was... as she searched for precious but boring stones, she had missed how powerful, full of life, and majestic the sea was.  And unlike the stones, the sea is not controllable.  This is a message that you don't have to be into God to appreciate.

"Dante's Prayer" was written by Lorena McKennitt and is played here with an intimate piano and Sarah Lacy's expressive vocals.  Again, it's a song that one doesn't have to be religious to appreciate.  The lyrics are hopeful and invite the listener to remember that they aren't alone in times of trouble.  Whether that means they turn to God or just a good friend or loved one, the sentiment is the same.  It's very comforting.

The band explains that Sarah Lacy wasn't a fan of the original melody of "Hark The Heard Angels Sing" by Felix Mendelssohn.  She wrote a new melody retaining the lyrics to the popular Christmas hymn.  This concert was recorded on a cold night, probably near Christmas time.  I like Sarah Lacy's innovation; it's a nice spin on a classic.  It's immediately followed by "Come Let Us Adore Him", which is basically the chorus from "O Come All Ye Faithful".  It sounds like the crowd might have joined her, though the sound is very subtle.

"Son of Man" is another deep ballad with piano and windchimes.  The lyrics are about Christ's crucifixion.  Sarah Lacy sings with gentle reverence about how Christ died for our sins.  I suspect this song will resonate most with people who believe in Jesus Christ and the story of Christ's resurrection.  It's a poignant song regardless.

"All the Diamonds" is a cover of song written by Canadian Bruce Cockburn.  I have had limited exposure to Bruce Cockburn's music, so I had not heard this song before I listened to Eden's Bridge take on it.  Lacy's vocals are whisper soft and sweet and she's accompanied by guitar and organ.

Sarah Lacy introduces "Little Heaven", saying that it was inspired by the name Jesus and how difficult it is to say that name.  The lyrics suggest that Jesus is always there, lurking in subtle places.  And yet even though Jesus is always there, it's hard to talk about Christ's presence in one's life.  This song is really comforting and pretty.

"The Earth Waits" and "In My Mind" are described as being slightly different.  "The Earth Waits" is a more serious tune, with lyrics about letting go of shame and pain and waiting for the Lord to come back to Earth.  "In My Mind" brightens up the mood a bit as Lacy sings about keeping Christ in her mind, maintaining an intimate relationship and gathering strength from her Father.

"New Land" has the sound of an Irish folk song, with an undulating melody and gentle acoustic guitar accompaniment.  The lyrics are vivid, with descriptions of the wild Irish landscape that must serve as inspiration to this group and its beautiful music.  I think this is one of my favorite songs on this album.

"Eternal Father" is another pretty ballad, this time played on keyboards and pipes, with lyrics that cry out for love and help from God.  As I listen to this song, it occurs to me that some of Eden's Bridge's songs sound a bit similar... but while they have recycled some of their sounds, they've at least chosen the best ones to reuse.

"Watching Time" closes out this live set.  This song is intricately played on an acoustic guitar and Sarah Lacy's delicate vocals sing about companionship.  It could be about a friend, but my guess is that it's about having a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and always having Him with you, "watching time". This review is from epinions.


title: Soulful Acapella: originals and chants from around the world

text:
from Singers com page: "Dis Moi (Dees Mwah) is French for 'Tell Me,' and we were touched by this all woman trio's performance at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps Regional at SF's Palace of Fine Arts. There is a wealth of original material by group members in these 15 tunes: the poetic 'Birds,' 'Solstice Reverie' and 'Between Us' by Samantha, 'Lumin Solare Fiat,' 'Memoria de Amor,' 'Flame,' 'Real' 'Mariah's Song' and 'Now is the Time' by Heather, 'In Depth' and 'Together' by Tamar, and 'River Song' by Samantha and Heather. The Middle East folk song 'Ana Tumba' and the Nigerian rite of passage song 'Samagwaza' are also very strong. These are powerful, thought-provoking songs of peace, freedom, justice and love from the sweet, honest voices of these three beautiful, talented women."

See much more and hear samples at their page at CD Baby.


title: Herding call & joiks meet improvised global band

text:
from CD Roots: Old traditions like herding calls, joiks and overtone flute meet musicians of the 90's in an improvised world music.

