CD Review – Bliss of Being, by The Pure Heart Ensemble

The Pure Heart Ensemble sound exactly like what their name suggests, and the title of their latest album is just as much on the mark.

The group consists of Richard Shulman on piano and synthesizer, Adriana Contino on cello, Kate Steinbeck on flutes, Dielle Ciesco on voice, and Bob Hinkle on crystal bowls.

Together, these five musicians create a sound that is truly blissful and comes from deep within their collective souls to touch the hearts and minds of listeners.

The compositions are thoughtful and beautifully arranged and the music is soft and sensitive, slipping into the subconscious and facilitating a state of serenity and calm.

This CD provides a wonderfully refreshing experience all around.

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – The Shimmering Land, by Meg Bowles

The title of preeminent new age composer and musician Meg Bowles' latest release is appropriate, as the album is full of shimmering sounds.

 

Bowles is known for grand, ethereal, otherworldly textures, commonly associated with the new age sub-genre of space music and all of which are in abundance here. All of the sounds on display are generated entirely by Bowles using her synthesizers.

 

Although the medium is electronic, the resultant music is very organic. This is due to Bowles' dynamic and expansive compositions, which contribute to the conjuring of cosmic vistas in the mind's eye of the listener.

 

If you're looking for quintessential new age music, this is it.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Primordial Sonics, by David Vito Gregoli

David Vito Gregoli's latest album is a melting pot of sounds from around the globe, truly making it a genuine work of world music. He calls it ambient aboriginal groove fusion, and that's exactly what it is.

 

Indigenous instruments such as Australian Aboriginal didjeridu, sitar, tabla, Persian santoor, Indian tambora, Indian bansuri flute, and Egyptian Ney flute come together with bass, percussion, and keyboards and synthesizers to forge a hypnotic hybrid that sounds very much like instrumental rock by way of India, Australia, and the Middle East.

 

Helping to bring Gregoli's musical vision to life are didjeridu virtuoso Stephen Kent, Yoga chanteuse Donna De Lory, flautists Suzanne Teng and Manose, and late percussionist Geoffrey Gordon and late bassist Bob Birch, the latter two to whom the CD is dedicated.

 

This is one of the best world music albums I have ever listened to, and it's a global musical journey worth taking.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Voyage: Hiroshima Eternal, by Takashi Suzuki

Not only is Hiroshima the place of residence for Takashi Suzuki as well as the site of a notorious historic event, but it also the creative impetus for Suzuki's latest work, resulting in an album that is among the highest order of synthesizer music.

 

Neither Hiroshima itself nor its implications are the focus of the CD. Rather, Suzuki uses Hiroshima as a jumping-off point to explore the journey of an imagined soul after the end of its corporeal life in a real catastrophe. Suzuki has basically created the soundtrack for that conceit.

 

And what a soundtrack it is!

 

All the sounds on the disc are generated entirely by Suzuki's synthesizers, which is easy to forget because this is as far from sounding like electronic music as you can get. In fact, the music is very orchestral, but in a more solemn, heartfelt--rather than full-bore, bombastic---manner. Think searching, penetrating horns and strings.

 

Also telling is the fact that this is Suzuki's first international CD release to feature tracks with separate, distinct titles, furthering the effect of a story with a unique theme unfolding.

 

This is a bold musical statement from a visionary, continually evolving artist.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Light of Aluna, by Anima

Anima is a U.K.-based outfit that comprises the complementary talents of Ali Calderwood and Daniela Broder, who on their latest release deliver a sonic experience that is out of this world.

 

Calderwood primarily plays keyboards and synthesizers and Broder focuses on vocals and acoustic guitar, with the duo also sharing performances on a variety of unique ethnic instruments. The result is a sound that is very celestial while also grounded and fusing together elements of world, jazz, new age, and electronica.

 

Prominent features of the music include sinewy synthesizer leads by Calderwood and impressionistic guitar intonations by Broder.

 

This is tuneful, mystical, and ear- and mind-opening music that will take you to another plateau.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Awakening, by Stephen DeRuby

While the music on Stephen DeRuby’s latest album is primarily based on Eastern philosophy and culture, it draws just as much from other exotic sounds from around the world, resulting in an ear-opening amalgam of world music styles.

 

In addition to the audio styling of India and the Far East, the music also features some elements that could be characterized as African and South American, all fused through the new age and world fusion sensibilities that DeRuby adeptly demonstrates.

 

The focal point of the music is DeRuby’s mesmerizing, hypnotic compositions and melodic lead flute playing, which is beautiful, on target, and commands attention. DeRuby’s performance is nicely embellished by a host of other musicians on instruments such as guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussion.

 

This is a very well-done CD that provides mental and emotional release, as well as a pleasant listening experience.

 

--Raj Manoharan

TV – Star Trek, Which Turns 47 Today, Keeps on Trekkin’ on Me TV

Forty-seven years ago today, William Shatner logged his first Stardate entry as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise on NBC’s Star Trek, and there’s no better way to celebrate than watching episodes of the classic show every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV.

The groundbreaking program initiated a sci-fi and pop cultural phenomenon that would trek far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Shatner played Kirk during Star Trek’s 1966-1969 run, later voicing the role on the 1973-1975 NBC Saturday morning cartoon and then returning as the character in live action for seven big-budget theatrical motion pictures from 1979 to 1994. Most of Shatner’s fellow original series actors accompanied him on these later adventures, with nearly the entire cast starring together in Star Treks I through VI.

The franchise has lived long and prospered beyond Shatner’s participation, with four additional television series spanning 18 consecutive years, as well as five additional movies and counting.

Shatner hasn’t done badly for himself, either. He has maintained the highest, most visible profile of any Star Trek actor, writing several Star Trek and other science fiction novels as well as multiple memoirs and autobiographies, and starring in several TV shows, including T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, TekWar, and Boston Legal. Let’s not forget Shatner’s long-running stint as the spokesman for Priceline.com, the latest incarnation being his role as the Priceline Negotiator.

Shatner’s career can basically be divided into two phases: Star Trek and William Shatner.

But Star Trek is where it all began, 47 years ago today.

--Raj Manoharan