The Whole Music Experience

Paulo Fresu, A Filetta Corsican Voices & Daniele di Bonaventura Mistico Mediterraneo ECM A lone lyric jazz trumpet, an Italian bandoneon, and Corsican vocals combine to create a haunting soundtrack for Mother Earth on the album Mistico Mediterraneo . In my opinion, this gorgeous recording will likely appeal to sensitives (which comprise only 30% of the population), and sophisticated music audiences. It’s not going to appeal to the average music listener who prefers the jangles of pop music. Corsican polyphony alone has the power to stop a listener in his or her track, but I’ve noticed that only more evolved humans gravitate towards this music. It’s as if you need to listen with an inner ear to fully comprehend it. Sadly, much of what I review on this blog fits into this category because the most powerful healing music scrubs the soul clean, leaving it bare and vulnerable to daylight. Not everyone enjoys this type of musical journey. Too bad because this type of purging ...

Holiday Recordings (In My Collection) I gave most of my holiday recordings to my parents. And the list you’ll find here features Christian and pagan music. I have not received any holiday recordings from other spiritual and religious traditions, but I'm open to recordings featuring music for Kwanza and other religious traditions. But on this list, I’ve included Corsican polyphony, Nicoise and Provencal polyphony, early music, early colonial music from Latin America, polyphony and carols from the United States (early music), choral music from Eastern Europe, and some unique small ensemble music. Of course you’ll also find a recording of Handel Messiah , which is also featured during Easter season. I realize that these recordings don’t comprise a comprehensive collection, (Tchaikovsky’s incidental music for the ballet The Nutcracker is missing from this list). However, the loving spirit of all the recordings comes through loud and clear, especially on a good stereo syst...

Alex E. Smith, Cheevers Toppah & Nitanas Landry Rain in July (Native American Vocal Harmony) Canyon Records Barbara Furtuna In Santa Pace (Polyphonies Corses) Buda Musique (France) As far as I know, Rain in July is Alex E. Smith, Cheevers’ Toppah’s and Nitanas Landry’s follow-up to the Native American trio’s Harmony Nights (2007). The Native American vocal harmonies that appear on Rain in July sound as lush as an alpine valley. These gifted vocalists weave their voices into tight harmonies while mostly singing vocables. However, a few of the love songs supply lyrics sung in English. The most remarkable aspect of this trio is the inclusion of a female vocalist, Nitanas Landry who hails from Canada. Usually when you hear Native American harmonies, they involve two men vocalists. While the harmonies possess beauty in their own right, adding the feminine voice brings in a sacred balance that resonates well with the earth, and certainly wi...