Anders Hagberg is well established in Scandinavia and has toured internationally with other crossover groups such as Mynta, New Jungle Orchestra and Winduo. Over a longer period of time Anders performed with Indian and Japanese musicians which led to tours in Asia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

Hagberg has performed with several Scandinavian artists and has worked with film music, contemporary ballet and theatre.

The improvised and melodic music on "Earth Songs" is based on old traditions where herding calls and jojks are important elements. Inga Juuso from Norway does the jojking and Ingrid BrSnnstrsm the herding calls. The arrangements for the jojks are specially made for Inga Juuso, who is one of the most famous jojksingers from Norway and with a close collaboration with Marie Boine.

The major parts of the repertoire are the two musical suites "Vingslag" and "Folksuite", inspired by nordic history and culture.

Musicians:
Inga Juuso jojk
Ingrid Brännström - herding call
keyboards - keyboards
Christian Jormin - drums, percussion
Stefan Pettersson - electric bass
Tina Johansson - berimbau, talking drum
Singers from the choir "Amanda"


title: a cappella winter songs from 13 countries

text: info from JARO label: On their latest CD "Kykellia" Aquabella throws light on the period straddling the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year. The quintet presents winter and Christmas-themed songs from thirteen countries. Their musical tour leads them and us from Germany to Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland, Latvia, France, Norway, Georgia, Russia, Israel, New Zealand, Argentina and North America. The songs from across the globe sound fascinating, strange and yet familiar, and all manage to find their way into our hearts.


title: fantastic fusion!

text:
One review reads 'A marimba, a vibraphone, a stand-up bass, percussion and a little kora. A little bit of American jazz, a dash of Caribbean and a side of African folk music, but not quite like any of the three. How sweet the sound.

That's the kind of sound coming from this one-of-kind quartet Tones And Bones. A crew heavily steeped in knowledge about percussion type instruments T and B came together for the specific purpose for performing at the Long Beach Jazz Festival, and decided to take the collaboration further, into the studio. After listening to the results, I would add, "thankfully so." Comprising of Abdou Mboup (vocals, kora and percussion), Jaribu Shahid (bass and percussion), Lloyd Haber (marimba, bells and percussion) and favorite around here, Warren Smith (vibraphone and percussion), the quartet pooled together their talents to interpret fresh compositions from Haber and Smith to craft music that's exotic, and more full of tonality than you might think given the setup.

It's probably a little more tonal than you might think it'd be given the credentials of Smith and Haber(Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, etc.), but each of them give us tunes that are quite harmonious. Smith's "228" has a warm sound in spite of the bank of percussion roaring in at various spots before disappearing again. That can be attributed to Smith's vibes that are voluminous and swinging like Milt Jackson. Haber's "Song For The Old Ones" as it's a well written composition is another highlight; he takes the lead on this one with Smith providing the dulcet shadings behind him.

Mboup sings in his native West African tongue for the opener ("Breathing Water" and the closer "In The Valley of Dreams." On both of those songs, Mboup also plays his 21 string lute instrument, the kora. The enchanting, soothing sound of the kora fit so well with the marimba and vibraphone, it's kind of a shame it wasn't used more throughout the album. As a percussionist, Mboup and the others modulates their rhythms well, never overwhelming Haber and Smith. He and Shahid work together to construct smart grooves that bolster the songs ("Dance For Suwoo" and "MR7" are good examples of that), and not turn them into runaway rhythm fests.'


title: beautiful string music from China

text:
In China, The Chaozhou Ensemble is known as a virtuoso in Chiuchow music, the music of the River Mi-Lou region. The group has held many honors, including 1st place at the Ethnic Music Competition of the 3rd Guangzhou Music Variety Show.

