phenomeNEWS - This Month's Music Review

This Month's Music Review
by Greg Ozimek

DIAL M
...FOR MANTRA
JAI UTTAL
SOUNDS TRUE

For lovers of Jai Uttal, singer, musician, producer extra ordinaire Dial M... For Mantra is an all too short 62 minutes of pure Uttal.

Uttal’s unmistakable signature voice and, by now, easily recognized and rich, theatrically dramatic scoring of each mantra meditation song finds waves to engulf you in the transcendent... and waft the transcendent to you. While visiting this land of transcendence look around and be the spiritual tourist, the voyager on your life’s pilgrimage of discovery – ever immersed in “This.”

But wait, there’s more! Dial M...For Mantra is a re-mix CD that has taken the lush, devotional trance that is so remarkably “Jai Uttal” and let it pass through the studio, processors and mind of re-mix master artist Rara Avis of Shaman’s Dream.

In this way Avis was able to unleash a side of Uttal that brings Dial M...For Mantra into a new neighborhood: kirtan dripping with funk. Yes, in a very, very good way. Uttal is still oh-so-devotional and trance but now with an even further enticing downtempo groove – call it kirtonica!

You will like it. Seriously, you will. It’s like Jai Uttal all over again.

Known in and around California, Shaman’s Dream is a group of musicians, artists and producers dedicated to creating peace and unity through music, dance and ritual art. Their Los Angeles based, monthly ritual concert event, Zen Dancing, has kept them in service of this dream for more than ten years.

Also, when you hear the name Jai Uttal you can dead-reckon that Ben Leinbach is also involved. Ben and Jai go back at least ten years. Leinbach brought his producer/composer/engineer/multi-instrumentalist talents to the original recordings for Dial M... For Mantra.

SONGS OF SPIRIT
NORMA GENTILE
LIVE SOUND HEALINGS

Last month we took a look at a new CD from Norma Gentile – Songs of Spirit with Tibetan Singing Bowls, Schruit Box, Guitar, Tibetan Flute and voice (www.healingchants.com).
In the past month Norma’s CD has gotten a lot of play here and, while I liked it after the first few experiences of hearing it – I like it even more after having experienced it many more times.

I think you will too.

With the December holidays coming up I would like to offer you the idea that Norma’s CD is an excellent way to spread the finest and most beautiful energies we all want inside of ourselves and which we also want others to have.

Songs of Spirit is largely based on the music, works and life of Hildegard of Bingen. The music is healing, gentle and helps energies in a space (home, office, land, etc.) release while it supports you and your endeavors.

After many years of deep meditation and immersion in the silence, Songs of Spirit is exactly the kind of sound-form you would welcome into your life and want to allow yourself to be immersed in, to fill your soul and bound out of yourself in powerful and sublime waves of expressive intent. This is the good stuff. We have Norma to thank for dedicating her life to her voice, study of Hildegard and much more than this body of work.

Norma has become a Sound Shaman.

Play Songs of Spirit for yourself with your own intentions and let it play in your home even when you are not there (for the angels and parallel universes).

Blessings to all!