The Chaozhou Ensemble performs Chiuchow "string music" (xianshi) throughout China, in concert and in many conservatories, as well as giving talks on the genre to promote Chiuchow music. The members of this group met at the Guangdong Provincial Academy for People's Art. The Ensemble is highly accredited by the Publicity Department and the Ministry of Culture of China as well as the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Members of the group include the Music Director and erxian player of the Shantou Ensemble, researchers of Chiuchow music at the Guangdong Shantou City Arts Center, a recitalist, and a National Class Two Composer.


title: mystical fingerstyle acoustic guitar

text:
Lisa Hake plays fingerstyle acoustic guitar in alternate tunings and her playing is reminiscent of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn of Pentangle fame. The music is future-past; the songs sound like ancient transcriptions recovered from a bog, but you've never heard anything like them before. Having studied Eastern and Western mythology, the Tarot, runes, astrology, and symbolism; Lisa's lyrical inspiration runs the gamut from a Zen koan or the Mabinogion to a Russian submarine disaster or Julia Butterfly's yearlong tree-sit to save a redwood. Each song is assigned an explanatory I Ching hexagram including the title Tree Over Sea which means truth. The only way to imagine these kaleidoscopic tunes is to become an initiate.

-- info and downloads/samples at calabashmusic(dot)com


title: great stuff!

text:
1. Minuet In Central Park (Kreisler: Liebesleid)

2. Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme (J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV.140)

3. Vagabond Vision (Faure: Apres un Reve)

4. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV.147)

5. Ombra Mai Fu (Handel: Ombra Mai Fu )

6. Freefall (Satie: Gymnpedie)

7. "Air" (J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite in D Major)

8. Minor Mood (Rachmaninoff: Vocalise)

9. Arioso (J.S Bach: Cantata BWV.156)

10. Concierto De Aranjuez (Rodrigo: Concierto De Aranjuez)

11. The Beginning (Chopin: Prelude No.4 in E Minor)

12. Gavotte en Rondeau (J.S. Bach: Partita In E Major)

13. Brandenburg Concerto No.3 (J.S Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3)


title: global percussion mix

text:
from website:

"A recording of Middle-Eastern/Balkan/African drums & percussion featuring traditional rhythms as well as progressive, tribal fusion variations that are used in arrangements ranging from high-energy solos to dark and atmospheric pieces.

THE BLACK DRUM is a musical project by Kevin "Nevik" Hartnell.

A lifetime of drumming and inspirations from all over the world are fused together in this solo project. After having worked with many other diverse musical groups over the years, Nevik dives head first into nothing but drums (sounds painful, eh?). The Black Drum features, tupan, darbuka, ashiko, riq, zils, muzhar, tar, bells, and various percussion. Compositions are aimed at those who enjoy drums, bellydance, and percussive grooves.

Tracks at payplay.fm


title: "blended voices of the angels"

text:
Brian O'Donovan of WGBH in Boston has this to say about the group and the new album:

How do you describe the music of Navan? Yes, technical terms exist. Exquisite... acappella... harmony singing in all of the Celtic languages. But Navan is a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There is something about the blend of human voices without the burden or rhythm of instruments in accompaniment that affects us spiritually. This is the sound we popularly think of as that of angels.

In hearing the songs of Navan on this, their third CD, you will be transported to other places, other times. The sound is ancient, elemental. It is a continuum of experience for Celtic peoples through the ages seeking guidance and comfort in lives tied to the land but looking at the moon. The songs are food for the spirit, a warm drink on a cold night in front of a welcome fire; the smile of a stranger; the softness of a baby's cheek; the sadness of remembrance; and yes, the blended voice of the angels, wherever they may be.


title: track listing

text:
Hymn to Gaia

Round & Round: The Vermont Song

Breath

Water

Selome

Blues Train

Hymn to Demeter

House, Earth, Water, Sky


title: always fantastic

text:
Mynta is a Swedish-Indian group formed in 1979. There are 6 band members on this recording. Lots of percussion, flutes, santoor, and vocables; some sax, some guitar, and more. Mostly acoustic instruments, just a faint touch of keyboard for atmosphere and electric bass. Strongly rhythmic but this is not remixed club music, this is a fine and original mix of elements from jazz and India.

Some of it is fiery music with a very strong Indian flavour, kind of like Shakti, though with a melodic "head" like a jazz piece. One or two pieces could be called "contemporary easy jazz," most of the 11 songs push the edge more than that. They show superb musicianship, and good compositional skills, throughout the recording.


title: Worth every penny

text: Arrived quickly. All were sealed brand new. The contents 💖


title: I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED  ☹

text: IT DID NOT COME WOTH A PHOTOCARD BUT OVERALL IT CAME IN GREAT CONDITION 😔


title: Santa Sabina Espiral

text: Amazing dvd!!! Santa Sabina is a great band, great music!!!


title: CD-Rock songs & videos

text: Amazing cd!!!


title: Bonito JDP Single-CD

text: Yeah!!! Thanks!!!


title: JDP

text: Wooooooow!!!! Gracias!!!


title: Well packed and fantastic condition

text: Love this! Great selection and fantastic condition, super well packaged - reasonably priced and I like not knowing what I am gonna get too


title: amen! a great mono concert!

text:
Derived from what must have been a full professional 16-track multi track recording, the sound is absolutely great, and Elvis is in top form. The booklet is full of great pictures from the actual show and informative notes. The CD comes in a 7" digi format with a 16 page booklet.

Recorded Live on stage in Richmond, Virginia. March 18, 1974

Tracklist:

1. Also Sprach Zarathustra
2. See See Rider
3. I Got A Woman/Amen
4. Love Me
5. Trying To Get To You
6. All Shook Up
7. Steamroller Blues
8. Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel
9. Love Me Tender
10. Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/Your Mama Don't Dance/Flip, Flop and Fly/Jailhouse Rock/Hound Dog
11. Fever
12. Polk Salad Annie
13. Why Me Lord?
14. Suspicious Minds
15. Introductions by Elvis
16. I Can't Stop Loving You
17. Help Me
18. American Trilogy
19. Let Me Be There
20. Funny How Time Slips Away
21. Can't Help Falling In Love
22. Closing Vamp

Bonus Cuts
23. Sweet Caroline*
24. Johnny B. Goode*
25. That's All Right*

*Tracks 23-25 are from cassettes tapes recorded through the mixing console.


title: track listing mor einfo

text:
HEART
Title NOTHIN' AT ALL (REMIX)
Description

UK ORIGINAL CD SINGLE P/S (CDCL507)
Catalogue Number CDCL507

1  Nothin' At All (Remix)  4:07
2  I've Got The Music In Me  6:17
3  I Want You So Bad  4:19
4  Nothin' At All (Extended Remix)  5:08


title: a track listing

text:
JERRY KELLER
Here Comes Summer - Volume 1
30 songs!
Brill Tone Records CD JKW 666

From Germany

Here Comes Summer (stereo)
Lovable
Now, Now, Now (stereo)
If I Had a Girl (stereo)
What More Can I Say?
My Name Ain't Joe
White For You and Blues For Me
Lonesome Lullaby
What Will I Tell My Darling?
Be Careful How You Drive Young Joey
My Year of Love
There are Such Things (stereo)
Whole Heartedly
American Beauty Rose (stereo)
Time Has a Way (stereo)
Sea Shell Sherry
Some Summer
I'll Get By
It's Too Late
Small Wonder
What Happens When He Comes Home
Goodnight Pretty Girl
Unchained Melody (stereo)
Your Cheatin' Heart (stereo)
The Girl That I Marry (stereo)
True Love (stereo)
Young Love (stereo)
(Look Over Your Shoulder) I'm Walking Behind You (stereo)
Sixteen Going on Seventeen (stereo)
Never Wake Up


title: Get one from this seller if you can!

text: I was wary of purchasing this boxed set because I had read so many reviews about the manufacturing of it being very sloppy. I corresponded with the seller before I ordered this. I was a pain, but they were so helpful and understanding about my reluctance. It arrived quicker than I expected and in PERFECT CONDITION. Absolutely no scratches on the CDs or any defects whatsoever. I just ordered the Wish You Were Here Immersion Boxed set from the same seller and can’t wait to get it. Be careful who you buy from and you won’t regret a thing. I am so very happy that I was able to even find a new one. Love it.


title: Another Lost Gem

text:
Comparable to The Painter but not quite as good, Headlines shares with it a similar flavor, a sincerity, consistency and maturity of words and music.  David Foster plays on the album, and co-wrote a couple of the tracks, all but one of which are Anka originals.

Like The Painter, Headlines is a moving piece of work.  It deserves a better fate than to be consigned to the dust-heaps of old vinyl.


title: Good Quality Arrived Without Delay

text: Haven't had these Cds since highschool. glad to have em back in my player


title: Five Stars

text: underrated album tbh


title: Classic Anime Music At It's Best.

text: If you are a bit disenchanted with the over-production usually associated with modern anime and it's music, you should give this album a try. Lots of great tracks on this album that will make you feel nostalgic for animation even if you have never actually watched any of the shows that they were from. The insert booklet also has a wonderful history of anime and how it came to prominence here in the US.


title: Another addition to the collection!

text: I love the rarity!<br />Also very unique to own


title: Journey I'm 101

text: In other comments I have spoke very highly of Steve Augeri. His classy way of delivery  , great vocal range and his interaction with band and audience. The 3rd release had  bite, it was down a diffrent rabbit hole but those and  the ballads<br /> Set a new staanded. Pity he left.


title: A change for the better

text: Unlike other anthologies, beautiful cover art, with tracks not found on others.get it for your JOURNEY  collection. A must.


title: A sensuous and gorgeous score!

text: For those new to and well-familiar with the world of ballet music, this CD offers a beautiful journey down a long-forgotten byway in the genre. It is a sensuous and gorgeous score full of light pathos and drama that is sure to please. There is just too much to digest in one listening; several are required. Rather than a bombastic overture, Nosyrev's melodies slowly weave their way into your mind and draw you into their realm. You will love the journey. The recording quality is excellent too! Nosyrev offers the right balance of excitement and quiet reflection. Truth be told, there is very little musical predictability here. And one would be well-advised to read the Ivan Turgenyev story the ballet is based on. It's a shame this CD is out of print, but the entire score can easily be purchased on Amazon Digital Music. Highly recommended!


title: And the things that I must do consist of more than style...

text:
"Well I remember when you used to look so good and I did everything that I possibly could for you..."

I first discovered this album when a record store owner, having seen me buy tons of CDs for years, cornered me one day and practically forced me to buy it. "You will not be disappointed," he said.  Respecting his taste, I took it to my recording studio and gave it my undivided attention. That was in 2003.

"Served my time, served it well, you made my soul a cell..."

My initial impression was rather puzzling. The sound took me back to the Summer of Love (which I was too young to appreciate) and I remember feeling both intrigued and repulsed by the music coming out of my monitors. The record store owner had warned me that it might take a few listens to "get it." I had had that experience on several albums, not really liking them at first but gradually giving them a chance to work their magic. I played it a few times in the weeks that followed and one Sunday afternoon it hit me with full-force. "This is an incredible album!" I declared. I found myself singing along with the tunes and the themes and imagery were resonating with me on a very deep level. I swear that CD LIVED in my player for months because I couldn't get enough of it.

"You are just a thought that someone, somewhere, somehow feels you should be here..."

That was no small feat. I'm a hardcore CD collector and I work in the music industry as an engineer, musician, and consultant. There isn't much out there I haven't heard. Forever Changes is now one of my all-time favorites.

 "Moon's a common scene around my town
Yeah where everyone is painted brown
And if we do get stuck away
Let's go paint everybody gray"

What makes this album unique is its combination of clear musical composition, deep emotional expression, fantastic instrumental playing, and top-notch singing. Yes, the lyrics are nonsensical at times, but that's part of the charm. You don't have to ask, "What did he mean by that phrase?" You can FEEL it. Forever Changes is a product of its turbulent time, but its themes are timeless.

"The news today will be the movies for tomorrow..."

You may have to listen to this record a bunch of times before it grabs you. And grab you it will. The "Voice" of this record has no ego or attitude, it doesn't brag and it doesn't judge. It makes you think, about yourself, your life, what it means and really, what it ALL means. It asks big questions, it warns, it despairs, it celebrates, it hopes, and it cares, about you, about EVERYBODY. It isn't Arthur Lee's point of view, it's THE point of view. You know, the one we should all be listening to. This record is your conscience. And it isn't very happy about some of the choices you've made. But that doesn't seem to matter. What matters is that you listened, took stock of yourself and learned something. Something profound about what it means to be human, to be alive and have a choice in how one lives and loves.

"Write the rules in the sky, but ask your leaders why..."

Musically, one can hear bits and pieces of many influences. Forever Changes doesn't get bogged down in one type of musical expression. The parts fit together perfectly in a seamless mosaic. They transcend the mundane to create an addictive, intoxicating soundscape that's impossible to resist.

"There's a man who can't decide if he should
Fight for what his father thinks is right"

When Forever Changes was recorded, the Vietnam War was just coming into national focus. It wasn't going well and the body count was rising. There was growing opposition from the Flower Children, who found themselves fighting a non-enemy to no purpose. An undercurrent of foreboding permeates the record, but it's not depressing in the least. In the end, "You Set the Scene" sums up its optimism clearly:

"This is the time in life that I am living, and I'll face each day with a smile..."

Ultimately Forever Changes is a celebration but it is much more than that. It's a positive statement about life in America in the late 20th Century that no one is ever going to forget.

"They're locking them up today
They're throwing away the key
I wonder who it'll be tomorrow you or me?"

Buy this CD and give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.


title: This is a pretty good album

text: This is a pretty good album. The only parts I thought were a little off is the audio that sounds like it came straight from the movie. Other then that this is good.


title: Not a full album.  Scam

text: This is just one song.  Not the entire album.  For the seller to ask  $10 for a CD with one song and not state it in the description is Bull and shady. Do not buy!


title: Great soundtrack!

text: This was great to listen to from way back when. Love it!!


title: Five Stars

text: Great


title: One of a kind musical experience

text:
I first got turned onto this when my brother bought it on vinyl in the early 70s. My brother was a music nut rest his soul. He also had the Switched On Bach albums, also great but not as unique as this.
Since then I've bought it on tape and newer vinyl after my brother's original vinyl wore out from hundreds of plays and poor storage.
In my opinion, this should be played on all analog to retain the flavor of the original analog synthesizer!


title: Great value

text: Very pretty. Smaller than I thought with the hoops but still pretty.


title: for completests/hendrix fanatics only

text: Purchased it on ebay but I wanted to write a review for those thinking of purchasing it. The pros: The vinyl is high quality 180g and the inner sleeves are decent but not as nice as some other Hendrix family releases. The cover is a gatefold with some cool photos and stuff. Cons: The concert was not professionally recorded. It sounds like a bootleg. It's not nearly as hi-fi as some other releases like Machine Gun, Live At Berkeley, or Isle of Wight. If your looking for good live Hendrix I suggest those.


title: Five Stars

text: The product was ahead of schedule with no damage to the CD's


title: Malisimo, no pierdan su dinero en esta porquería. ...

text: Malisimo, no pierdan su dinero en esta porquería. En el vídeo enfocan tantas sillas vacías en el concierto y mucha otra gente saliendo enojada. Cuando hacen dueto se nota completamente que no están cantando en vivo y aunque tratan de disimularlo con el pelo, ni ellas mismas aguantan las risas. Completamente decepcionado. A la única que seguiré apoyando en su carrera es a Karina, las demás ya tienen que aceptar que el tiempo paso y retirarse dignamente.


title: Awesome

text: I love this song, I first heard it the early 80’s and have the original vinyl that I purchased. Now I am looking for it on a cd.


title: love it

text: album came in perfect conditions and it came with 2 photo cards and stickers.


title: Four Stars

text: Good quality. fast delivered


title: Merritt Herring’s Best

text: This is a lovely collection of songs I remember Merritt Herring performing in the 60s at the Berkeley Folk Music Festival. I’m very, very happy to have this.


title: Never heard this album before!

text: I've been a Stephen Stills fan for years but had never heard this album before.  I must live under a rock!<br />What a pleasant surprise.  Stills is so eclectic in his skills as a musician that I thoroughly enjoyed his ability to change venues.  Stills is also an under-rated guitar player.  He can play it all.  Thanks for the music Stephen.


title: Three Stars

text: Being the cassettes are older the sound on them are not as clear. Warped sound.


title: Best CD ever made!

text: Big is the man!